A mostly manual job
Moderators: PinkDiamond, John
A mostly manual job
Hey
was watching the tube relaxing from other things and decided to clean one of the opals i have
not huge, but nice... and was curious how i would finish it (for sale)
this became even more a curious issue when you see the bottom...
so its going to be a free form with a flat visable bottom
all the same stone after cleaning it up..
i just finished the primary shaping by hand with some small diamond files.
was watching the tube relaxing from other things and decided to clean one of the opals i have
not huge, but nice... and was curious how i would finish it (for sale)
this became even more a curious issue when you see the bottom...
so its going to be a free form with a flat visable bottom
all the same stone after cleaning it up..
i just finished the primary shaping by hand with some small diamond files.
- PinkDiamond
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Re: A mostly manual job
Real pretty, Art. What kind of opal is it? It's got really nice neon colors.
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
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ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
Re: A mostly manual job
Ethiopian, but as i said, the pixy stayed in the closet, and i was just working with tiny cheap hand files that work better than a dremel/fordham
they are even small enough so that you could do cabbing like wittling on the bench waiting for a bus...
mine are cheap knockoffs... but if all your doing is shaping an opal, which is basically glass powder noteven solid glass
they work fine [in fact, i can shape a stone faster than the pixy however, its more free form than forced to take broader curves]
next i have to knock off a few polishing heads with diamond dust and so on
but first i am going to try some dental diamond wheels... basically impregnated silicon
do NOT use the diamond files or sharpeners to polish....
your much better doing so with, drumroll, sandpaper... cheap, auto sand paper..
you can get it all the way up to 1500...
so as soon as i get enough light, i will take the next images for you all to see
oh, funky... if your using diamond files and sharperners for shaping, you dont need water or cooling
[and i would suggest using dental picks to remove all the potch you can.. all of it... makes it a lot easier to see what you can or cant do]
given i get home after dark, it may have to wait till next weekend or after till the sun comes out
they are even small enough so that you could do cabbing like wittling on the bench waiting for a bus...
mine are cheap knockoffs... but if all your doing is shaping an opal, which is basically glass powder noteven solid glass
they work fine [in fact, i can shape a stone faster than the pixy however, its more free form than forced to take broader curves]
next i have to knock off a few polishing heads with diamond dust and so on
but first i am going to try some dental diamond wheels... basically impregnated silicon
do NOT use the diamond files or sharpeners to polish....
your much better doing so with, drumroll, sandpaper... cheap, auto sand paper..
you can get it all the way up to 1500...
so as soon as i get enough light, i will take the next images for you all to see
oh, funky... if your using diamond files and sharperners for shaping, you dont need water or cooling
[and i would suggest using dental picks to remove all the potch you can.. all of it... makes it a lot easier to see what you can or cant do]
given i get home after dark, it may have to wait till next weekend or after till the sun comes out
- OpalSpectrum
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:53 pm
Re: A mostly manual job
cool ! I've never tried this method
thanks for sharing @Art
thanks for sharing @Art
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Re: A mostly manual job
Neither have i... and its surprisingly good...
cant wait till a bit o sun to take a photo of what it did so far...
not even doing more till i can show it...
the lines are not crazing... they are what happens if you slip near the edge
the bottom was sanded flat with 400 then 600 then 800, then 1000, then 1500...
will eventually go to the fordham for more polish than that...
here it is before I worked it with the files..
this is the best of the ugly shots in low light to show what it looks like AFTER you take the files to it..
[remember flat bottom]
cant wait till a bit o sun to take a photo of what it did so far...
not even doing more till i can show it...
the lines are not crazing... they are what happens if you slip near the edge
the bottom was sanded flat with 400 then 600 then 800, then 1000, then 1500...
will eventually go to the fordham for more polish than that...
here it is before I worked it with the files..
this is the best of the ugly shots in low light to show what it looks like AFTER you take the files to it..
[remember flat bottom]
Last edited by PinkDiamond on Wed Jan 16, 2019 2:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: edited by Pink to eliminate huge gap between pics
Reason: edited by Pink to eliminate huge gap between pics
- OpalSpectrum
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:53 pm
Re: A mostly manual job
good work & very nice pattern
btw. what is fordham ?
btw. what is fordham ?
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Re: A mostly manual job
a Fordham is a dremel on steroids...
one step back from a dentist drill (Which uses water and turns over 50k a second)
https://www.foredom.net/product-categor ... aft-tools/
I have the TX motor...
when i was a kid we spent 80 on a dremel... that was over 30 years ago, and lots o brushes and so on
with opals and water, i wanted the work area to be farther away from the electricity
and i wanted more options..
while the motor is pricey (you can get the other one that is cheaper and really very veyr good)
the flexshfts, and the chucks are not
so, rather than electrocute myself, and ruin a machine..
i just buy a $50 chuck and just use that in the water all i want...
throw it away if it get ragged.. but so far, i have not gone through the two i have (one with a 1/4 collet)
the larger collet allows me to put the chuch into a desk vice, then add on buffing wheels and such...
if your clever you can do a lot with a little and this is a tool that lets you make otehr tools
all kinds of things...
the funny part on the carving is that i am liking doing it with the files!!!
granted thats only good for free form. but really really easy peasy, safe, and you could even bring it with you someplace and piddle waiting for the bus
the files cut through the glass fast, so dont go all the way... like using a rough stone... then finer..
now comes the next part...i have to take diamond dust, and put it with silicone, etc... and so make a polishing head...
but i will try hand papers first... i want to see how far...
after all, those files are cheap enough that a person in ethiopia could make pre cuts...
one step back from a dentist drill (Which uses water and turns over 50k a second)
https://www.foredom.net/product-categor ... aft-tools/
I have the TX motor...
when i was a kid we spent 80 on a dremel... that was over 30 years ago, and lots o brushes and so on
with opals and water, i wanted the work area to be farther away from the electricity
and i wanted more options..
while the motor is pricey (you can get the other one that is cheaper and really very veyr good)
the flexshfts, and the chucks are not
so, rather than electrocute myself, and ruin a machine..
i just buy a $50 chuck and just use that in the water all i want...
throw it away if it get ragged.. but so far, i have not gone through the two i have (one with a 1/4 collet)
the larger collet allows me to put the chuch into a desk vice, then add on buffing wheels and such...
if your clever you can do a lot with a little and this is a tool that lets you make otehr tools
all kinds of things...
the funny part on the carving is that i am liking doing it with the files!!!
granted thats only good for free form. but really really easy peasy, safe, and you could even bring it with you someplace and piddle waiting for the bus
the files cut through the glass fast, so dont go all the way... like using a rough stone... then finer..
now comes the next part...i have to take diamond dust, and put it with silicone, etc... and so make a polishing head...
but i will try hand papers first... i want to see how far...
after all, those files are cheap enough that a person in ethiopia could make pre cuts...
- OpalSpectrum
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:53 pm
Re: A mostly manual job
hehe I know Foredom didn't know fordham LOL
btw. I use dremel but didn't carve anything for a long time
did you or anyone here used DiamondPacific Nova Points for dremel/handpiece ?
I'm thinking of buying it but they are quite expensive + need to get them from US because can't find it in EU
btw. I use dremel but didn't carve anything for a long time
did you or anyone here used DiamondPacific Nova Points for dremel/handpiece ?
I'm thinking of buying it but they are quite expensive + need to get them from US because can't find it in EU
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>>> Firmitas Utilitas Venustas <<<
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Re: A mostly manual job
never bought them
i am probably going to use felt pads and diamond powder
however there are lots of grits...
was also going to try some rubber diamond polishing wheels i got from dental industry
even that is changing so might not always be there any more in the future
i am probably going to use felt pads and diamond powder
however there are lots of grits...
was also going to try some rubber diamond polishing wheels i got from dental industry
even that is changing so might not always be there any more in the future