I have a deep passion for restoring old, neglected machinery. There’s something profoundly satisfying about breathing new life into equipment crafted with the care and precision of a bygone era—especially when it’s destined to create something beautiful and enduring once more.

In the following images, you'll see the restoration journey of a vintage Imahashi faceting machine, manufactured in Japan in 1972. I acquired it from the estate of its previous owner in London and had it freighted up to Aberdeen.

When it arrived, the machine was in a rough state—unused, uncleaned, and clearly unloved for many years. The first time I plugged it in, it roared to life sounding more like a cement mixer than a precision instrument. Even worse, the original electric motor had burned out.

Restoring it required a significant amount of work. I replaced the motor bearings and the main lap spindle. The electric motor was sent to a specialist in Aberdeen to be rewound. I sourced a factory-spec on/off switch from Japan and replaced the drive belt. The lap rest plate was missing entirely, so I fabricated a new one from stainless steel. A new rubber bump guard was also added to the rest plate.

The entire machine had to be thoroughly cleaned, repainted, and meticulously reassembled to precise tolerances—crucial to ensure it could produce gemstones of the highest commercial quality.

Now, the machine is an absolute joy to use. When I'm cutting, I can feel and hear every nuance through the vibrations and sounds it makes. It's a true workhorse—reliable, responsive, and capable of running all day, every day.