You must be careful not to bend the slitter or spoil its edge. Never put it away leaning on the disc. Keep it when not in use suspended by two strings, and wipe off the oil carefully when you put it away.
We have now gone through the various processes of GRINDING, SMOOTHING, FACING, and CUTTING pebbles. You have a clear knowledge of ‘how it is done.’ It remains for you to decide whether or not you are to become a practical lapidary. Remember that it is one thing to know how to work and another thing to put that knowledge into practice. If you resolve to take up the subject you should certainly make friends with some working lapidary, and get him to let you watch him at work, and if possible take a few lessons from him.
A POSTSCRIPT.
Since the foregoing chapter was prepared, W. B. has written to us from Ipswich: ‘I have been very interested in your article on stone polishing. I found, however, that with two hands free you could work the stone much better; so I bought a treadle and wheel (1 ft. 6 in. through) together, then for the grindery dovetailed two boards into one another, and having centred the upright ones, put a hardened coach-screw in, and turned an elm spindle 2 in. thick, and at one end turned a series of pulleys. Then at each end I drilled holes and screwed coach-screws in, after having centred their square heads and drilled a small dent for the other screws to work on. Next I got some wood “bobbins,” turned 5 in. through by 11⁄2 in. thick at hole on spindle, tapering to 3⁄4 in. The pulleys, of course, were for the driving speed, so that by putting the strap on the small one I could drive fast, and the large one slow.
2 ft. 6 in.
‘Above is a rough drawing of the lathe part.
‘The best of this is you can screw the “lathe” to the table, and place the driving-wheel where you like, provided you lengthen or shorten the strap. I might add that the cost of the whole thing is under ten shillings.’
