Hello all, I’m not entirely sure whether this is appropriate for this
list, but if anyone’s looking for a faceting machine the following
message which I posted today to the AFMS faceter’s list may be of
interest…
Hi everyone, Many many thanks to all the faceters who took the time
and trouble to help me get accustomed to my recently acquired
Alpha-Taurus faceting machine, in particular to Jerry Caps and Carl
Downey.
I figured out how to adjust the angles and how to free up the dial
indicator; the machine works marvellously well, almost silently,
which is a delight compared to the clunkiness and rattle of my old
Graves Mark I; the variable speed motor running in both directions is
a whole new experience also. Although it took a bit of getting used to
the soft stop - judging depth of cut by the dial indicator seemed a
promising advance as well.
But I only got as far as half an emerald cut on a 3 carat aquamarine,
when life got in between things - as it so often does - with a double
whammy. For one thing it looks like after Christmas, I’ll be working
on a major project which may keep me travelling for two years. I won’t
have time to facet. Plus, a very good friend in California invited me
to come visit and do some cutting there until the project gets up and
running. And to me in rural New Brunswick Canada, “Californnia” is
mythical Mecca which I’ll leave no stone unturned (uncut??) to get to
& experience.
The upshot of all this is that first I’m not going to have time to
get familiar with the Alpha Taurus and second I need to finance a trip
to California. Hence, and with regret, I suddenly have an Alpha Taurus
for sale. Plus laps and books and dops and rough and other impedimenta
and accoutrements which I haven’t even itemized yet but will do
tonight. My intention is to do this by way of an email auction, put it
up for bids for say a week, email each bidder once a day what the
previous day’s high bid was, and then highest bidder at midnight on
whatever the cut-off day is gets it. If you’re interested please mail
me off-list at
<@H.Durstling>.
Cheers all,
Hans Durstling
Moncton, Canada