The angle is then changed to the angle of the main crown facets. Gently tap on the wedges using a hammer. Start by drilling holes in the stone along the line you want to cut. To remove the finished stone from the dop stick warm the wax near an open flame so it softens. This will buff your new gemstone until it sparkles and will help remove any grit or imperfections leftover by the faceting process.
Now the main trick is to keep your eye in line with the blade. Hold the marked line on the stone straight to the blade. Place the feathers on the outside of the hole and the wedge in between them. This frees one hand to assist in holding the stone. Listen carefully and pay close attention to the vibrations in the hammer to ensure the rock is splitting slowly and carefully.
Polish the top of the cut gem against the polishing lap. Then pull the stone away from the wax. Take your chisel and hold it in a vertical position on the stone with the blade of the chisel on the line you wish to cut. Take your sledgehammer and hit firmly it on the end of the chisel to make three or four small marks about an inch apart running along your line on the stone. The 45 degree adaptor dop is removed.
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The dop with the garnet is placed back into the machine and tightened down. First either find a line on the surface or mark the stone where it needs cutting. The channel is cut in one moving continuous motion. Feed it gently and watch the saw blade constantly. This part of the stone will be cut out when the main crown facets are faceted.Secure the gemstone in a vice or clamp to make sure it s steady and to avoid the tips of your fingers from getting too close to the cutting wheel. Often cutting and or channeling on the squared dressed edge of a silicon carbide wheel diamond wheels aren t so good because they don t cut on the side too the carver using a single motion inflicts a deep channel with 45 degree sides. The next step of the cutting process is to cut in the main crown facets. This photo shows how deep the cut off disc can penetrate a stone the depth of the slot the disc can cut in the stone is limited by the distance between the outer edge of the mandrel screw and the outside edge of the cut off disc. Secure the gemstone in a vice or clamp to make sure it s steady and to avoid the tips of your fingers from getting too close to the cutting wheel.
This photo shows how deep the cut off disc can penetrate a stone the depth of the slot the disc can cut in the stone is limited by the distance between the outer edge of the mandrel screw and the outside edge of the cut off disc. The dop with the garnet is placed back into the machine and tightened down. Polish the top of the cut gem against the polishing lap. Now the main trick is to keep your eye in line with the blade. The angle is then changed to the angle of the main crown facets.
