Hey, since I can't get service from vinylrecorder...(ahem) does anyone know where else I can get his diamond stylii sharpenned?!
&^$% pleasepleaseplease
I can't even find info on HOW diamond stylii are lapped. I am tempted to invest in machines/knowledge to do it myself. Anyone point me to sites/books?
I'm assuming one can do it without high amplitude particle streams and a gold watch from NASA.
stylus? style useless!
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jomarkdave
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:56 am
Hi,
As Mossy indicated, I've been playing with DIY cutting stylii. I've never done diamond, but from my reading its not trival. As I understand it, you have to deal with the grain structure it has. Sapphire has no grain and is easier to work with. That said, I've only had a bit of experience faceting things. I use a simple homemade template faceter. Read more here:
http://thegemconnection.com/faceting/index.html
My setup:
http://home.comcast.net/~markrob1066/site/?/page/Cutting_Stylii/
The advantage of this method is that the template sets all of the face angles. Once you get that figured out, you just go to town. Since we are not making a variety of gems, this seems the best way to go. My setup needs to be improved so that it is more precise. Right now, it has way too much runnout.
I have not tried to create any burnishing faces. I think this is one of the main things seperates my DIY approach from the pros. To create these faces, requires some precision equipment and skill. However, I'm not sure that these faces are a requirement if you use heat. I see that back in the day, Capps offered many different versions of these stylii including no burnishing facets. There is a tradeoff of high frequency response vs. noise level based on the width of the burnishing facets.
I been off of this aspect of the hobby for awhile, but I do intend to get back to it someday. I'd like to try and create non-diamond stylii that will cut Lexan. Even if they only last one pass, if I can resharpen easily, its good.
Mark
As Mossy indicated, I've been playing with DIY cutting stylii. I've never done diamond, but from my reading its not trival. As I understand it, you have to deal with the grain structure it has. Sapphire has no grain and is easier to work with. That said, I've only had a bit of experience faceting things. I use a simple homemade template faceter. Read more here:
http://thegemconnection.com/faceting/index.html
My setup:
http://home.comcast.net/~markrob1066/site/?/page/Cutting_Stylii/
The advantage of this method is that the template sets all of the face angles. Once you get that figured out, you just go to town. Since we are not making a variety of gems, this seems the best way to go. My setup needs to be improved so that it is more precise. Right now, it has way too much runnout.
I have not tried to create any burnishing faces. I think this is one of the main things seperates my DIY approach from the pros. To create these faces, requires some precision equipment and skill. However, I'm not sure that these faces are a requirement if you use heat. I see that back in the day, Capps offered many different versions of these stylii including no burnishing facets. There is a tradeoff of high frequency response vs. noise level based on the width of the burnishing facets.
I been off of this aspect of the hobby for awhile, but I do intend to get back to it someday. I'd like to try and create non-diamond stylii that will cut Lexan. Even if they only last one pass, if I can resharpen easily, its good.
Mark
Cutting Stylii
Hey Mark
You been quite lately Glad to see you back in action?
A couple of things that need to be bought up are
Diamond creates static so the chip is prone to "stick" whereby saphire does not
Now this may be an issue on lacquers but I do not think it would be on man made materials such as lexan and the like
Burnishing of one of the facets as you point out needs accurate equipment Today
I am sure in days past the gear was not so accurate besides a variety of stulii where produced without burnishing as you have poinetd out
It really comes down to what one expects from the cut
When there was a choice of lacquers from a variety of sources worldwide with all kinds of different additives and black art Cutters chose ones that delivered their expectations
In other words it was a "marriage" of stylus and lacquer
Now days the choice is almost non existant so we are in essence "stuck"
in so far as pro cutting is concerned
So in the DIY scen it is all good and perhaps we in the game get a leg up if it works!
So keep it up Mark as well as othere here keep us in the "loop"
Cheers
You been quite lately Glad to see you back in action?
A couple of things that need to be bought up are
Diamond creates static so the chip is prone to "stick" whereby saphire does not
Now this may be an issue on lacquers but I do not think it would be on man made materials such as lexan and the like
Burnishing of one of the facets as you point out needs accurate equipment Today
I am sure in days past the gear was not so accurate besides a variety of stulii where produced without burnishing as you have poinetd out
It really comes down to what one expects from the cut
When there was a choice of lacquers from a variety of sources worldwide with all kinds of different additives and black art Cutters chose ones that delivered their expectations
In other words it was a "marriage" of stylus and lacquer
Now days the choice is almost non existant so we are in essence "stuck"
in so far as pro cutting is concerned
So in the DIY scen it is all good and perhaps we in the game get a leg up if it works!
So keep it up Mark as well as othere here keep us in the "loop"
Cheers
Chris
What do we think would be the cost to buy one of the faceting machines that would be accurate enough to do a quality resharpening of a sapphire tip? Hopefully one where you can easily repeat settings. I've looked at some of the faceting machines, but don't know enough about the art to really be able to determine what you need, would that Graves 5XL even be accurate enough? Because if we can locate a reasonably priced unit, I'd vote we take up a collection and buy one for someone who would be willing to resharpen styli for a fair price.
Mark
Mark
Hi Mark,
I don't know the answer to that. My uderstanding is that the Graves machines are at the low end of the scale. eBay seems to always have various faceting machines up for auction at any given time and might be the best way to get started. My gut tells me that we would be best to find someone who already has the equipment and experience in lapidary techniques and attempt to teach them about the special specs needed for cutting stylii. You would have to allow for a large learning curve I'm afraid. I seem to recall that Mossy and some others had explored this approach with so-so results. Has anybody thought of asking Transco/Apollo if they could offer this service?
Mark
I don't know the answer to that. My uderstanding is that the Graves machines are at the low end of the scale. eBay seems to always have various faceting machines up for auction at any given time and might be the best way to get started. My gut tells me that we would be best to find someone who already has the equipment and experience in lapidary techniques and attempt to teach them about the special specs needed for cutting stylii. You would have to allow for a large learning curve I'm afraid. I seem to recall that Mossy and some others had explored this approach with so-so results. Has anybody thought of asking Transco/Apollo if they could offer this service?
Mark
Styli
Hey All
Well down the track with a pro cutter stones that is not records/blanks/dubs So stand by for results
Id say weeks not months
Industrial diamonds on way shanks on way machine already here
Large farking expensive bi microscope here etc etc
Flo did say diamond mafia
He is right
What a nightmare we managed to get around them
Don't ask
Remaining issue is soldering the diamonds to shanks
This is not a secret society
You want to go down that path!!!!!!! Whoa
The idea is to get the diamond in front of the shank which will provide suport for it rather than the fragile souri adamant westrex or neumann where they strictly relay on the strength of the very stone itself
So it looks like pure gold wire and a hydrogen flame to do the trick a practice common in the silicon chip industry
The issue of preatreating the diamond has been solved with experimental results very encouraaging so far
Sending me back some 40 odd years
Still no one would tell you this stuff today
Ok initially solid stuff and epoxy adhesive or tight fit into the shank as per Adamant until the right gear is obtained for the other (hopefully) better stuff
Idea behind it is that you buy one/two for a long time/lifetime with a $30 sharpenning fee whenever one of them goes blunt while the other is still in use
Dreaming?
Not at all quite feasable diamond should be forever and if any one doubts it ask their female partners/wifes etc Ha
Time will tell
Cheers
Well down the track with a pro cutter stones that is not records/blanks/dubs So stand by for results
Id say weeks not months
Industrial diamonds on way shanks on way machine already here
Large farking expensive bi microscope here etc etc
Flo did say diamond mafia
He is right
What a nightmare we managed to get around them
Don't ask
Remaining issue is soldering the diamonds to shanks
This is not a secret society
You want to go down that path!!!!!!! Whoa
The idea is to get the diamond in front of the shank which will provide suport for it rather than the fragile souri adamant westrex or neumann where they strictly relay on the strength of the very stone itself
So it looks like pure gold wire and a hydrogen flame to do the trick a practice common in the silicon chip industry
The issue of preatreating the diamond has been solved with experimental results very encouraaging so far
Sending me back some 40 odd years
Still no one would tell you this stuff today
Ok initially solid stuff and epoxy adhesive or tight fit into the shank as per Adamant until the right gear is obtained for the other (hopefully) better stuff
Idea behind it is that you buy one/two for a long time/lifetime with a $30 sharpenning fee whenever one of them goes blunt while the other is still in use
Dreaming?
Not at all quite feasable diamond should be forever and if any one doubts it ask their female partners/wifes etc Ha
Time will tell
Cheers
Chris