Spindle Diameter is Off

The Omni Faceting Machine I received has a Spindle diameter that is too small for my laps. Every lap I have – Crystallite plated, old Maja Mfg Steel, Ceramic, Batt, Lightning Lap with standard 1/2″ arbor holes – all slop a bit on the Spindle and do not sit centered.

This means that the Omni vibrates at varying frequencies depending on the speed the lap is set to. This is obviously not good for the Faceting Head and Mast which vibrate and resonate at certain frequencies, nor for the poor stone being cut, nor for the Spindle Bearings.

I was told by the well-known owner of Faceters.com (whom I bought the Omni from) that it was because my laps that were not standard. This after *every* lap I owned and had used for years on my old MDR without problem exhibited the same problem!

Anyhow, I found a simple solution you can view in the Lap Hold-down Screw and Spindle Bushing post.

In the photo below, you can see the left package for 9/16″ (outer diameter) x 7/16″ (inner diameter) x 1/16″ rubber o-rings. I put one of these o-rings on the spindle – it’s visible as the black ring on the spindle. They’re small enough at 1/16″ to not get in the way yet provide just enough to get my laps to center on the platen. Now the vibration problem is greatly reduced – but not eliminated.

Omni Platen and Spindle with O-ring to center laps

Strangely I’ve heard from another Omni Faceting Machine owner who sent his machine back to the factory for service, only to have it returned with the Spindle diameter being *too wide* to allow his laps to sit on the Platen. He too was told it was because his laps were not standard – though they worked on the machine before it was sent back for servicing.

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