Genie / Pixie

Hello, First; thank you everyone who answered my questions on
polishing lapis last month. It’s all been a great help. I’ve
really been enjoying cutting my own stones. I guess “enjoying” is
an understatement…I am currently obsessed with it! I’m buying
the equipment to do this in my studio. I don’t have a cement
floor or running water accessible so I need something clean that
recirculates. I already have a trim saw so it’s a
grinder/polisher I’m after. I’ve been told the Genie by Diamond
Pacific is good. Has anyone out there used one? I’m leaning a bit
towards the smaller model called the Pixie. It has a 1/8 hp motor
as opposed to 1/4 hp in the Genie. The Pixie has 4" wheels (the
Genie 6"). Are there any potential problems with this smaller
machine? I like that it’s lighter, smaller and costs less. I’m
going to be making cabs and shapes for jewelry, so nothing too
huge but I want something good that lasts. Any thoughts on the
Pixie?

Thanks

Amy O’Connell
Amy O’Connell Jewelry
http://www.ezmo.com/amy

i don’t have a pixie, but i have the genie model. i love it! if
you can afford it I’d go for the bigger model, but if not I’ve
heard the pixie is still an excellent machine. I’ve just found
that it’s harder to upgrade when you outgrow what you have and
want a bigger model than to just spend the little bit extra in
the first place. just my . 02 worth

Regards,
gaylynn

Dear Amy,

We have five Genie units at our College and Donn Jiran our
Gemologist Instructor/ Lapidary Instructor loves them. They have
been maintenance free for four or five years and we plan to get
some more. I can’t compare to anything else. We wore out an old
unit several years that I don’t remember the name of.

Regards,

TR the Teacher & student

Amy You may outgrow the Pixie in a short time. Since you seem to
love doing your own stones, I believe a short time for you would
be about 1 to 3 months. Personally, I would go with the Genie.
At about $985 it is about $300 more than the Pixie. The Pixie
produces very little water spray mess. The Genie causes a minor
amount of spray, about twice the amount of the Pixie. Ask to
visit your local rock club shop, to see if they may have both
and you can try one or both to see the differences. You can the
differences in about 2 minutes time with each one. My preference
would be the Genie and I would purchase from one the discount
sellers, such as The Rockpeddler or Bombay Bazaar etc. Such
dealers are usually found in the classifieds of various Rock and
Gem Magazines. Good Luck RnL

Amy,

I’ve had a Diamond Pacific Genie for over 20 years and have used
it a great deal. Although it sat idle a few years, the only
attention it has ever needed was routine maintainance and
occasional wheel replacement.

The only objections I might have to the Pixie would be that the
room to manipulate your work at the wheels is limited and the
surface area of diamond is much smaller --physically as well as
in expected working life. I especially appreciate the width of
the Genie’s Nova wheels when working a larger surface.

I believe the Genie today is almost three times what I paid 20
years ago, but I think that if I were buying now, I would still
choose it.

Pam Chott
@Pam_Chott
www.silverhawk.com/ex99/chott

Amy, I use a 6" ‘All You Need’ flat lap machine from Hi Tech
Diamond. It comes with flat diamond disks from 180 mesh to
14,000 mesh polish pad. (these you have to change between each
step) It has a cup that you fill with water and that slow drips
onto the disk. I don’t have water in my shop either so I just
fill a couple of gal. jugs with water and keep a plastic bucket
handy to pour the waste water into. It is very affordable or was
anyway. I don’t do a lot of lapidary work but when I do, I like
this because it is quick and easy. I also have a 6" trim saw,
but I would recommend getting an 8" to be able to work with
larger pieces of rough. Old address for Hi Tech Diamond 750 Easy
Street Simi Valley, CA 93065 (805) 522-6211

Jan McClellan
Heirloom Jewelry
http://www.designjewel.com

Hi Amy, I have used the Genie lapidary machine and I think
that it is the best compromise between weight / size / expense
and the ability to do a number of differing jobs with a number of
aftermarket products many of which are not made by Diamond
Pacific . The 6" wheels are the right size for small to medium
size lapidary work. The Pixie is a nice size for use as a “touch
up machine” for repair of lapidary in jewelry, as a jeweler
friend of mine purchased one for that exact reason. … Another
reason for using a 6 " machine insted of a 4" machine is that
like in other tools, the larger the machine the more power and
the less effort expended fighting vibration . The Genie 6 " is
just a good compromise size , easy to move , easy to find parts
and tools for, and easy to clean up… But remember if You run
most diamond wheels dry , you can kiss them goodbye . R.L.Powell

Hi Amy,

If you’ve got the room, go for the machine with the largest
diameter wheels & largest motor. It’ll cost more up front, but
you only buy it once & you’ll use it for a long time. The larger
wheels will last longer than the small wheels, they’ll cut faster
too. The larger motor won’t bog down if you really lean into it
when cutting hard material.

All of Diamond Pacific’s products are 1st rate & worth the
money. I’m not connected with them, just a satisfied customer.

There are a couple of ways you can go if you want a
recirculating water supply. Use a 5 gal. bucket as a sump. Run
the drain hose from the grinder(s) into the bucket so the bottom
end of the hose is about 2" above the bottom of the bucket. Place
a pump, either a submersible or one for an evaporative cooler
somewhere in the top 1/2 of the bucket.

The drain hose is placed near the bottom so the sludge is closer
to the spot where it will settle & doesn’t mix with the
relatively clean water above. Get in the habit of dumping &
refilling the bucket frequently.

Amy, I’ve owned/used a Pixie since the mid-80’s and love it! I
don’t find working with the 4" wheels any problem, and the price
was/is certainly right. Diamond Pacific offers wonderful
technical support–I lost my manual in my move from WVa to NM,
and they mailed me a new one, along with catalog, gratis. You
can call them at 1-800-253-2954 and talk to one of their tech
staff, who might give you better advice on wheel size than I can,
based on whatever your usage and volume is projected to be, but
whatever you buy, I certainly recommend Diamond Pacific’s
equipment because of the follow-up help you can get. Their
mailing address is 2620 W. Main St., Barstow CA 92311.I certainly
wouldn’t part with my unit…and even with rheumatoid arthritis,
the compactness and weight (about 35#) for the Pixie makes it
easy to take out of the storage cabinet, carry into the kitchen,
pop on the table, plug in, add some water to the tray and have
at it! That, alone, makes the 4" Pixie ideal for me. Good luck
and have fun cutting!. Sharon Holt aka @bootsie

This is for Amy in regards to her choice of a Genie/Pixie for
stone cutting. About two years ago I was in your same boat,
considering the two machines. I ended up going for the Pixie, as
at the time I had very little space, now I have a full workshop
and really wish I’d opted for the the Genie. Both machines are
wonderful mechanically, clean and efficient, but the extra
horsepower and the larger wheels on the Genie would make for a
more cost effective machine in the long run, especially if you
are going to be cutting hard stones like agates and chalcedonies.
The small wheels just don’t have as much diamond as the 6 inch
ones, and wear out too quickly (a set of them costs over $300 to
replace). If you do get the Pixie, make sure you use your trim
saw faithfully so that your wheels have to do as little grinding
as possible and expect to replace the set every 2-300 stones.

Barbara

Barbara W. Smigel, Ph.D
Colored Stone Graduate, GIA
Artistic Colored Stones
850 S. Rancho Dr. #2387
Las Vegas, Nevada 89106
(702) 382-0694
Web site: http://www.allweb.com/acs/

Hi Amy, Here is just an opinion: I started out with a Highland
Park 5 station arbor, then went to a Pixie and now am using an
"All U Need" (I think that’s what you call it?). My suggestion
for starting up with cost a factor is to buy one of these
all-you-needs and add another as you go. When these were first
demonstrated to me at a rock show they had four in a row. It
worked very well, as you finished the stone by just moving to the
next machine, until the last machine polished the stone. Each
machine had a finer grit, till the last which had a polish pad.
The grit pads for the machines were interchangable and came in a
variety of sizes. Plus you could use disks similiar to what are
used on facetors. The machines come in either 6" or 8" sizes and
aren’t very expensive (compared with the cost of a Genie or
Pixie) but are very adaptable. I used to be a Dealer but gave it
up a few years ago. The name of the Company is “Hi Tech Diamond
Products” can’t even tell you what city, but, Most dealers would
probably give you the address and/or sell you the machines and
accessories. (part of the reason that I gave up being a dealer,
everyone was selling them!).

The Pixie has a built-in “spitter” type recirculating water
supply which works quite well. I don’t know about the Genie.

Al
mailto:@Alan_Balmer

Amy,

I have a Genie. It’s quite a good machine. I figure the larger
motor on the Genie will hold up better than the lighter motor
Pixie. Also, it is easier to do flat surfaces on the larger
diameter wheels. Which one you choose will depend on your needs,
your available space, and your pocketbook. Of course, quality
equipment will usually pay for itself…

Mike

Hi all, I own the all-you-need, however in the future I hope to
buy the Genie because when I’m doing only 1 or 2 pieces at a
time it’s easier to move down a row of wheels. If I remember
correctly Hi-tech makes a stationary lapidary carver with a
water drip. Does anyone have any experience with it? When I
bought my equipment I also needed a trim saw and a polisher. I
made a deal with the rep to buy the display pieces at a rock
show and the savings paid for the polisher.

Best Wishes,
Pauline

Amy, I use a 6" 'All You Need' flat lap machine from Hi Tech
Diamond.

Hi Tech Diamond, is now called Gemstone Equipment Manufacturing
Co. Inc. Same address…Phone#(805) 527-6990, Fax: (805)
526-7603…or phone toll free, 800-235-3375. They manufacture
great vibratory tumblers, tumbler mediums, sandblasters,
bevelers, buffers, trim saws, and slant cabbers. They also carry
equipment for stained glass work. Nice people. I was there a few
days ago. Good luck.

Lisa(hot and humid…and rainy??? too hot to ride horses, but the chickens seem
happy), Topanga, CA, USA

Sharon, Amy, Diamond Pacific is a family run business, The DePue
brothers and sister Beth Pinell, as well as progeny have a very
strong work and value ethic. The employees do as well.

The Barstow Rock and Mineral club have their meetings as well as
workshop on premises. I have been lucky enough to attend one
there.

You could never go wrong contacting them for before
or after buying one of their machines. They will refer you to a
dealer that may discount the price, rather than forcing you to
pay full retail from them.

You can’t go wrong.
Teresa

Hi - this is the first time I’ve popped into the forum because I
do have something to say. Ive been cutting stones for over 20
years, most of that time with a Genie. I love it. It works
great - there is no time lost cleaning stones, hands, etc and
you can just go back a wheel when you see a scratch you missed.
HOWEVER. . . I wish I had a Titan. Mostly because it is
faster, not just that it will work bigger stones, carvings
whatever. So, if the same is true for you, you will soon wish
you had bought a Genie if you go with the Pixie. It is the grit
size and the surface feet per minute that determines the time to
do a certain job, and the larger wheels, at same rpm have higher
sfpm. Whichever you get it will be a good machine.

good luck gregor

Hi Amy, I own a Pixie and love it. I traded my Highland Park for
it and wouldn’t trade for anything else except a Genie. (smile)
It’s easy to use and clean. I’m in a wheelchair and wanted
something that I could handle easily, it fits the bill. As for
the work area, as long as you are not planning to work large
cabs, you will be fine.

When I surveyed the Rockhounds List for suggestions on cabbers,
hands down on the Genie and Pixie. I also had the opportunity of
using both machines at my local gem and mineral club, after that
I was sold!

The cost of wheels will vary in price depending on the
type/mfg/grit. I use the Diamond Pacific Galaxy wheels, a set of
4" wheels (80/220 grit) cost me $175 at Bombay Bazaar
(800-678-8450), another source I found the will work with you on
price is Kingsley North 800-338-9280. - Terri Collier Dallas, TX
@scollier

Hi Amy,

I don’t cut as many stones as I used to, but I love my
All-you-need 6" flat lap from Hi Tech. I have been using it for
almost 7 years and have only had to replace the two coarsest
wheels (100 & 180) and then only because when I started
polishing I pressed too hard on the wheel. I also bought the
extra leather wheels for 50,000 and 100,000 diamond and the
finish on lapis, turq, and sugi is like a mirror using them.
When I bought mine they were around $120, but now I have heard
they go for over $200, but you don’t need running water and the
splash is almost non-existent. The drawback is changing the
wheels when you are only polishing a few stones at a time.

I understand the obsession, for me finding ‘new’ rough is truly
an addiction!! I must have enough to supply several jewelers for
several years - but I’m not complaining .

Nancy Bernardine-Widmer
Bernardine Art Jewelry

I would like to add my support for using the Genie. I bought a
used one and liked it very much until the motor burned out. It
is a very old machine so I think it was just time. Does anyone
know of a good place to get a new replacement motor. A new one
cost over $300 and used Genies don’t come up very often and if
they do, you got to be lightning quick to get it. I have tried
motor manufacturers and they just don’t seem to have the right
one. Even Baldor and Grainger. Any help is appreciated.

Also I have a 6" All U Need. I also like it. I think that the
two machines compliment each other well. I like being able to
have a flat surface the All U Need provides.

If I just wanted to play now and then I would go with the All U
Need just because of the cost difference. It really isn’t too
bad changing the discs. If that was not the issue I would easily
go with the Genie. I will add that after using a carborundum
system for a few years, the Genie will make you smile. It’s very clean and fast.