I’ve been looking for directions for a jig for the flex shaft that I
have seen sometime in the past five years, probably in one of the
back issues of Lapidary Journal or Art Jewelry. Possibly I downloaded
them from a website. Would somebody be able to help me pinpoint the
month or where these might have appeared? I can easily locate a back
copy, If I know where to look. If I fail to find it I guess I can buy
the Jiffy Jig. Has anyone had experience with this? It looks too
small to securely hold it in a vise, and the vise would limit the
direction you could use it (I don’t have a vise that turns). Thanks
in advance.
Peggy K.
Holders such as the jiffy jig are usually meant to turn the
handpiece into a makeshift lathe. For that a fixed vise is ideal.
Otherwise one holds the handpiece in one’s hand, as its name
suggests.
Are you looking to fix your handpiece in a holder for some other
purpose?
Elliot Nesterman
Holders such as the jiffy jig are usually meant to turn the
handpiece into a makeshift lathe. For that a fixed vise is ideal.
Otherwise one holds the handpiece in one’s hand, as its name
suggests. Are you looking to fix your handpiece in a holder for some
other purpose?
Thanks, Elliot, for responding. I didn’t even get to see my own post
since for some strange reason the digest never made it to my mailbox
that day (nor other mail). But then, it might have been a personal
temporary mail glitch issue for me-- I think I sent two posts (sorry
for the duplication since the first one didn’t go out and appeared
to disappear into thin air. I think it went out when I sent the
second. I don’t know if anyone else had any insight for me; thanks
for your efforts anyway. Yes, a mini lathe type set up is exactly
what I was thinking. In particular, maybe using it to finishing some
cabs. What got me thinking about this was the recent introduction of
some small discs (Hitech Diamond) for this purpose that were on
sale. I went to the Instructibles website and a few wood carvers’
websites, to see if anything had been done before, and came up with
zip. But I did find a hand drill that was mounted on its back, which
gave me a few fuzzy ideas how to proceed. Putting the flex shaft in
a vise would accomplish the purpose (hence the question about the
Jiffy Jig) but that limits my working in one direction since my vise
is fixed and doesn’t rotate.
Peggy
Yes, a mini lathe type set up is exactly what I was thinking. In
particular, maybe using it to finishing some cabs. What got me
thinking about this was the recent introduction of some small discs
(Hitech Diamond) for this purpose that were on sale. I went to the
Instructibles website and a few wood carvers' websites, to see if
anything had been done before, and came up with zip. But I did find
a hand drill that was mounted on its back, which gave me a few
fuzzy ideas how to proceed. Putting the flex shaft in a vise would
accomplish the purpose (hence the question about the Jiffy Jig) but
that limits my working in one direction since my vise is fixed and
doesn't rotate.
Not being a lapidary I haven’t much advice on the matter. But
lapidaries, I believe, work pretty much exclusively on fixed wheels
and move the stone around, so I’m not sure what the utility would be
of a positionable wheel. Even gem engravers work with fixed grinding
wheels, manipulating the stone against the wheel rather than vice
versa.
Elliot Nesterman
Not always. See this video on gem carving from the Getty Museum…
Not always. See this video on gem carving from the Getty Museum...
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep80gm
Interesting video, Thanks for posting it. After seeing this perhaps
the original poster no longer feels a need to fix the handpiece in a
holder.
Elliot Nesterman
Hi
interesting video. Reminded me of visiting a jade carving workshop
in Guandong/Canton They put the cutting pieces in chucks on large
"buffing machines" and held the piece in both hands.
Water dripped onto the cutting tool.
Interesting how humans find many ways to do the same thing.
Richard
Xtines Jewel