old gem master

I have an old gem master faceting machine it's like really old think. I want to get it going again it's just the head no motor it has under the lap a groove to put a pulley on i just need a motor. It's got the wrong dial I've been told it goes to 64 i need one that goes to 96 I've been told. Any help would be appreciated. I don't want a new machine it has sentimental value so i want to get it going. I know how to facet stones just need to relearn again lol
cheers
ben

once you get a motor Benny, there are many many 64 index cut you can do, 96 is I suppose the "standard" index, however using a conversion chart (see below) many more cuts will be available to you.



Good luck with the vintage Gem master, good to see them coming back to life.

hi Benny1,
I would love to see this faceting machine running soon
Good luck friend, please send photos so we can see it

64 will cut a heap of designs ... I've only just got a 96 ... Sorta miss my 64 now . Standard brilliant .. Squares ... Ovals .. Emerald cut can all be done on a 64...

64 is the index I don't have. Have 32 80 96 and 120.

Will be cutting my first sapphire which I found in the N.E. Tas fields, as soon as my 50,000 dust arrives.

8)

I only use a 64 except for hexagonal and trilliant cuts. !00,000 diamond for everything except 200,000 for sapphire. I add boron nitride powder too my polishing compounds to slicken the polish and I also use this to build in a lubricant in my sintered diamond discs that I make.

Great responses thanks for info got it checked out its in good shape it will cost 150 to put singer sewing machine motor in with a speed dial pretty cheap it's not what you know it's who ya know lol.
Anyway I got to get the lap base lightly shaved back as it has some grooves in it a mate who is an engineer is getting done properly at his shop. I will try to download some pics this week. Just can't wait to cut some stones I'm familiar with the round brill and the christmas oval cut but haven't done any others by memory.

Post a picture so I can see the model it is .I have some advise on your motor choice.

i think its a number 1 like one oif the first ones i've been told wow what a collectors item i got and i can't wait to use it. Been told anything little as a 200rpm motor or larger will be sufficent..
hoipe these pics work!!

i meant to say above 2000rpm not 200 LOL

Ok Its a GF1 I restored and put a motor on one about 9 months ago. It needs a single phase 1/3 horse power motor and a speed range through a 3 step pulley of 300 to 1400 RPM I did this by running a pully to a bearing pulley to the machine, ie not direct motor to machine.
Worked very good and is a lot quieter than a sewing machine motor that will need new brushes and the speed control always playing up.
Power is an issue also small motors lack torque which is a big problem for larger stones and especially tables. You need a bit of aluminium plate bar to machine pulley's and some bearings and shafts.For an old machine its one of there better ones. They still fetch $1000 plus or minus on EBAY.I have a GF2 the next generation to this and wouldn't swap it for a new GF4. Not that's there anything wrong with the new GF4.
Single phase motor is mounted by the four retaining rods thru the frame of the motor and is mounted pulley down, so a reversible directiom motor is required. An old GMF or like is perfect and about $50 bucks on Ebay. Good luck with it all.

Great thanks for the info mate what does gmf stand for.
cheers

GRAND MASTER FACETOR sorry that's me you mean the motor not a clue its a brand.

What brand motor would you suggest

GMF, Crompton Parkinson, Theres one on ebay its blue but doesn't say its reverseable it usually is by swapping internal wiring.
Just type in the search "single phase motor" theres always plenty to choose from and older motors are more reliable than the modern ones.

These machine's came with either an Warner motor (used on singer sewing machines) - or a powerlux I've been told with no speed dial ha ha although dudes later put speed dials on them I can get a Warner im going era correct running iy straight to the lap will see how it goes im not doing anything big anyway lol

If your going to bother putting a motor on it do it right ! I'd listen to rough2 cut .. Those motors won't set you back to much .. Get the right one and not have want for later

Yes you might be right i might even just buy a new gemmasta one but i would first like to get a motor they would have used on it the day. There was no specific gemmasta motor 40 years ag they used whatever but a quarter horsepower reverse system with some sort of speed dial will do the trick
cheers