The Gallant arbor is a wide-shaft lapidary arbor manufactured by Crystalite Corporation — later absorbed into Covington Engineering — designed to accept a full sequence of grinding, sanding, and polishing wheels on a single extended spindle. By allowing multiple wheels to be mounted simultaneously, the Gallant arbor substantially reduces the tool changes required when cutting cabochons, making it one of the more practical and enduring pieces of equipment in the mid-twentieth-century lapidary workshop.

Design and function

The defining feature of the Gallant arbor is its extended shaft length relative to a standard cab arbor. A conventional single-wheel arbor accommodates one wheel at a time, obliging the lapidary to swap wheels — and often to re-dress or re-true each in turn — as a stone progresses from coarse grinding through fine grinding, sanding, and final polish. The Gallant's longer spindle accepts a progression of wheels in fixed positions, so the operator moves the stone laterally from wheel to wheel rather than stopping to change tooling. Wheels are typically secured with flanged nuts and run true on a precision-ground shaft driven by a standard bench motor or dedicated lapidary unit.

Wheels compatible with the Gallant arbor include silicon carbide grinding wheels, resin-bonded diamond wheels, expanding-drum sanding wheels fitted with abrasive cloth or belts, and felt or leather polishing wheels charged with oxide compounds such as cerium oxide, tin oxide, or aluminium oxide. The specific combination depends on the hardness and character of the material being cut.

Historical context

Crystalite Corporation was among the American manufacturers that helped democratise lapidary work during the postwar hobbyist boom of the 1950s and 1960s, when rockhound clubs proliferated across North America and demand for accessible, reliable equipment grew rapidly. The Gallant arbor — sold under the Gallant Crystalite designation — became a recognisable fixture in both amateur gem clubs and small professional cutting shops. Covington Engineering, a California-based lapidary equipment manufacturer with a long history in the trade, subsequently carried on production and support for this style of arbor.

In the trade

Among working lapidaries, the Gallant arbor is associated with production-oriented cabochon cutting rather than one-off artistic work. Its efficiency suits operators who cut stones in batches — a common practice when processing parcels of agate, jasper, obsidian, or other ornamental material. The arbor's design also suits teaching environments, where students benefit from a stable, predictable wheel sequence without the interruption of frequent tool changes. Replacement wheels and components have remained available through lapidary supply houses, contributing to the arbor's longevity in the field.