Any Graves 5XL owners in Tassie?

[mehoose]

Hi all, I'm wondering if anyone one here from Tassie owns a Graves 5XL?
After it sitting on the desk and staring at me for over 2 years it's high time I enlist the services of someone to help with alignment etc.If I get the flipflop thingy (that locks the index for a facet) and get it to where my eye reckons is middle of it's housing, the cheater has swung waaaaay beyond the zero point.
Orrr maybe you know someone who's a ripper fixer upperer of facet machines in general up the North end you could tell me about?
Hope someone call help..there's mumbles from the other end of the house that 'it' would fund his computer. 

[MakkyBrown]

Hi all, I'm wondering if anyone one here from Tassie owns a Graves 5XL?
After it sitting on the desk and staring at me for over 2 years it's high time I enlist the services of someone to help with alignment etc.If I get the flipflop thingy (that locks the index for a facet) and get it to where my eye reckons is middle of it's housing, the cheater has swung waaaaay beyond the zero point.
Orrr maybe you know someone who's a ripper fixer upperer of facet machines in general up the North end you could tell me about?
Hope someone call help..there's mumbles from the other end of the house that 'it' would fund his computer. 

How about using transfer blocks, that is what I'm doing as I never seem to get it perfect on my gemmasta.

This is one I've made.

[FlashGP]

Hi Mehoose,

if you have a target dop, put it in your 45 degree dop and with the angle set at 45 degrees adjust the cheeter and angle until the target dop is flat on the lap.  This is really to get your table flat, but should help zero the cheeter.

if the cheeter is not zero, the number is zero.

there is also info on "sighting the rifle" which is worth looking up.  It looks the most accurate.

lastly, cut a row of witness facets before you transfer the stone.  After transferring, polish one.  If you have to, adjust the cheeter until the witness facet polishes evenly, then cut the crown.

The advantage of witness facets is that you don't waste tome po.ishing large girdle facets then to only cut most of them away.

happy faceting.

[mehoose]

My eyes are twitchin.... it's late and that's my excuse.
Makky, I do have one of those wee gizmos..but the method is eluding me at this hour in relation to my query..I need to sleep on that one.
Flash, just went and googled the target dop.... got sidetracked as you do with watching a vid on it for dopping..cool. No I don't have one of those. I'll see if there's one at the show on Sunday.. not quite sure what's going to be on offer, I don't expect too many dealers from the mainland will be down.I do have a chunky flat bottom 45 deg dop..wouldn't that do the same thing? What's not gelling is with a non keyed fixture how you know what's the zero point to start with? If I just put it in and start rotating the cheater, wouldn't that then throw the other side out. I'm missing something here.
I'll look up this sighting the rifle tomorrow..and these witness facets..what, you mean after finishing a pav? On the girdle? Boy am I out of touch. Is everyone now finding it easier to not do the girdle until the crown's done?

[FlashGP]

Hi Mehoose,

Sorry have not been on this forum for a few days.   Got sidetracked with the comments on my facebook posts.

If your dops arent keyed, you need some means of making sure the crown and girdle line up.

One way when you have big facets is to use witness facets, leave the dop loose, lie the witness facet on a polishing lap and hold down tight with one hand, tighten the collet holding the dop.  Then try to polish the witness facet.

If it polishes  great, otherwise adhust the cheater until it polishes evenly.  Yhis is now zero for this stone.

Method 2, get a couple of transfer allignment clamps to clamp on the dops.

[Donsinly]

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