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Post by Jon Steel on Jan 7, 2005 17:20:22 GMT -5
For Sale: Used Graves Mark I Faceting Machine, older model, runs fine, facets great, grinds just about anything with the proper laps. $850 or best offer! Check, credit card , money order, or I can set you up to pay using your credit card with PayPal. Shipping is negotiable, depending where you live, but I will only ship to the lower 48 states. See it online on this web page: dragonflybridge.com/graves/graves.htmlJon
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Post by docone31 on Jan 7, 2005 20:32:42 GMT -5
Good looking machine, the Graves faceter is one a person starts out with. It is a work horse. I prefer direct drive for faceting. I have a Facetron, and next week I should be able to take delivery of my new Ultratec. 8" is the way to go.
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Post by Jon on Jan 7, 2005 22:40:14 GMT -5
Yep, I am waiting for delivery of my new Ultra Tec any day now, and that is why I am selling the old trusty Graves.
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Post by docone31 on Jan 7, 2005 22:59:40 GMT -5
John, you should sign up as a member and join our fun. We need another faceter. How come you did not convert the Graves to bottom feed for the power? I have met a lot of folks who have done that. I also met someone who had made it possible to reverse direction. I have found, when my lap sluggs up, it really helps to reverse direction on the lap. I like to cut the biggies, and they really load up an island lap. When the biggies are cut, also, they really show up when the machine is a little out of alignment, especially on the table. I am cutting an emerald that has a 21mm X 8mm table. When I am cutting the table and using the 1200 lap, there is a small point on the table that will not prepolish. I am referring to using the machine at the original cut settings and not tweaking the dop for the prepolish. When I spin the dop on the cut, it shows up as a very fine hair line on the table. If it was a 13mm table, it would not show. The Ultra tec, if all works out, has been converted to all digital. Now as you know, the Facetron has an handpiece, while the Ultratec and Graves use a quill. I have become quite spoiled by the handpiece as I can pick it up and inspect under magnification, while with the Graves and Ultratec I will have less freedom to inspect and return it to -0- I think with the digital readouts, I will get comfortably used to it. My Facetron will become the dinosaur. Did you read my tutorial on using epoxy with dop wax? Really makes a difference on oiled stones. A customer came by today and gave me four pounds of Apache Tears. One measures three inches by five inches. I can see a dynamic emerald cut on that. Hmmmm, do I cut my Moldavite first, or the tear? Faceted Apache Tear looks great. It is glass but it facets real well. Never had one fracture on cutting.
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Post by Jon on Jan 8, 2005 14:09:49 GMT -5
docone31 - You are talking about "joining" - what should I join - a faceting club or something?
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Jan 8, 2005 18:47:08 GMT -5
Hi Jon, I think he means this board. We would love to have you.
Dwight P
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Jon
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 43
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Post by Jon on Jan 9, 2005 18:34:54 GMT -5
OK - I registered for the boards. Guess I am a full member now?
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Post by docone31 on Jan 9, 2005 19:15:11 GMT -5
Sorry about the first bingo, Ralph has learned to jump on the keyboard while I am typing. Jon, you are wanted, welcome, and I think folks will enjoy your posts. I am the only faceter on the forum that makes a living off my product as far as I know. I welcome another faceter for sure.
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Jon
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 43
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Post by Jon on Jan 9, 2005 19:19:12 GMT -5
great docone - I am a beginning faceter, still awaiting delivery of my Ultra Tec next Thursday (according to FedEx tracking)
when I learn how to post pics on this forum (tried and failed so far) will post so pics of some faceted gems
you have a website where folks can see your faceting work? Do you post pics on this forum?
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Post by docone31 on Jan 9, 2005 19:22:26 GMT -5
Jon, in Doc's Shop Pics in photographs you will see my shop and the emerald I am cutting. I have learned a lot, but I have a long way to go. I am seeking the perfect facet, and jewelery design. I was given an Ultratec with all digital conversion. I did some work for a woman and she so loved my work, she gave me the machine. I hope to pick it up this week. Look at my post in tips on dopping with epoxy and wax. It is good for emeralds.
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Jon
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 43
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Post by Jon on Jan 9, 2005 19:26:45 GMT -5
where do I find doc's shop - can you send the URL?
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Jon
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 43
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Post by Jon on Jan 9, 2005 19:32:00 GMT -5
and docone - where do you get your faceting rough?
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Post by docone31 on Jan 9, 2005 21:53:16 GMT -5
It comes to me. Where I am, there are a gazillion retitred lapidariasts. I honestly do not understand why, but they have all given up. Here is the wierd part. Most of them are top GIA grads. I mean, they took every course in gems GIA had. One day, each one of them just stopped. I mean stopped. It is spooky. They, one day, just stopped cutting, grinding, faceting, boxed up their rough and waited for death so it seems. I draw an amazing crowd when I am faceting, repairing jewelery, cabbing. One by one, they come to the shop, hold up their finger and say, I'll be back. Right. Sooner or later, they hobble back and give me bags of prime rough. Emeralds, rubies, saphires, aquamarine, citrine, peridot, amythyst, tourmaline. They walk up and say.... here, I do not need it anymore and I never see them again. One of these folks was the woman who gave me the ultratec. I went to her house to deliver some set stones she cut for her grandchildren for Christmas. She said she was going to die in two months and gave me the Ultratec. I almost crapped my pants. There it was. Brand new! With laps. She also gave me 55yrs of saving prime gemstones. All listed in alphabetical, chronological order in a case full of drawers with her certificates on each one of them. Her wall was full of diplomas, geology degrees, GIA certificates. I now have three pounds of rubies. Two pounds of saphires, blue, black, yellow, star. Ten pounds of emerald. Top Green AAA1. Four pounds of emeralds clear green AA. Some crystals three inches long, one inch wide without flaws. I have moldavite, certified dinosaur doo-doo from T-Rex! That is five pounds. Ten pounds of Apache Tear, some three inches in diameter. I have a piece of Aquamarine, untreated or oiled, four inches long, two inches in diameter with 75% unflawed. The pieces from the flawed end will make 3-5 ct gemstones. I cannot figuire it out. It comes to me unasked for. I have vintage Andamooke Opals. Boulder Opal, Lightning Ridge, top blue Coober Pedy. A person gave me ten 1 ct VSG1 diamonds. These people are on a track I am unsure of. I intend to use the Ultratec, to cut a gem. It will be the finest gem I have or will ever see. I intend to dedicate it to the lady, and when I sell it, I intend to donate the entire sale to a charity. I do not know what is up but I intend to really make a difference. I already teach for nothing out of my shop. I refer work I can do to the other jewelers nearby. That is how I get my rough and I have no clue what is happening.
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Jon
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 43
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Post by Jon on Jan 11, 2005 17:42:49 GMT -5
doc - sounds like you are loaded down with rough - want to sell some?
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Post by creativeminded on Jan 12, 2005 10:23:04 GMT -5
Too bad I don't live closer to you I would love to take a course in gem cutting. I have some beautiful saphires and garnets that I would love to have faceted, but the place I sent them the last time has his gem cutting shop in Thailand and I am sure that it got severly damaged during the Tsunami. Tami
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Jon
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 43
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Post by Jon on Jan 13, 2005 14:43:00 GMT -5
hey - yesterday there were a bunch more reply posts to this thread - where did they go
does the system limit the number of replies?
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Post by sandsman1 on Jan 14, 2005 3:37:47 GMT -5
hi jon look at the bottom left it just started a new page if you click on the 1 it will take you back to the first page
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