I didn't realize how much goes into making doublets and its still not a sure thing wow. Nice work again Phil 👍you deserve a 🍺 after all that. Nice result .
A suggestion : when you were saying about the glue having bubbles, maybe if you run a flame over the glue both sides while it’s wet it should get rid of majority of the bubbles?
Hi Phil, note to self, don’t mine with a grader. Mind you the mintabie parcels I bought suffer from fractures a lot, nothing as nice as you have there though. I was so impressed the was you got that fork down, not a spec of black dropped, wait for it, wait for it. Nope there it is all over the bench.. 😂😂😂. Question for you, where do you get your dipping wax? Everyone says how cheap it is, but the stuff I’ve bought doesn’t feel that way. And how to do come across backing material that size? Love the Chanel mate, your doing a great job.
🤣 g’day Jeff, these guys have most of my needs including dopping wax www.gemcuts.com.au/dopping-wax-stick-113-grams, and the backing is from a 10kg parcel of Boulder opal (well, mostly Boulder with a hint of opal) 🤪👍
I saw a video of a guy with a jar of opal and he said you should never buy wet opals. He then showed some pieces with lots of cracks. That old guy said he could fix them and I think he got crazy glue into them in a pressure pot. After he did that, you could hardly see a crack and he said they do that with other stones, especially emerald. Did you ever hear of that?
G’day Peter, yes, I buy wet opal all the time, it’s when leaving the rough dry that cracks and crazing can happen over time, but I don’t buy based on the wet look, I try to view both wet and dry. Lots of stones are treated for cracks, ruby, sapphire and emerald are most commonly heat treated to eliminate cracks, but you can’t do that to opal, instead, I’ve seen one set up where the cracked, crazed or just very porous stones that need “stabilising” are placed in a container that’s put into a vacuum chamber, once the air is removed a resin is introduced internally by a nozzle, when the stones are submerged, you let the air back in the vacuum chamber allowing the resin to be sucked into the stone, then take the container and place it in another chamber that’s bolted down, and this one pressurises to help force the resin in deep. 🤪👍
I usually cut the backing evenly and face only one side, and the opal top only needs one flat surface with a thickness that has enough for you to cut, if too thin it could be better for a triplet, and since this material only had weak colour once sliced, it needed a backing to contrast, so upto 3-4mm+ for a high domed finish. Backing can be used for contrasting reasons, or for extra strength when you have thin opal, regardless of the need to contrast or not. 🤪👍
Hi Phil! First off, I Enjoy your videos! Question about your thoughts on a cheater doublet. If you have a nice crystal thick enough it does not need a doublet backing but looks much nicer on black background, would it still be classed as a doublet if only added black epoxy on a thin piece of silver. (To prevent epoxy flaking from under stone, etc.) This is for setting a ring, not pendant.
G’day, tough question. It comes down to the definition of natural, in this context, artificially blackening the opal is considered “treated”, even nail polish on the back is a doublet as there is two layers, so blackening the setting, though not a doublet and not treating the stone, is still producing an unnatural effect, there’s absolutely nothing wrong, with these practices as long as there’s full disclosure. If it’s going to be unnatural, I like the “in for a penny, in for a pound” logic, so I’d cut to the chase and make it a doublet so there’s no gaps between the stone and backing. 🤪👍
Love those blues! Thank you so much for sharing! They are bluetful! Lol
🤣👍 ty
Another great video love the doublets, great blues and greens.👍😁
I didn't realize how much goes into making doublets and its still not a sure thing wow. Nice work again Phil 👍you deserve a 🍺 after all that. Nice result .
Nice n neat from a stone they came. Good work phil
Ur a legend brother. I've learnt sooooo much about cutting opal. thanku!
🤪👍
That looks like some great colour, shame about those cracks. Clearly those construction workers weren't expecting to be opal miners as well
Wow couple of really nice cutters in there, way to make the most of that parcel. Definitely some tough material to work by the looks of it
turned out pretty good considering the fractured material. looking forwards to more.
Wow Never thought they would turn out so well , Great Video , not far now for your 1000 subs
good job Phil. i like making doublets,very satisfying process. especially when you put nice crystal on black backing,color pop up like crazy.
A suggestion : when you were saying about the glue having bubbles, maybe if you run a flame over the glue both sides while it’s wet it should get rid of majority of the bubbles?
I’ll give it a go, ty, but I’m not sure if they might’ve formed when I contact them together, trapping air.
Interesting as always
Ty 🤪👍
Hi Phil, note to self, don’t mine with a grader. Mind you the mintabie parcels I bought suffer from fractures a lot, nothing as nice as you have there though. I was so impressed the was you got that fork down, not a spec of black dropped, wait for it, wait for it. Nope there it is all over the bench.. 😂😂😂. Question for you, where do you get your dipping wax? Everyone says how cheap it is, but the stuff I’ve bought doesn’t feel that way. And how to do come across backing material that size? Love the Chanel mate, your doing a great job.
🤣 g’day Jeff, these guys have most of my needs including dopping wax www.gemcuts.com.au/dopping-wax-stick-113-grams, and the backing is from a 10kg parcel of Boulder opal (well, mostly Boulder with a hint of opal) 🤪👍
Those hailstones would make great cabs
26:30 send us our weather back 😂 🥵
🤣👍 gladly.
I saw a video of a guy with a jar of opal and he said you should never buy wet opals. He then showed some pieces with lots of cracks. That old guy said he could fix them and I think he got crazy glue into them in a pressure pot. After he did that, you could hardly see a crack and he said they do that with other stones, especially emerald. Did you ever hear of that?
G’day Peter, yes, I buy wet opal all the time, it’s when leaving the rough dry that cracks and crazing can happen over time, but I don’t buy based on the wet look, I try to view both wet and dry. Lots of stones are treated for cracks, ruby, sapphire and emerald are most commonly heat treated to eliminate cracks, but you can’t do that to opal, instead, I’ve seen one set up where the cracked, crazed or just very porous stones that need “stabilising” are placed in a container that’s put into a vacuum chamber, once the air is removed a resin is introduced internally by a nozzle, when the stones are submerged, you let the air back in the vacuum chamber allowing the resin to be sucked into the stone, then take the container and place it in another chamber that’s bolted down, and this one pressurises to help force the resin in deep. 🤪👍
What is the thinnest thickness to start a doublet?
Do both sides need to be perfectly flat to attach front and backing for a doublet?
I usually cut the backing evenly and face only one side, and the opal top only needs one flat surface with a thickness that has enough for you to cut, if too thin it could be better for a triplet, and since this material only had weak colour once sliced, it needed a backing to contrast, so upto 3-4mm+ for a high domed finish. Backing can be used for contrasting reasons, or for extra strength when you have thin opal, regardless of the need to contrast or not. 🤪👍
if you perss a little harder and make more little movements with the stone , the air bobbles will come complitly out
Yes I don’t think they were paid enough attention.
Hi Phil! First off, I Enjoy your videos! Question about your thoughts on a cheater doublet. If you have a nice crystal thick enough it does not need a doublet backing but looks much nicer on black background, would it still be classed as a doublet if only added black epoxy on a thin piece of silver. (To prevent epoxy flaking from under stone, etc.) This is for setting a ring, not pendant.
G’day, tough question. It comes down to the definition of natural, in this context, artificially blackening the opal is considered “treated”, even nail polish on the back is a doublet as there is two layers, so blackening the setting, though not a doublet and not treating the stone, is still producing an unnatural effect, there’s absolutely nothing wrong, with these practices as long as there’s full disclosure. If it’s going to be unnatural, I like the “in for a penny, in for a pound” logic, so I’d cut to the chase and make it a doublet so there’s no gaps between the stone and backing. 🤪👍
@@theopalmills Great answer! Thx!
Crazy hail wow
DEEP BLU COLECCIÓN , OCEAN ,STRAR ,SKY, ART HAND MADE....😀🙋❗🔛
What is the black powder that you mixed into the Araldite ?
It’s black oxide powder used to colour mortar. 🤪👍
Hey mate what machine are you using ??
G’day Ty, back then I was using my Gemmasta vertical flat lap, I now have a Wuttke wheels vertical flat lap, I do prefer vertical flat laps. 🤪👍
Interesting, but i'nt the base a little too thick
The bases are 3mm, probably could go a bit thinner.
Commenting down below