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 Post subject: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:36 pm 
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Didn't someone on here at some point post a parts list for the GMII? I could not find it on a search, so I thought I'd ask. My drive belt finally broke today, guess I should've been paying more attention to it grrrrrrrr.... now I'm shut down but surely this has a McMaster part number!!!
Anybody?


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:51 pm 
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Measure the width, thickness and length of the belt and you should be able to find the belt from a supplier online.

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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 1:16 pm 
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Well if anyone else has measured and found a standard equivalent, let me know. I'm not seeing it so far... Round belt 7.5 mm dia, outer circumference hard to measure but somewhere around 23 3/4 - 24"? guess I'll have to measure the pulleys and their ctr-ctr distance, etc. for a better estimate of that. PITA :x


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:12 pm 
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Can contact Farooq Hashmi of Intimate Gems, he purchased a collection of spare parts (including drive belts) from Fac-Ette before they closed their doors.

As Plan B - there is a FB group dedicated to GemMaster II users. There are some in the group who have backup belts, including Ernie Haws.

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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 8:49 pm 
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It's just off-the-shelf 5/16 nominal urethane round belting, with a heat welded joint, which is where it always fails.
Here is how you weld them.
Put a soldering iron in a vise so it is vertical.
Hold the two ends parallel and centered, spaced apart.
Hold the gap at a distance so you can pull the gap toward you over the cylindrical shank of the soldering iron, not the tip. As the ends slide over the hot shank their surfaces will melt. When the gap section has cleared the shank press them quickly together in good centered alignment. Watch the urethane flow out like a muffin top all around. Hold together for a minute. Put it aside for a few hours so the urethane fully sets.Then trim the "muffin top" flash with a razor, and go ahead and use it. Practice makes perfect.
McMaster-Carr sells the stuff and also a hollow version with little barbed plugs that join the ends. Search "Round urethane belting" and you will find many options.

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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:55 pm 
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I've made a few of the 1/4 inch belts out of the urethane for old prismatic faceting machines. I used a transfer jig (Facetron, but many of the others would also work) to hold the two ends apart while I heated them and then pressed them together using the jig. Let stand awhile and you're ready to rotate after cleaning up the joint.

Keith


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:22 am 
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Duh. Never thought of the transfer jig! And we all have them!

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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 12:37 pm 
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Superglue works well too.


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 9:52 pm 
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micra wrote:
Well if anyone else has measured and found a standard equivalent, let me know. I'm not seeing it so far... Round belt 7.5 mm dia, outer circumference hard to measure but somewhere around 23 3/4 - 24"? guess I'll have to measure the pulleys and their ctr-ctr distance, etc. for a better estimate of that. PITA :x


I ordered 3044K707 belt from McMaster-Carr (mcmaster dot com): 24-1/4" X 5/16" and while I wish it were maybe 1/4" shorter, it seems to work fine. Cost was $14 plus shipping.


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 10:03 pm 
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Greetings everyone.

For those of us with the Gem Master II Faceting Machine I have good news.

Parts such as drive belts and new dop sticks are available from www.fac-ette.com they are back in operation and making new machines but are not located in NC.

My drive belt broke just over 2 months ago and I was able to order 2 new ones from them. They are about $10 each.

Currently they are doing a redesign on their website. So send an email to them and you should get an answer. When the website is back up there will be a phone number that you can call.

I wish I had that number to post here.

Cutter 20


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 8:56 pm 
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New drive belts for the GemMaster II can be ordered from www.fac-ette.com

My drive belt broke a few months back and I was able to order one. Currently they are redoing their website to allow for online orders so give them about a month I hope.


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 Post subject: Re: Gemmaster II drive belt
PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2024 2:20 pm 
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I was just on the site and something is off. There is no way to pay so I cannot order a new belt. I guess the company is belly up.


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