A STUDENT'S HANDBOOK IN LAPIDARY WORK A Project Presented to the Faculty of the School of Education The University of Southern California In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Education by Harold H» Wetzler August 1950 UMI Number: EP46650 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI EP46650 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 . . p /r J 1 :j ! OU S V ¥ i ’s# This project report, written under the direction of the candidatefs adviser and approved by him, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Education. Date ............................ Dean iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1. HOW TO SLAB SAW GEM STONES................. . . . . 1 A* How to start and stop the slab saw........ 1 B. How to start and stop the oil pump . . . . . . . 3 C. How to determine the size of the stone to be cut 3 D. How to clamp the stone in the vise • • • • • . . b E. How to set the saw vise. . * • • • • . . . . . • 6 F. How to adjust the transverse movement of the vise 7 G. How to start the cut • • • • • • • . • • • • . . 8 H. How to finish the cut. . . . • • ........... 9 I. How to clean the saw .......... 9 2. HOW TO TRIM SAW GEM STONES......................... 12 A. How to start and stop the trim saw . . • • • • • 12 B. How to use the guard.............. 12 C. How to determine the size of the material to be cut • • • • • ............ I1*- D. How to mark the stone........ • • • • • . • • • 15 E. How to hold the material for cutting . . . . . . 17 F. How to make the cut. • • • • • ................ 17 G. How to clean the saw • • • • • .......... 19 HOW TO CUT A CABOCHQN............................ 22 A. How to select the stone for your cabochon. . . . 22 iv CHAPTER PAGE B. How to select the best cabochon shape for your stone • • • • • • • . • * . . • • • • • • • « . « 2k- C. How to rough grind the base of your stone • . • • 29 D. How to mark out the shape of your stone • * . . • 32 E. How to cut your stone to rough plan shape • • . • 33 F. How to rough grind your stone to plan shape * • • 3k- G. How to fine grind the base* . • . . .............. 36 H. How to rough grind the crown. . . . . . . . . . . 37 I. How to dop your stone............. 38 J. How to heat the stone * • . • • • • • • • • • . . kO K. How to cement the stone to the dop stick. • . . • kl L. How to fine grind the crown ......... k-2 M. How to sand the crown............................k-2 N. How to polish the crown........... ^3 0. How to mix the polishing abrasives*......... k7 P. How to sand the base* • • • * * • • • • • • • * * H-8 Q* How to polish the base* • • • • • • * • • * • • * 50 R* How to remove the stone from the dop stick* . . . 50 k* HOW TO CUT FACETS...................•................ 5^ A* How to run the machine safely * • • • * • * • • * 51** B. How to set up the machine................... 55 C. How to select a stone • • • * • * • * • • • • * . 58 D* How to dop the stone. ............ 59 E. How to mount the dop stick to cut the table . . . 6l V CHAPTER PAGE F. How to mount the lap . • • • • • • • • ............ 61 G. How to remove and replace the master aluminum plate* ................................. 62 H* How to use the splash pan*........................63 I# How to apply the water • • • • • • • • • * . • • . 63 J. How to cut the table . • ............. . . . . 6h K. How to transfer the dop stick to cut the top facets • 65 L. How to keep a record of your work* • * • • • • • • 65 M. How to cut the top main facets • * • • • • • * * • 66 N* How to cut the girdle* .......... 68 0* How to cut the star facets * ................. 70 P. How to cut the top sixteenths. ........... 71 Q. How to polish the top part of your gem stone . . . 73 R. How to transfer your stone from one dop stick to another.............. • • • • • • .................7*+ S. How to cut the bottom main facets. • • • • « • • • 73 T. How to cut the bottom sixteenths • • • • • • • • * 80 U. How to polish the bottom of your stone • • • • • • 8l V. How to remove the stone from the dop stick • • « • 82 W. How to clean the machine............... • • » • 82 5. HOW TO DRILL GEM STONES................................ 85 A. How to use the drill press................... 85 B. How to make a drill. • • • • • • ........... 86 vi CHAPTER PAGE C. How to mount the drill............... . • • . 90 D. How to determine the drill size*............... 90 E. How to select and mix abrasives........... . * * 91 F. How to use the abrasive mixture. • • • • • • • • 92 G. How to hold the stone for drilling........ 93 H. How to drill the hole ...................... 91* 6. HOW TO MAKE BEADS. . ............................ 97 A. How to select the material .......... 97 B. How to cut the bead stock. ............ 97 C. How to rough grind the beads 99 D. How to grind the beads ............ 100 E. How to drill the beads • • • • • • • • • • • * • 103 F. How to polish the beads. ...................... 105 7. HOW TO CHOOSE GEM STONES............................ 108 A. How to choose stones for cabochon shapes • • • • 108 B. How to choose your stone for facet shapes. . . . Ill LAPIDARY RESERVE BOOK SECTION: A special reserve shelf for use in lapidary work • • * • » • • • • • • • • • 115 vii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1* A Slab S a w ..................... . . . . ........... 2 2. A Trim Saw......... 23 3* The Stone Layout Guide • ......................... 16 b. Round or Spherical Caboehon. .......... • • • • • • 26 5. Double Cabochons .......... • • • . • • . • • • • . 27 6* High Caboehon......... • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 28 7* Simple Caboehon* • • • • * • • • • • • • • • « * • * 30 8. Hollow Caboehon* • « • • • • • • * • • • • • • • • * 31 9* Rough Grinding to Plan Shape * .........• • • • • • 35 10* A Dopped Stone * • • • • • • • • • • • • ....... . 39 11* Sanding the Crown........* ............... Mf 12# Polishing the Crown. • • • • • .........• • • • • • ^6 13* Sanding the Base * . * • • • • • • • • * • * • • • * **9 l*f. A Facet Cutting Machine.............* ............. 56 15. The Top Facets......... 67 16. Side View of a Facet Cut Stone• • • • ............. 69 17. 11V" Block Used in Transferring the Stone . . • • • • 76 18. The Bottom Facets................................. 79 19. A Draw Plate 88 20. A Sheet Metal Gem Drill........................... 89 viii PREFACE TO STUDENTS This handbook has been prepared for student use* You, a student, will be shown, step by step, how to use all of the various machines found in the lapidary shop* By following these directions, you will be able to make many beautiful gems which can be fit into jewelry in the art metal class. You will learn many facts about the operation of the machines and the skill to use them by actual practice. The problem of securing stones for lapidary work is insignificant in your area. You live close to the beach, and you may go there in search for various stones to be used in the shop. If you have an opportunity to travel to the moun tains or desert in your area, you will have an excellent chance to find many excellent specimens of gem stone materials* In many instances you will find gem stone materials which have been collected by some member of the family in your home. These sources of material should increase your interest in and enjoyment of lapidary work. The fact that there is very little material available on lapidary work seems to imply something mysterious about stone cutting, grinding and polishing. There is nothing about this work which is difficult. Because the work is so simple, the craftsmen of the past sought to protect their jobs by keeping as much of this information secret as possible. You have the right to know how to do the things described in the handbook. ix By learning to operate the equipment as it has been explained in the handbook, you should be able to convert rough rocks into semi-precious or precious gem stones. You should learn how to cut, grind, sand, polish and drill your stones. As you become more proficient in the use of the equipment, your workmanship will also become higher in qual ity. As the quality of your workmanship becomes higher, the value of the type of gem you will be able to produce will be greater.