Don Clary
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 p.2 #3 · Tools to Modify the 5D Mirror | |
Let me explain the faceting tool and concepts:
The machine is about 18" long, 10" wide, and 6" high at the base. The cutting lap is an 8" round aluminum disk coated with diamonds. I have 3 laps: 260 grit, 600, grit and 1200 grit diamonds. I can finish with either sapphire powder (Al2O3) or 50,000 grit diamond. Working with diamond means you never have to apologize about what you cut. It can cut through chrome moly steel like hot butter! I'm going to do a minor tweak on my Zeiss to EOS adapter, since it is a bit too thick.
The mirror is attached to an aluminum rod (called a dop stick) with hot wax or cold (epoxy) glue. The machine will conrol to 1/20 of a degree from 0 to 90 degrees and rotational alignment to any fractional angle. The only limit to accuracy is how well you can see, and how accurately you can measure. Most cutting is done at 10 power magnification. The largest object I can cut is 1/2 the lap width, or 4".
If there is a frame around the mirror, and you don't mind the frame being cut, you don't have to remove it. The point of attachment is the dop stick placed on the center of the mirror.
99 % of gem cutters cut hard commercial stones, which are relatively easy to cut.1% like me, specialize in soft collector stones which can cleave, or be brittle, or are heat sensitive. So we work on materials vastly more sensitive than glass. Careful application of the dop stick doesn't seem to damage optical films, since I have cut aerospace optical filters.
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" at the end of the phrase. Probably not the right place. ^___^