Updated Feb 7, 2010 – added photos of the Polymetric Transfer Jig.
On a tip from a reader I ordered a transfer jig from Polymetric. I finally have given it a try and it works much better than the stock Omni-e jig – much better stability and hence alignment.
It’s not specifically-designed for the slightly-larger diameter 0.300″ dops of the Omni (Polymetric and almost every other manufacturer except Jersey Instruments standardized on 0.25″ dops decades ago) but that poses no problems. As well the jig does not have any provision for aligning the keying system of the Omni dops (a 45 degree angle cut from the back of the dops) but after a call to Polymetric they are willing to make a modification to the transfer jig for a nominal fee that will accomplish this.
Overall I’m very happy with the quality and function of the Polymetric transfer jig and recommend it to anyone who’s looking for an alternative to the Omni jig. If you decide to order one, please be sure to ask them if they can modify it so it will work with the Omni keyed dops.
The page for Polymetric’s jig is http://www.polymetricinc.com/accessories.htm. Their link to a photo of the jig is broken but I’ll post a pic here later.
-Allan
Hey Allan,
I wanted to let you know that, on your advice, I contacted Zane about procuring a Poly jig for my Omni machine. The Omni jig has been an ongoing source of inconsistency and frustration.
I contacted Zane and he gladly worked with me in getting a new jig. I did, in fact, ask him about adding keying pins. He not only modified his jig to utilize keying pins, but he actually machined the jig with deeper V grooves to accommodate the 0.300″ diameter dops.
As additional icing on the cake, he just so happened to be doing free engraving, and he did a nifty little personalization on the back of the jig for me!!
I have now transferred 2 stones: A 5.65 carat tourmaline and a sub-1-carat sapphire. Both transferred flawlessly, and the keying pins worked perfectly. On some Omni dops, the chamfer may need to be cut in a little deeper, as the “key” end of the dop is blunt and may not fit easily under the keying pin–this mod to the dop can easily be made right on the faceting machine.
In short, Zane’s jig is absolutely fabulous, and is the missing link I’ve been looking for, in an effort to eliminate transfer error.
I would HIGHLY recommend that anybody looking for a better jig purchase the Poly jig from Zane. Yo couldn’t ask for a better guy to work with, and you couldn’t ask for a better jig!
Best Regards,
-Dave Dawson
how can i get/buy this transfer jig and where ?
You can purchase this from Polymetric – their website is http://www.polymetricinc.com