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[vitzitziltecpatl]

So, now you've got another hobby - figuring out how to make it work to make your first hobby easier!

Apologies if your lapidary work is more than a "hobby". That's exactly the kind of machine I'd buy just on the chance I could make it work someday. It would be very cool to be able to have something like that up and running.

[Steve Ramsdell]

I think I have a name.  Colbaugh's Semi-Matic Cab Machine.  I typed "preform cab machine" and used google search.  Looked at images till I saw something close.  Then tracked it down on google search and the web has prices for different sizes. Not a cheap toy.
Steve

[Debbie K]

Vince:

I don't guess you remember me from the other forum. I'm the one who carves. I always said that I prefer carving because no one can tell me where I went wrong like they can with cabochons.

I think I'll get the one running; I've fixed 3 grinders, 3 kilns, a faceting machine, polisher, and made my own point carver. I view projects like this as a personal challenge. I'm just scared to start restoring it until I break the news to my husband. They were cheap; the only real problem is where I'm going to put them. My studio is absolutely full to the brim of rocks and equipment and I'm at my wit's end about where to put them. They're not little or light-weight. I had to disassemble them to be able to move them in 5 parts. They're still in the back of my car...

I just love gadgets, and after I watched the Youtube video of it running I thought I had to have it. I don't really make cabochons, but I figure if I restore it I can't easily get my money back and have some fun in the meantime. If I hooked it up to a bigger motor and got a small one to drive the chuck, and a counterweight I could make a double unit like the guy did on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Automatic-cabochon-grinding-machine-and-tooling/330778813687?_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D8162e15e0a524693905dac5e8c869732%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D330778813687&_trkparms=pageci%253A4969af43-35f2-11e7-844f-74dbd180f885%257Cparentrq%253Af55b14cf15b0aa1443805758ffff67db%257Ciid%253A1

Steve, I really do think it is a Colbaugh unit. I'm going to go over it carefully tomorrow and look at the patent Syril Colbaugh filed. It looks identical.

Debbie K

[Debbie K]

They are Colbaughs, per the patent #. Under the rock schmutz the one label says Mohave Industries, Kingman AZ.

Debbie K

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Yep, that would be them. Not too far up the road from us but I've never seen one of their machines.

Debbie, I do remember talking about carving on here. I'm just not on here as much as I used to be. I even confused the names of a current member and former(?) member last week while emailing about a purchase. Uh - how old am I gonna' be this year...?

[Debbie K]

Vince:

Probably younger than me! But seriously, I feel your pain. Day before yesterday I was trying to understand something that I had figured out years ago, a geometric problem; and it was as if I had never seen or thought about it before. Scary.

It's kind of a pity the machines ended up with me, as I will probably never do anything that requires large production. But I couldn't resist them as they appear to do the job in an extremely straightforward and simple way with a minimum of fuss relying on mechanical solutions rather than complicated digital crap requiring some CAD program. Elegant little machines.

It looks to me that they require a lot of water to run properly. Probably something that is better to be set up outside, but I need to clean them up and get them protected before I start playing with them. I feel really lucky to have gotten them.

Debbie K

[Debbie K]

Well, got one of them assembled today; only need a small fan belt to drive the chuck. It wasn't running at the clubhouse where I picked them up; someone had replaced a pulley with a larger one and it was jamming on the belt shroud. I have one complete unit and most of a second one, less the motors.

Can't wait to try it out, but it'll probably be next week before I can find a little belt to fit the chuck drive.

Debbie K