Opals Rough Grinding Cutting from Lighting Ridge Coober Pedy make your own equipment

How to grind and shape rough opals using basic home made equipment. You will require a Bench Grinder, a cut down plastic bucket to use as a water guard/shield , a length of pipe for the water feed and a tim can, and a green grit wheel, total cost £50 or less. This set up is very easy to make yourself. This video shows how to rough the opal out prior to polishing. You use a different process for the final polish. I use a series of diamond backed polishing disks in different grades, then a polishing paste.
by www.jeeptent.co.uk

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Opals
• grinding
• rough
• opal
• parcels
• polishing
• cutting
• shaping
• Coober
• Pedy
• Lightning
• Ridge
• opals

[hoipolloi890]

what number/size grit stone do you reccomend to preform? I love opals and gems but have never cut any rough...I think opals would be a nice place to start!

[stuartstrong]

Hi I use a course green grit stone but it wears quickly so a medium green grit may be better, with water.

[ROCKsquareANORACK]

excellent

more like this stuart

i used to use a wheel like tha for sharpening blades on industrial overlock sewing machines

..........many moons ago in a different life

[stuartstrong]

You never cease to amaze me.Hope you had more luck than me shaping the opals.

[27simber]

how do you cut the poal.....

[SassyMustang1980]

I hate huge stuff like that, can I use a small dremel.. and have the same effect..might take longer but I want to take my time..

[gargole661]

thank you do you have a home made cutter also ? Some more lessons would be great ! thaks A great cost effisient for us brokes guys out their. I live by Mojave,Ca ad just got into rock hounding. I got some wild lookig stoes and i dont know what to do... hehehehe thanks for the vid . Please post more

[Urra40]

Thanks Stuart ,

briliant vidio and good sound

I have 1lb of opalI will have to getcutting this summer

[hoipolloi890]

Thank you for showing me an inexpensive set up, and replying to my question. I have a grinder and will try it.