How To Carve Or Dremel Polish Opal. Tips and tricks
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- Опубліковано 24 лют 2017
- blackopaldirect.com/ See the best opal in the world at blackopaldirect.com and Justin will take you on a journey into the opal world in Australia. Justin will show you how to cut opal, how to grade and even how to mine. WIth many amazing gem black opals along the way
2years later and I still find this to be among your best videos
Thx Justin
Boy you have come such a long way since this video. Your tools and your skills have definitely advanced and improved a lot since then. I like how you showed that it is possible to carve an opal with just a dermal and specialized tips and assorted grits. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge on creating a beautiful opal.
I just ordered my first piece of opal, thanks to you and your channel. I do sincerely appreciate the time and effort you take in your videos for rookies like myself.
hey Justin, im a past customer of yours and ive followed you for years. i am glad you did a thorough dremel cutting video. the one with your father was great but i still had alot of questions.... ive heard you mention it several times, but id love to see a tutorial on making balsa wood or wood tip bobs for polishing..... i have an idea of how you probably do it, but im always curious how you or your father would go about it. thanks again for all the inspiration. youre amazing.
Thanks for the video! Always fun to watch a stone go from rough to finished.
NightHawkInLight glad you're u enjoyed 👍
i guess I'm pretty randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to stream new series online ?
@Ernesto Marcos try flixzone. You can find it by googling =)
VERY impressed at how well this did work! Thank you ... mine look gorgeous now!
Many Thanks Justin! I have been getting the needed equipment to start carving opal. There are some fine rough black opals sitting on my table that I got from you. Happy Trails.
This video was extremely informative and taught in a way that any rock hound, professional or not, could undestand the instructions. I like the fact that some of the most beautiful opals in the world are found in Australia and this gentleman is located in Australia...Its can be very intimidating to work on Opal because it is such a soft stone and relatively quite expensive...It's like the tortoise and the hare...Slow and steady will win the race, slow and steady will produce a beautiful piece...I'm now a devoted subscriber...
I agree, a list of each bit and polish used would be awesome ! Haha 😉
Love going back through and watching the old vids!
Justin thank you for taking the time to make this video. It is very clear and simple to understand.
Little Rookie here who buys Australian Opal and cuts it the UK! Little bit addicted to the stuff! Thanks for the videos!
Hi Justin thanks for the video very informative, I got some stones a few years ago still in my jar that I collected whilst at the ridge ..so I'm going to invest in a dremil tool...can't wait to see the results 😊
Excellent Job. Another Fine instructional video from our friends at Black Opal Direct.
steve loika thanks Steve I can always rely on you for a positive comment 😊👍
Have always liked opals and love your videos! Thanks so much for sharing!
MrGreencheetah welcome 😊
Love it. Dont ever change it. It reminds me of something lived under ocean. Clam, or something that was rippled.it's great.take care.
Thanks so much for explaining step by step. I'm just learning so I needed this. Thanks again
Well! Your an artist.
Great video not to long not to fast and right to the point. Thanks
This is the most beautiful opal I've ever seen wooow😍 I'm addicted of opals cutting videos😁🤭from Northeast India.
thanks Justin your videos have been brilliant
Welcome
I really appreciate your sharing with us what your father shared with you. i will be definitely be trying to make some wood tips.
I searched for carving gemstones with a Dremel and wouldn't I know it, your video pops up. Not exactly what I'm looking for but will definitely have to get back to this one. Love your vids! Later...
Thank you so much for the great video!!! I bought dremel last year along with tungsten bit! Now I see I bought a wrong one. Also, I didn't know about the diamond paste. This will help me to carve the rough I bought from you! :) Thanks again!
Ahh yes tungsten won't do a good job at all. You really need diamond and or silicon carbide tips
Great video! Very simple and informative, so that a beginner like me can have confidence with opal carving!
Hot Rodz you very welcome
Opal being so precious. I would practice with potch or non precious opal first. Opal can come in solid colors that have no play of color or shimmering effect. Practice on that first. You can easily erase the precious material. Better to be well practiced than beginner.
Very beautiful Opal, nice work Justin and thank you very much for the video.
Welcome glad you enjoyed
Thank you for sharing your process! I have had a flat piece of Opal (from Opal Butte in Oregon USA) I have been holding onto for years not knowing how to tackle. My Dad took us out there for a dig and I don't want to destroy it. This will help so much to clean it up ~ Thank you again for a well laid out explanation. :)
You are welcome
Eva Edmonds Great story! I hope you have been or are able to successfully get the most beauty from the precious memories living in your Opal 🤗
Pooh my good god! FANTASTIC....thank you so much for sharing your skilled tutorials I'm learning a lot from them :)
kizzywitch awesome 😊 good to hear
Awesome! I really wanted to know if and how, I could do it with my Dremel. I’ve been gifted some Opal, it’s not worth anything, but good to learn on. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Welcome 🙏
Beautiful stone and love the colours 😍
Thank you! Cheers!
thanks Justin you're videos gave me the opal bug !!!! started cutting 3 weeks ago 😆
Daniel Birtles hehe sorry about that I hope you recover never 😆😆😆😆
Oops! Now you're an opalholic!
Ok. Thank you for the reply!
Spectacular and educational... beautiful!
Thank you so much Justin , It was a great video .. very useful and it's a very beautiful piece of Opal .
Cheers
Thanks for your feedback :-)
I like your programme sir
There is a 3/32 " phenolic rod that works very well for carving. It's cheap, comes in three ft. length's. I prefer those since I found them.
Another great video
THANK YOU, JUST WHAT I NEEDED!
That's a beautiful little chunk
If you did want to cut this in half through that pitch looking section two try produce finished gems can the deemed set the job done ? Does it have a good enough attachment to cut through that or what would you use. Thanks Justin love the vids. Just purchased first rough opal from you today and am new subscriber. Cheers
Very good video..thanks
Nice Rock ! Greetings from Melbourne.
Great video!
Awesome video. I'm a fan
Thank you for watching :-)
What Rpm do you use when doing your final polish? I liked your Dads wooden dowel trick. I use bamboo skewers cut 25-30mm long. Put right in the dremel they can be pointed to get into tight places and polishes with the diamond paste well.
Thanks again great video!
Justin, thank you for showing this awesome video. You mention that as substitute for diamond grits, you can also use pumice powder and ...what is the other material? And would they work also or Ethiopian opals?
Carving with this technique with diamond paste won't work with Ethiopian opal. The other grit is cerium oxide
When doing carvings like this is price evaluation the same as a cut stone like based off brightness play of color and pattern and body tone or how do you evaluate the worth?
Hi Justin, which one does a better job, the Dremel or the ' how to cut opals by hand' Video you showed us using the corundum block? Is the Dremel quicker and easier? I suppose the corundum block is good for cutting the stone down to size?
Betty Bho yes the dremel will be faster
My only complaint is I can only click the thumbs up once!! Great video..Totally earns my sub I look forward to more of your videos
Thank you Doc
Kind of like e-filing my nails. I would cut it really thin and encapsulate the gem with clear acrylic on my nail. it would be sooo pretty. I've used paua shell in my nails before. But opal is so much prettier.
Hi Justin, my first parcel of rough is on its way from you. Can't wait! Quick question when you have time, what can I do with crystal opal with visible inclusions in it? I can't seem to find much info on the subject and was wondering what your thoughts are.
Great I hope you enjoy it. There is not really a lot you can do except cut it out if possible. Sometimes gemstones just have inclusions. If it is popping through the surface of the polish I would cut it out. But if its under I would leave it
Hi Justin! Love your videos, looking forward to starting cutting opals myself with a handheld Dremel. I'd love to know what brand and grit of bits you recommend - I was looking for box markings on the video, to order the same set, but couldn't spot them. Thank you!
Wait till next week I have a video on it
Quite a beauty. Was this opal not appropriate for a gem or just for a gorgeous show piece. Awesome video. Thank you.
Cathi FAM Journey haha it was but was a good subject for the video. I cut it to an oval after the videos lol
Are the Nova tips a certain grit? Thank you
Magnificent stone, would love to have seen it taken to the wheel...
awesome video! question (a bit general, but still): with this polishing technique (or any), is it possible to get a similar shine from hydrophane opals?
Julia Santell yes you can but it can crack a little easier. But if it doesn’t crack then yes 😊
Hi there. Awesome video!! I'd like to start carving my own stones. I would like to know if there is a certain type of dremel I should get. As far as RPMs, or any other specification that would help me get the job done. Not many things bring a smile to my face like opals do. Sincerely. Thanks in advance.
Yes a variable speed Dremel is the best way to do carvings.
Thank you very much. Incredible timing. I just got my very first parcel today :). Great job on the videos. keep em coming. Cheers
Black Opal Direct I am a beginner in this field and I don't know what to use to carve ordinary stones and what kind of polish can I use or what kind of dremel should I use so can you help me because I am afraid from doing it and the small things that you carve with where can I find them and what kind should I use because not all the materials are available in my country Egypt so can guide me
@@badressam473 You can do a rough sanding at first to get it close with some diamond coated Dremel bits and you can even use a wet/dry sandpaper. I just got a few sheets of 600 1200 2000 and 300 grit sandpaper myself today from a local hardware store. Any decent variable speed Dremel will be fine but just take it slow at first till you get the hang of it. You can always remove more but you can never get it back. Patience is key
@@Jbuss0679 thank you so much
I appreciate it and I wish you all the best
I hear you say in many of your videos that you prefer the natural and oval shape over faceting. Why do you prefer it that way? I really like every video you make, it calms me to watch you cut opal, it's like my dream job. Do you think I should start cutting natural shapes like you or should I dabble in faceting? I'm interested in what you think, I hope you see this comment.
Amazing !!!!!!
Beautiful
Thank you for sharing the video's , I watch them all and as always they are the most informative and fun way of learning about opal. I have searched for "nova tips " and all variations of it online from the UK and cannot find them. Could you possibly recommend and alternative for me please if you have enough time? I am completely stuck after just dremel carving a few stones with a diamond burr,but cannot get further..very new to all of this so you are technically my teacher -(thank you) haha. My hero! Love your work. Thanks 😊 🙏
Yes they seem to be hard to find over there
Diamond pacific are in the states and have quality products
Love thiss! I would pay to have you mentor me !!
another Great video!.. please can you put a link for the dremel tips you use? i have learned ALOT from you! thank you for all your videos...:-)
Glad you liked. I haven't sourced a reliable source for the Dremel tips as yet. Maybe someone in the community will help out there.
If I caused a scratch in the polishing of the opal stone ...
In earrings for example that it is a small stone .. can I fix it?Or has the stone been completely destroyed and this scratch cannot be repaired?
Thanks Justin! I am just starting carving so a timely video for me. Can I ask which Nova points you used, I can't quite work it out from the video, it looks like it was just one before going on to the range of diamond pastes? Thankyou for sharing your knowledge.
Yes it was a 600 grit then 1200 then I went to diamond paste
Thankyou!
Do you make the wooden dremel tips from a hardwood or softwood?
Interesting!
Hey Justin, Great video! Will you put a link to where you get some of those nova tips, and some of the other items in the description? I have been looking for some like that. Thanks for the vid :-)
Daniel Mekis You are able to get all of the products used from a place called Gemcuts you can find them on a Google search and buy online or call them ask for Brian or Liz and they will point you in the right direction.
Daniel Mekis You are able to get all of the products used from a place called Gemcuts you can find them on a Google search and buy online or call them ask for Brian or Liz and they will point you in the right direction.
Daniel Mekis You are able to get all of the products used from a place called Gemcuts you can find them on a Google search and buy online or call them ask for Brian or Liz and they will point you in the right direction.
Daniel Mekis Hi Daniel I will once I find out myself.
Takes patience and nerves of steel to dremel anything but opals are so important to come out beautiful
Where can I possibly find these things? Including where you found that Dremel bit with a the on it?
Thank you 😊
I am looking at doing this as an option since I already have a nice dremel set. Is there a reason you left the dead spot on in between the color bars on the top and bottom? were you just going for that type of natural setting? and would you be able to do a standard cabb'ed stone for a setting so we could see how it compares to doing it on a wheel?
Hi Brandon if you are going to dremel carve a stone then you will most likely be going for an organic shape meaning freeform. This one was freeform with the choice of recutting it to an oval later
What speed do you find yourself using on dremel? Variable speed really slow or look for higher speed?
Jim Slane it depends on what you are doing at the time. A hard tip I would use fast and very light but a polish I would use slowly
This video enlightened me. But quick question i have a 600 grit polish. If i go to 2000 then to 14000 will it work like that or what would be "shiny enough at an amateur level"?? Thanks man
Alpine 600 grit to 2000 is a big jump. You may need to find a grit in between like 1200 to make it easier for you
Thanks Justin great video. How long did it take you from start to finish. How long would you take on average for each different grit of diamond paste. Tried to carve and polish but not getting the fantastic finish you are getting. I think I am not spending enough time going too fast. Thanks
About a full day
@@blackopaldirect thanks for the information I definitely need to slow down. I do some stained glass and I have a glass grinder machine( Krystall 1) that smooths the edges of the glass. I tried it on some potch and its great for the start getting rid of sand and potch and roughly shaping the opal before I use my dremel. It only works on smaller opal and need to change the water reservoir a few times in the machine. It saves some time.
Hi Justin (or anyone who sees this with experience) First... great video. I'm assuming you switched from the first felt tip to the next because the residual diamond paste could have prevented the higher shine with the next tip/grit. Can you keep the felt tips in a little airtight-ish, zipped, plastic bag for reuse with the same grit a few times? Thanks!
Yes you can
@@blackopaldirect thanks!!!
Reading through the comments, I've seen that the diamond grits pastes won't work with welo or hydeophane opals. What would you recommend as far as polishing welo carvings to a high shine?
Alexandra Scott-Allen I don’t cut welo nor recommend it for various reasons.
I use serium oxide when I polish welo opals
Fabulous
Hi Justin, amazing videos! Very detailed. One question, please excuse my ingnorance. Why did you choose not to make the opal non-cemetrical at the end? For example pear, oblong, round ect....
Haha good question. because people complain a lot about opal wastage. I would almost always cut to symmetrical shapes and will cut this one to an oval very soon :-)
Black Opal Direct thank you for answering. makes total sense. I really enjoy your videos. what video should I start with as a complete novice.
One of the beginner parcels on my page here would do fine blackopaldirect.com/category/rough-opal/rough-opal-parcels/
Hey Justin im not sure if you check UA-cam or the comments but if you happen too notice this one can you answer a question for me?
I purchased some diamond polishing compound and it was lightly colored to help tell the grits apart. I began to polish my ethiopian opal with several of the grits and thoroughly washed it each time. After awhile i started to notice that the opal had begun to soak up the color. I had to carve down and waste a few carats to see color bars once more.
Do you have any idea on where i can find uncolored diamond paste? It looks like even the compound you were using would possibly dye as well.
Yes Ethiopian opal is is very porous and will soak in many treatments. There is a tin oxide but it is white and will soak in the white. I am sorry I can't help you much
If Ethiopian opal stays in water or stays wet for a long period of time it will soak up the water and the color will dissipate as it starts to soak up the water but it will come back as it dries out just like it was before. You can use cerium oxide I belive to polish it but you just wanna do it relatively quick so it doesn't soak it up but I'm not 100% on using the cerium on it so do a little research first.
would this piece you just carved be sellable? What are people looking for?
Is there something for seal
What happened to the opal. I would love to see
Where do u get the Diamond Impregnated Nova points from? the rubber ones? can't find them anywhere...
Diamond pacific
can i know the dremel model you are using?
Correct me if I'm wrong but that stone that you're working on looks like you could actually cut it and have two stones top Dome looks like there's a separation and not in the bottom section where it could be cut not saying you are or you should but am I right that could be cut in the middle to make two stones just to know if my eyes are right or wrong
You are absolutely right and after I made that video I did exactly that. I sliced it and the cut a nice Stone off the top :-) well spotted
@@blackopaldirect thank you for confirming what I was thinking I've always been super interested in cutting gems I have actually ground down or shaped a few Opals that I was fortunate to buy but for now all I do is sit watch dream and wish but I definitely haven't I I think for doing things of that nature and I'm a perfectionist which can be good and bad
Hi Black Opal Direct, Where can i obtain NOVA tips?
random broadcast you can get them from most lapidary suppliers
I have a dremel that is electrical only, not battery powered. Is there a risk of electrocution when working with water?
No there wont be as long as you only put the tip in the water not the chuck section of the hand piece
Hi there. Very informative and innovative. Actually i am just a biginner and would loke to purchase the suitable tools and polishing materials. Please estimate the costs for me. Thanks Sabhan Sarbini Malaysia
Hola donde puedo comprar las Nova points????
Veery good
Sir where can I find the tools and paste for polishing
A lapidary shop
Justin, is a micromotor generally preferred over a flex shaft for working like this?
Amy P both will work well. The micro motor gives you a little more freedom in my opinion
Thank you!
Black Opal Direct Thank you, I'm going to try that then!
Do you ever find pieces so gorgeous you leave them in the natural shape and just polish it? Do they always have to be cut into a piece for jewelry
Guess the video answered my question
I'm glad you decided to carve that amazing opal there, instead of cut it, because that thing is just pure rainbow of colors all the way around. Cutting it would have been such a waste of money in the few thousands range.
Edit: now that I am getting a look, i think you should have sliced the top part off and carved the bottom part.
Sir how much price black Opal
But sir ... I will attempt to make my own dowel bits and carry this secret forward if you are okay with that. If not I'll just do it myself and keep it a secret 😁 it's amazingly useful knowledge
Use ash, bamboo(not a wood) or a medium hard wood that has visible pores to hold the polish. you can just turn the end of a stick into a point on a fixed wood grinder, If you do have one check for a woodworking club or woodturning club near you. They may well do it for free but 5 for $1US is the most they should charge, Also you could ask at a wood equipment supplier if they know someone. My wood turning club does odd jobs for people all the time.
Okay, so I've followed your tutorial pretty religiously and I feel like I'm doing really well in grinding and with the Nova points.... That being said.... I don't think my lapping paste likes me. Everything else is going well but I apply the paste as directed and it just splatters everywhere... Is that normal? Am I putting too much on?
you should try putting extender fluid on your lap or points first. to help it adhere.
@@leto7789 thank you. I'll try that.
no problem. :)
Hi Justin I’m having trouble finding the nova points
Here are the ones you can buy blackopaldirect.com/product/advice-tools-merch/diamond-dremel-kits-5-piece-60grit-3000-2/
Hi I live in Southern California snd I have found a bunch of opals embedded in Rock. How do I get the stones out of the rock to get to your starting point. They are not black opals they are white ones.
try a hammer or a pic axe and make sure no one is around, because you will be prosecuted to the highest level of the law for Damaging Gov't property.......
TurnTable Models what the fuck are you talking about. Who said its government property? I paid for the rocks from a nature center and they are not boulders, they put them in a paper bag so I can take them with me. Your an idiot for answering.