Can you do larger 'faceting' of regular stones with an Ameritool FlatLap??

[Carol M]

Total Newbie question -
Possible Blasphemy!! 
Can you do larger 'faceting' of regular [non-gemmy stones with an Ameritool FlaLap and a 'Jerry-Rigged' set-up to hold the angles?
Just curious 

[bgast1]

I would imagine you can do it. But it is very difficult to get the scratches out on a flat surface with the Ameritool. Many folks will facet a cab, but I personally never could see the reason for it. I know they do them and show them off over at rock tumbling hobby. I think there is even a tutorial.

[tkcaz]

If by "larger" you mean simpler, cab-scale flat surfaces, then yes, but it's not easy. You need a solid and angled support just like a faceting machine provides. You can't hold it steady enough by hand. I use a peice of square aluminum bar laid across the splash cowling, then laid on that a small protractor to hold the dop stick itself.  It works, but it's klugey and so far it's only given me mediocre results. When (if) I get the time I want to make a jigs that's a little more sturdy and reliable.

Tim

[jakesrocks]

Carol, you like do it yourself projects. Look up Jamb Peg faceting. It's one of the first forms of faceting machines, and very easy to build. You should be able to do simple faceting on just about any size stone you want with one of them.

[hulagrub]

Carol, I have done it with a piece of flourite. It was triangular and flat sided, but polished up nice.

[Carol M]

Carol, you like do it yourself projects. Look up Jamb Peg faceting. It's one of the first forms of faceting machines, and very easy to build. You should be able to do simple faceting on just about any size stone you want with one of them.

ERGH!!!
I must admit the video I saw doesn't really make me want to 'jump in there' but maybe I need to do some other investigating.

[Carol M]

Carol, I have done it with a piece of flourite. It was triangular and flat sided, but polished up nice.

Hmmmm,
Got any photos, Dave??

[Bentiron]

I have seen some really nicely done large quartz faceted stones with the jamb peg system. It's what they used before the advent of all this fancy stuff with minuet of angle settings and micrometer adjustments for everything for the of cutting facets. If you look at some of the old rose cut stones they were done this way.

[johnjsgems]

Ameritool tested a prototype facet attachment a few years ago.  They decided the base wasn't sturdy enough.  You can grind flat planes on a cab but without the mast you wouldn't be able to get the precise angles of a facet machine. 

[Debbie K]

[Carol M]

Debbie,
You are my hero [again]
How in heck do you come up with these cool things?
I guess, when you think about it.....in olden days people faceted gemstones and managed, even before electricity.
The delicate and very precise nature of the really POSH gemstones probably jumped in quality by light-years in the 20th century, but my interests are not so 'high-falutin' as that.
This video brings my interests back into 'the realm of the real'.
Hmmmm.
Thank you [again, and again]

[tkcaz]

Debbie, that's awesome, thank you!

Tim

[Debbie K]

You're more than welcome, you guys! I thought about making the same thing until I got my old graves machine. I might still make one to keep from buying the indexes.

Debbie

[kennyg]

noticed this one pretty cool

Great thread Mark!

This "type" or "class" of material is by far my favorite to work with.

Thought I would add a Labradorite to the collection of pics (please overlook the workmanship) one of my first but favorites.






and a pic of various spectrums.



Carleton

[Carol M]

Yes....Thanks Kennyg.
That's EXACTLY the kind of thing I'm thinking of.
Did you make that or was it someone else?
Were the angles 'eyeballed' or was there a 'simple tool' used to keep that angle??