New mast and quill assembly

[Faceting Frank]

This thread is about the new mast and quill assembly I’m currently making. I didn’t want to make mods to my existing setup, as this would stop me from cutting stones. Also, I can take my time with it and make changes as it progresses. Below is the main feature about my existing mast.


[url=https://aussielapidaryforum.com/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=10080]


This open entry stone in the 2024 A F G 0.11.4 FANCY CUTS is a perfect example of how useful it is being able to keep an accurate record of facet positions. All 32 facets on the pavilion of this stone go from the centre point to the girdle. 9 different angle settings and all facets must be the same width at the girdle.
I always make an Excel spread sheet when cutting stones and keep a record of the mast height positions for each row of facets using the gauge display shown here. It is fixed to the linier bearing base plate and moves up and down with the bearing, recording the bearing position on the mast. In this case it’s clear at the 600 grit stage that some of the facets are not going to be the correct width at the girdle. So, I ink marked the stone so as not to overcut the centre point and cut the required facets till they matched the rest. Recording the new mast height position.
This stone is also a good example on showing the downside of this setup. The stone has 32 girdle facets, since it’s a competition entry all the pavilion-girdle meet points have to be spot on and level. Because the quill is so low when cutting girdles, it’s difficult to get that light-facet-loupe angle needed without crouching over, or un-indexing and turning the quill.
What I need is to be able to do is instantly raise the quill assembly up to a comfortable height to look at the girdle facets and then back to the cutting position.

[Faceting Frank]

Have not been able to add my picture of the height gauge fitted on the mast because the picture gets turned to the side. Tried reloading it to the forum and it's the right way round, as all my pictures. But it will get turned 90deg when I add it to my post. anyway its in the picture gallery.
Just thought of something this morning, can you open the picture DIGITAL GAUGE ON MAST, if it does not turn it to the side can you post it on here. Thanks.

[Faceting Frank]

Thanks for the help. Uploading a few more, all landscape format.

[RoughCreations]

I am interested in what sort of milling and other equipment you use in your workshop to produce your alloy components?

RC

[Faceting Frank]

The mill/drill I have is just a cheap hobbyist machine but it does the job ok and you can work to fine tolerances. It’s an SIGE, they have a couple of models around the $1000 mark, I also have a collet chuck, set of collets and end mills up to 20mm dia. The laith is also another cheapy. They do come a lot smaller than this, but I wanted one with auto feed in the Y axis for resurfacing laps. My “workshop” is the garage, room for the wife’s car but not my ute.

[Faceting Frank]

It’s been decades since I used a round mast machine, but from memory some of them had a lockable collar on the mast with a fine adjustment built in, this was below the swivelling part. Therefore, the swivel part with the quill and quill support must have been able to slide up the mast. So, this idea is base around that, keeping the square linier bearing, threaded rod, digital gauge and adding the round mast for the quill support to slide up and down on.
Those round linier bearings have no friction when moved along it’s shaft and also no play, making it easy to lift it up to the desired height whenever required. The bearing being in an alloy housing makes it easy to make parts to fit this setup.

[RoughCreations]

Thanks for posting the pictures, you have really got your machinery working well for you and stretching it to the limits!

[Faceting Frank]

Finished making the mast assembly, will add more detail on making it later.

[Faceting Frank]

One thing I never thought of with this mast setup when designing it, is you could fit any existing quill support assembly to it.
I don’t see any point in going into details about making this mast. If anyone in the future wants to make one and posts on this thread, I don’t mind helping them with it.

[RoughCreations]

One thing I never thought of with this mast setup when designing it, is you could fit any existing quill support assembly to it.
I don’t see any point in going into details about making this mast. If anyone in the future wants to make one and posts on this thread, I don’t mind helping them with it.

Exactly what I was thinking... A Facetron assembly would drop right on there with the right diameter (25mm) mast. Whilst I like the simple Facetron mast setup in general, yours is way beefier and would provide more resistance to flex I reckon, and the option to use a carriage to raise and lower it would be nice.
The Facetron mast has a small twist dial on the top to allow the head assembly to be easily raised and lowered by a small measured amount, is this easily achieved whilst cutting with your mast assembly?

[Faceting Frank]

Didn’t notice your question about fine adjustment RC.
 At the bottom of the threaded rod there is a hand adjustment, because the weight of the quill assembly presses down on the thread, there is no play and it’s very accurate.
Getting close to finishing this (without the encoder for the moment) and should have it fitted to my machine next week.

[Faceting Frank]

This is the lighting setup I already use on my old faceting head assembly, I’ve opted to use PVC pipe instead of ally bar to keep the weight down on this setup. Both lights run off a USB connection and create no heat, so having them so close is no problem. The one on the left is the main light-facet-loupe view and I have found having another light on the right of the stone helps as well.

[Rusted]

I have one of these, it's a really bright daylight temperature light, it doesn't cast shadows.
https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ledvance-32w-1200mm-x-300mm-led-panel-light-daylight_p4390562
I also have a small spotlight if I need it, which isn't often.

[Faceting Frank]

Your light looks good Rusted, I can imagine it lighting your entire machine.

Finished the quill assembly and fitted it to the mast. Will start cutting my first stone on it tomorrow, this will be an eight sided step cut pavilion with six steps from 70deg to 20deg. This will enable me to adjust the quill to mast alignment, so it will cut all the steps without using the cheater between steps.
 Just as a point of interest to those who are having to make cheater adjustment on step cuts, it’s caused by the misalignment between the quill and the shaft the quill assembly swings from side to side on. In the case of machines like the Hall faceting machine it is the mast itself. With machines like the Gemmasta, it’s a small vertical shaft the quill assembly swings on.
Using the Hall machine as an example, just say the quill was 1deg to the right of the mast when the quill is vertical. You start cutting the stone, girdle first at 90deg and then raise the angle to say 70deg, the quill is now about 0.2deg to the right. So, those row of facets are off to one side and will require a cheater adjustment to align the meet points. The next row of facets of say 45deg are now 0.5deg to the right and they will also not be exactly above the row below and so on.
I don’t know what other faceting machine manufacturers have built into their machines to align the quill with the mast, I have the near side bearing the quill tips up and down on adjustable. That’s the bearing held on with the three bolts, it can be moved so as to alter the quill alignment with the mast.