Great video Roy For boulder I go from 180 - 14000 grit then first 50000 diamond paste on the flat lap then finish off with diamond paste on the Dremel for the awkward places.
I hadn't thought of drilling a boulder opal. I have wire wrapped one. I'm gonna have to try drilling a hole in one. I'm hoping to be ready to polish the boulder opal I've been working on next weekend.
Yeah its not so hard either which is the even better news. I might show it off on a video but I did already make one in the past (long way back) and the method is the same just easier on Boulder. th-cam.com/video/On88CwHjW8U/w-d-xo.html
cool. every opal needs a hug. i have a 50k, i rarely use it. i use the 14k occasionally though. the lowest i have it the 280 grit. I really should consider an 80 grit nova, or something lower than 280. there are plenty of times when I dont want to roll with the 100 sintered burr.
I totally agree with the bezel setting because I really love the look of a well placed and gently worked bezel on a gem. I have seen some serious ugliness in jewellery making, and even some (laughably) trying to sell their terrible work as a feature of their _oh-so-unique_ style.
G’day Roy, I’m home for the rest of the year after this weekend, I have a machine ready to go if you still wanted to try it out, and we can knock out a bezel setting in no time. 🤪👍
Sounds like a fun adventure. I'll check out my calendar and I'll bring some recording stuff that you might also be interested in. I know I'd be interested to see how you go about your recording and stuff as well.
Nice job Roy, I’d love to see a piece of iron stone with a line down the middle, have Nova to 50,000 have Aluminium oxide, so we have a side by side visual. I like my Novas and have never tried the aluminium oxide, I was worries about staining left in the pores. Thanks for sharing
@@RoysRocks Thanks Roy. Not sure if got the email message about rough. I will trust you to make decisions on my behalf. The strangest boy next door story!!!! Thanks for asking that one question. Did I know? in Dimboola. You created a monster! I just need to know if my dumb email attempt for rough got through. I am only just learning stuff on phone. Thank you for your kindness and generosity with your knowledge to all of us. My ultimate, a belemnite, shells, fossils one day. Something older than me! Don Quarnstrom needs a shout out. He is a legend too. From helping with picture quality on your channel, to saying HI to each other. Bit of a challenge. I try to beat him to channels! Ah. Opalholics all! LOL 😆 🤣 😂
If you heat the nova point too much, the glue can fail. I ended having to use crazy glue to glue the point back onto the metal. But I very much enjoy using the nova points.
To this day I still havent managed to damage a nova point. Heat and pressure can lead to failure but both can be quite easily avoided just by using water. Basically kills 2 birds with one stone.
Awesome video Roy. I'd be interested to see how you do a bezel setting as I think it'd look better than a drilled hole and rope too. I have a lap machine and I use a bench top polisher with a felt polishing wheel to polish my stones. Just wondering, would it be possible to mix cerium and aluminum oxides together and use them on the same wheel so I don't have to change them out when I want to do boulder and other opals? Also, can I get a link to your shop? Thx, JAB
You can mix the two as both get a good final finish. I have even tested various mixes between the 2 and a couple secret ingredients but it was not really much better and less cost effective. You just need to make sure that one is not much better than the other or you could cap yourself to the finish of one and not the other (which ever is worse). The website is just: www.roysrocks.com/shop
Sure but it does cross in to a strange area where it will look like a triplet and most of the time because of the unevenness of a typical face its better to just resin treat.
It takes me with quite a lot of experience silversmithing, about 2 hours at least to make a decent bezel setting. You don't want to charge too much for your work but at least try to pay yourself 20 bucks an hour. I could see these going for around 45 bucks CAD which is directly in line with what you would probably like to charge.
naturally, as a beginner I would sell stuff at a lower price and charge more as I got better. Silver smithing would be fun, but I need to work on perfecting my opals first.
I also use a Dremel for opal cutting, but I’m struggling with the RPM settings. My Dremel has five speed settings, ranging from 5,000 to 22,000 RPM. I know the Cabbing King operates at around 1,800 RPM, but considering the difference in disk diameter between a Cabbing King and Dremel bits, it feels like I need to use 22,000 RPM or higher on my Dremel. Any advices?
Good question. If you check the viens once they run around the edge, on one side a vein only reaches about 1mm and another side 2mm deep. The third does start shooting towards the back but without another that runs all the way through, chances are you will end up with no face and not much could be done even if you could hit good colour on whats there. Its always a game with boulder opal.
In terms of bezel setting, the stone needs to be either 2 mm or 3- 4 mm high. This allows you to wrap either a 3 or 5 mm bezel over the top to hold it in place. Rather than just think vertical sides (nothing wrong with that) but also remember you can make the girdle (the vertical edge which you will use for the bezel) 2 or 3-4 mm high. You can than then reduce the top of the stone to whatever size suits it, either by doming or using a straight facet style edge. Happy to talk about bezels any time mate. I type as I watch. Later, I think you are saying exactly that. Yep, you're on it brother. Nope. Afraid not. The edge hugging doesn't really matter. What is important for hold is the wrap over. An inward curve is essential at the top. Hard to know because your cut looks correct, so I might just be saying what you are in a different way. Bottom edge needs to be 90 degrees. Bezel bottoms are a whole another story. I leave an open back so I add a 1mm wire circle to the bottom of a bezel. That's enough to hold the stone. It takes a bit of practice to ensure you get no gaps between bezel and base. Solid plate is easier but a lot more expensive. I love a 50,000 nova wheel. One a harder stone, you'll never need oxide after. The other thing I find is that oxide sits in the pits. That means a LOT of toothbrush scrubbing to get it out. You don't get that when you use a 50,000 for long enough.
"Hugging" is the "wrap over" even though both terms are not quite correct as we should probably just say bezel. "Bottom edge needs to be 90 degrees" that's the opposite of what every jeweler in town has told me. They find this creates a high number of breakages in opal which may be different to other stones so they say never leave a 90 degree edge. It may be why non-opal specialized jewelers break so many stones.
@@RoysRocks I hope you don't think I am being critical Roy. As far as I am concerned, we are having a technical chat. Let me know if you feel criticized and I'll stop and go back to just watching what you do. I love it - and with a Dremel mate!!! To be clear, you are right. I don't work much opal. That's why I love your channel. I know I have to go there but opal makes me crazy scared. With most stones, I teach 90 degree "girdle" and then come back and do what is often called a "back girdle" which is a very small 45 degree cut where the 90 meets the base. It only needs to be 1 mm. It takes the sharp edge off the bottom to prevent breaking softer stones like opal but also stops chipping in stuff like dendritic opalite. Do you think that'd be sufficient with opal, or do I need to round it more?
@@McDowallManor All info is good info as far as I am concerned so keep it coming. I'm just surprised about the 90 degree back because I've talked to at least 20 local jewelers that all say never do a 90 or you'll break at least half the opal you try to set.
@@RoysRocks I'll try to remember to talk to our Club's opal expert tomorrow. He regularly sets them. The bugger does fantastic work with even tiny opal and silver. I could have been known to say, "What, can't you afford a real sized rock?" He hasn't punched me ... yet.
I'm learning so much from your videos. I'm so grateful for for that!
No worries at all. Thats the entire aim of me putting up videos so that is good to hear.
good tips on polishing bolder and bezel setting
Hopefully help someone out there.
Thanks for the video Roy.
No worries Chad. 👌
I’m with ya 100% on creating your own settings. Definitely, on my to do list as well. Seems like a must have for larger gems.
Yeah or any non calibrated stone that suits a standard shape and size.
Awesome video Roy!! I am interested in doing bezel settings, hope to see you do a setting.👍👍😁
that would be a lot of fun.
Will happen for sure. Just don't know when.
Great video Roy
For boulder I go from 180 - 14000 grit then first 50000 diamond paste on the flat lap then finish off with diamond paste on the Dremel for the awkward places.
Sounds like it would work perfectly fine. The 14,000 is also growing on me but not quite as much as the 50,000.
Thank you. ✌❤
No worries! Hope it helps!
I hadn't thought of drilling a boulder opal. I have wire wrapped one. I'm gonna have to try drilling a hole in one. I'm hoping to be ready to polish the boulder opal I've been working on next weekend.
Yeah its not so hard either which is the even better news.
I might show it off on a video but I did already make one in the past (long way back) and the method is the same just easier on Boulder.
th-cam.com/video/On88CwHjW8U/w-d-xo.html
cool. every opal needs a hug.
i have a 50k, i rarely use it. i use the 14k occasionally though. the lowest i have it the 280 grit. I really should consider an 80 grit nova, or something lower than 280. there are plenty of times when I dont want to roll with the 100 sintered burr.
Man this 50,000 is really growing on me. The 14k was also really good and probably enough for many stones.
I totally agree with the bezel setting because I really love the look of a well placed and gently worked bezel on a gem. I have seen some serious ugliness in jewellery making, and even some (laughably) trying to sell their terrible work as a feature of their _oh-so-unique_ style.
Oh don't you worry my first bezel settings will be the ugliest you'll ever see.
G’day Roy, I’m home for the rest of the year after this weekend, I have a machine ready to go if you still wanted to try it out, and we can knock out a bezel setting in no time. 🤪👍
Sounds like a fun adventure. I'll check out my calendar and I'll bring some recording stuff that you might also be interested in.
I know I'd be interested to see how you go about your recording and stuff as well.
@@RoysRocks I definitely need to sort my mic out, 🤣👍
@@theopalmills Well I have many options for that so can show you.
Nice job Roy, I’d love to see a piece of iron stone with a line down the middle, have Nova to 50,000 have Aluminium oxide, so we have a side by side visual. I like my Novas and have never tried the aluminium oxide, I was worries about staining left in the pores. Thanks for sharing
Just make sure you use HEAVY water. Its wont bake into the pores. Leather also works better than felt it seems.
Count me in, when you get some, please. Great info. (Ah, the Boulder.........) LOL. (Knew I had rocks in the head and bats in the belfry!). 🤣🤣🤣🤣
No worries I'll keep you in mind if I get them in stock.
@@RoysRocks Thanks Roy. Not sure if got the email message about rough. I will trust you to make decisions on my behalf. The strangest boy next door story!!!! Thanks for asking that one question. Did I know? in Dimboola. You created a monster! I just need to know if my dumb email attempt for rough got through. I am only just learning stuff on phone. Thank you for your kindness and generosity with your knowledge to all of us. My ultimate, a belemnite, shells, fossils one day. Something older than me! Don Quarnstrom needs a shout out. He is a legend too. From helping with picture quality on your channel, to saying HI to each other. Bit of a challenge. I try to beat him to channels! Ah. Opalholics all! LOL 😆 🤣 😂
If you heat the nova point too much, the glue can fail. I ended having to use crazy glue to glue the point back onto the metal. But I very much enjoy using the nova points.
To this day I still havent managed to damage a nova point. Heat and pressure can lead to failure but both can be quite easily avoided just by using water. Basically kills 2 birds with one stone.
Awesome video Roy. I'd be interested to see how you do a bezel setting as I think it'd look better than a drilled hole and rope too. I have a lap machine and I use a bench top polisher with a felt polishing wheel to polish my stones. Just wondering, would it be possible to mix cerium and aluminum oxides together and use them on the same wheel so I don't have to change them out when I want to do boulder and other opals? Also, can I get a link to your shop?
Thx,
JAB
You can mix the two as both get a good final finish. I have even tested various mixes between the 2 and a couple secret ingredients but it was not really much better and less cost effective. You just need to make sure that one is not much better than the other or you could cap yourself to the finish of one and not the other (which ever is worse).
The website is just: www.roysrocks.com/shop
I would love to wire wrap this!
I could wire wrap it... then cut it free from the awful mess that I've created 🤣
Still not got the hang of the wire wrapping.
Hi Roy, just wondering can you turn a small boulder opal in to a dublett by putting crystal on top.! jUST WONDERING.!
Sure but it does cross in to a strange area where it will look like a triplet and most of the time because of the unevenness of a typical face its better to just resin treat.
It takes me with quite a lot of experience silversmithing, about 2 hours at least to make a decent bezel setting. You don't want to charge too much for your work but at least try to pay yourself 20 bucks an hour. I could see these going for around 45 bucks CAD which is directly in line with what you would probably like to charge.
naturally, as a beginner I would sell stuff at a lower price and charge more as I got better. Silver smithing would be fun, but I need to work on perfecting my opals first.
Ah I don't charge for my time since it is a hobby but if it were serious that would be a consideration. I can legit sell for $20 and be happy.
I also use a Dremel for opal cutting, but I’m struggling with the RPM settings. My Dremel has five speed settings, ranging from 5,000 to 22,000 RPM. I know the Cabbing King operates at around 1,800 RPM, but considering the difference in disk diameter between a Cabbing King and Dremel bits, it feels like I need to use 22,000 RPM or higher on my Dremel.
Any advices?
No need for 22,000 rpm. 5,000 is a bit slow. I use around 8,000-12,000 rpm
@@RoysRockshmmm, that might be somewhere between my level2-3, will try that, thanks!
So with this piece of bolder opal why not cut it to where it showed more of the opal instead of showing the vein of the opal?
Good question.
If you check the viens once they run around the edge, on one side a vein only reaches about 1mm and another side 2mm deep. The third does start shooting towards the back but without another that runs all the way through, chances are you will end up with no face and not much could be done even if you could hit good colour on whats there.
Its always a game with boulder opal.
There may be gems more beautiful, exciting, and challenging to cut than Aussie opal, but I doubt it.
I found faceting interesting but not sure how difficult it is yet.
In terms of bezel setting, the stone needs to be either 2 mm or 3- 4 mm high. This allows you to wrap either a 3 or 5 mm bezel over the top to hold it in place. Rather than just think vertical sides (nothing wrong with that) but also remember you can make the girdle (the vertical edge which you will use for the bezel) 2 or 3-4 mm high. You can than then reduce the top of the stone to whatever size suits it, either by doming or using a straight facet style edge. Happy to talk about bezels any time mate. I type as I watch. Later, I think you are saying exactly that. Yep, you're on it brother. Nope. Afraid not. The edge hugging doesn't really matter. What is important for hold is the wrap over. An inward curve is essential at the top. Hard to know because your cut looks correct, so I might just be saying what you are in a different way. Bottom edge needs to be 90 degrees.
Bezel bottoms are a whole another story. I leave an open back so I add a 1mm wire circle to the bottom of a bezel. That's enough to hold the stone. It takes a bit of practice to ensure you get no gaps between bezel and base. Solid plate is easier but a lot more expensive.
I love a 50,000 nova wheel. One a harder stone, you'll never need oxide after. The other thing I find is that oxide sits in the pits. That means a LOT of toothbrush scrubbing to get it out. You don't get that when you use a 50,000 for long enough.
"Hugging" is the "wrap over" even though both terms are not quite correct as we should probably just say bezel.
"Bottom edge needs to be 90 degrees" that's the opposite of what every jeweler in town has told me.
They find this creates a high number of breakages in opal which may be different to other stones so they say never leave a 90 degree edge.
It may be why non-opal specialized jewelers break so many stones.
@@RoysRocks I hope you don't think I am being critical Roy. As far as I am concerned, we are having a technical chat. Let me know if you feel criticized and I'll stop and go back to just watching what you do. I love it - and with a Dremel mate!!! To be clear, you are right. I don't work much opal. That's why I love your channel. I know I have to go there but opal makes me crazy scared.
With most stones, I teach 90 degree "girdle" and then come back and do what is often called a "back girdle" which is a very small 45 degree cut where the 90 meets the base. It only needs to be 1 mm. It takes the sharp edge off the bottom to prevent breaking softer stones like opal but also stops chipping in stuff like dendritic opalite. Do you think that'd be sufficient with opal, or do I need to round it more?
@@McDowallManor All info is good info as far as I am concerned so keep it coming. I'm just surprised about the 90 degree back because I've talked to at least 20 local jewelers that all say never do a 90 or you'll break at least half the opal you try to set.
@@RoysRocks I'll try to remember to talk to our Club's opal expert tomorrow. He regularly sets them. The bugger does fantastic work with even tiny opal and silver. I could have been known to say, "What, can't you afford a real sized rock?" He hasn't punched me ... yet.