Cleaning and Maintaining Your
Ultra Tec Faceting Machine
I am often asked: "How do I clean and maintain my Ultra Tec Faceting Machine". Maintenance on the Ultra Tec Faceting Machine is simple and easy.
Lubrication:
Because all of the bearings are permanently lubricated and sealed I don’t have to worry about oiling any of the bearings on my Ultra Tec Faceting Machine. The only spot that I need to oil on my Ultra Tec Faceting is the Index Vernier adjustment screw (commonly known as the "Cheater"), just give it a drop of oil about once a year.
General Cleaning:
I recommend that you clean your Ultra Tec Faceting Machine often, because your Faceting Machine is built to precision, and you want to keep it that way. The way that I clean my Ultra Tec is with a dental brush and a small soft bristled paint brush. Some of the main areas on my Faceting Machine that I clean often are the index gear, around all of the hard to reach spots (meaning they are not easily wiped down with a towel or rag) on the faceting head, the splash pan and the base of my Ultra Tec Faceting Machine.
To clean the index gear on my Ultra Tec I use a dental brush and gently brush in between each of the teeth on both the index gear and the segment that holds the index gear in place to make sure that there is no swarf deposited in them. I then take the small paint brush and brush out the loose particles, as a swarf build up can throw the index settings off when faceting a gemstone.
The areas on my Ultra Tec that can’t be easily wiped down (all of the nooks and crevices), I use the end of the dental brush to loosen any build up of swarf and then I brush away the particles with the paint brush.
The splash pan on the Ultra Tec Faceting Machine is easily removable, so it is just an matter of removing it from the Faceting Machine rinsing it out, wiping it down with a towel or a rag and setting it back in place on the faceting machine.
I keep the base on my Ultra Tec Faceting Machine wiped clean throughout faceting a gemstone. I want to make sure that when I am moving the mast back and forth that I am not causing excessive wear by allowing the swarf to get between the base plate and the faceting head of the Ultra Tec Faceting Machine.
I also will, occasionally, take a paper towel that I have lightly sprayed with WD-40 and give my Ultra Tec a light wipe down. It helps to prevent some of the swarf from sticking.
The Ultra Tec Stop Indicator Light:
I use the Ultra Tec Stop Indicator Light on my Ultra Tec Faceting Machine. I have found that if I occasionally remove the fine adjustment screw and the screws that attach the Ultra Tec Stop Indicator electrical wires to the raceting head and coat them with a anti-oxidant compound for electrical wires (such as OX-Gard) it eliminates connectivity problems that can occur.
By giving your Ultra Tec Faceting Machine regular cleanings and little "tender loving care", your Ultra Tec Faceting Machine will give you a lifetime of use and enjoyment!!!!