Drawbacks on existing mast-type faceting machines.

 

Mast to thin (to flexible)

Mast bearings to loose

Movable mast (will not maintain perpendicularity to base plate)

Base plate thin aluminum (will warp)

Soft-stop (impossible to maintain facet angle as per setting)

Even with these flaws, all machines will cut excellent stones depending on the cutters skills.

 

 

               Starlight Mines Faceting Machine

 

Here are some of the improvements we made that will set the STARLIGHT Machine in a class on its own.

 

The STARLIGHT Faceting Machine consists of a base that is a specially designed aluminum casting with reinforcing ribs to prevent warpage. Cast into this base is a retainer four inches in diameter, when precision machined, accepts dual tapered roller bearings. Into these roller bearings is then mounted a precision ground mast two inches in diameter for extreme rigidity. Perpendicular to the mast, two ways are machined, onto these ways; tool steel precision ground runners are attached for the carriage to slide on. The carriage incorporates the eight inch diameter lap, the variable speed drive motor, the splash pan, the water coolant nozzle. All these components travel on the ground ways. (The mast stays fixed at all times). This arrangement prevents any angular discrepancies resulting from diametric adjustments. The carriage is moved with a lead screw arrangement.

 

The Cutting Head

 

The Cutting Head slides onto the 2” dia. Mast, and is moved up or down via a leadscrew, the leadscrew also is the fine adjustment for the depth of cut and uses a micrometer dial for accuracy.

Sweep is accomplished by rotating the mast , with the cutting head locked in place .

Angular adjustment is accomplished by moving a hardstop via a leadscrew . Readout of angle values is by means of a digital readout and also by engraved figures. Quick-disconnect preset hardtops are available for standard facet configurations and also for custom designs. (Production cutting)

Quick-disconnect divider-plates with preestablished divisions are also used for foolproof cutting.

The only adjustment on the machine is the indexing divider; no other adjustments are required as precision machining is utilized to manufacture the STARLIGHT faceting machine