This machine was originally made in Australia and called a Hall faceting machine. Charlie Musitano bought the patent rights to the original machine when Mr. Hall decided to retire and brought the machine to the USA to manufacturer.
Charlie has made some changes and improvements to the original design and from what he tells me he plans to continue to improve the machine where and if needed as time goes on.
Note: It is nice to talk to a faceting machine manufacturer that is willing to actually listen to faceters and at least consider changes and improvements.
The OMNI is available as both a 6″ and 8″machine. The 6″ machine can only be used with 6″ laps, the 8″ machine can be used with either 6″ or 8″ laps.
What is the difference between 6″ and 8″? 6″ laps are pretty standard in most other countries besides the USA. Their main advantage is they are smaller and lighter which makes them easier and cheaper to ship. 6″ laps cost a bit less then 8″ (20% to 30%) and because of this cost difference are often more practical for people who live in countries that have a VAT (value added tax) to import merchandise. For example Canada has VAT of 23% (if I remember right, depends on the province though). So Canadians pay $23 dollars of tax on every $100 of product value they import into Canada. So as you can see buying a 6″ machine depending on where you live maybe a significant savings. Also because the 6″ laps are cheaper to ship and cost less, a 6″ faceting machine is just a bit cheaper to buy and use.