How To Carve Crystal Opal "Tumbler" Style. Opal Cut and Polish with Flex Shaft

[@bbisyy4u]

It is really nice. The colors look like they are almost floating within the stone.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah that is the cool part about crystal. Sometimes surface flashes, sometimes below the surface.

[@jeffholmes1362]

I think you nailed it Roy, that is a beautiful stone and really well done, I love the colour. That would sit nicely in anyone’s collection.

[@RoysRocks]

It is a nice blue/green. Minus the little potch inside it would be pretty close to what I was hoping to see. I never want to do a tumbled look stone ever again though haha

[@tonyvandijk4339]

I would have send it flying across the room, such a slippery stone. Well done, it looks organic. Really looking forward to the matrix video!

[@RoysRocks]

Well I sent it flying into the water tub about 100 times during the cut but mostly the polishing stage.

[@jekism6350]

Thanks for all the info on your videos Roy. I Have been on a binge watch through a sleepless night and learnt so much!

[@RoysRocks]

Here to help so hopefully you master the art in no time!

[@crissi6220]

Gorgeous stone - amazing work! I don't care that black opals are the most expensive ones - I absolutely love and prefer those beautiful crystal ones! ❤

[@RoysRocks]

I know many that rate crystal highly. Sometimes they can shine just as bright.

[@nancycurtis7315]

Roy, it does look like it came out of a tumbler. Well, as good as my tumbler does! You can get a great polish in a tumbler, but takes weeks. Beaut job.😊

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah well this one took a few hours but I guess tumbling you can do 100 rocks at a time.

[@bf2nwn2]

Thanks for the video, I have trouble remembering to dry check my work after each stage. This was a good reminder, cheers. Watching keenly for the release of your resin points. I have cash ready to go! 😁

[@RoysRocks]

You dont need to do it 100% of the time but it is always sad when you check close to polishing and see some pitting. If only I had the cash required to get version 3 produced... I am close.

[@dustyblueberry3313]

You've done a great job as it really does look tumbled. Thanks for explaining the process on how to do this so well!

[@RoysRocks]

No worries. Its not how I typically cut and hopefully I wont be doing a tumbled look stone for a long time after this one so good to explain it in a bit of detail this time.

[@karenjones7111]

Beautiful. Great job. ✌️♥️🤙

[@RoysRocks]

It was a pretty good one but dropped it about 100 times haha

[@TheObSeRvErTheObSeRv]

Came up pretty good.....Roy.!!!

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah almost happy with the tumbled look.

[@chadatchison145]

Thanks for the video Roy.

[@RoysRocks]

No worries Chad.

[@zoinkaboose]

Major thumbs up. That's my style of working, I just try to get all the surface crud off and polish with as much of whatever natural form the stone takes. It IS tough to get optimal polish! Takes forever and is totally wrought with challenges. Glad you had a nice result!

[@RoysRocks]

I wouldnt say this is my style of working. I like having a flat unpolished back and not 360 slippery stone.

[@laurenoreilly4140]

It turned out beautiful! Well done!

[@RoysRocks]

Thanks. Fun little stone... well apart from slipping out of my fingers 100 times.

[@elishadoyle8191]

Gr8 job 🎉. Definitely reminds me of a Jelly Bean 😊

[@RoysRocks]

It is a cool little jelly bean. About the right size as well!

[@gazzog6252]

Awesome man

[@RoysRocks]

My opal jelly bean attempt.

[@evap7029]

Great job! It looks really similar to my first Australian opal carving. Mine was even more undulating. 😂 Almost at 10K Roy, exciting!

[@RoysRocks]

Man I feel your pain if it was even more uneven. You know my pain for sure.

[@123bbbooobbb]

great crystal thx roy you did well with that 1

[@RoysRocks]

Thanks was a tough one to hold on to.

[@jeffreymcintyre6037]

Very pretty. Good job.

[@RoysRocks]

Thanks. It is a cool little guy.

[@soozieq697]

Very nice crystal piece. I have found a cutting bit that is so fine that it takes the opal all the way to the pre-polish point. It only comes in a barrel shape, though. So, it probably wouldn't work for an undulating piece like this.

[@RoysRocks]

You can get a burr like a 50,000 grit nova that will get to a full polish. high grit sandpaper can also get to a near full polish (shown in some recent videos).

[@EvelynPic]

Beautiful!

[@RoysRocks]

My little opal flavoured jelly bean... bit hard and stale.

[@Famo59]

Can up pretty well Roy. Cheers Famo59🍻⛏️

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah not too bad just super annoying to polish up every side from all angles.

[@debbiefox6846]

This is a gorgeous stone btw. Hand polishing looked really difficult.

[@RoysRocks]

And thats after cutting out the 100 times it slipped out of my fingers. Once polished it is a super slippery piece of rock.

[@charleslatre1436]

Great joban and opal dice might be cool 😂

[@RoysRocks]

I have made an opal dice (2 actually) but that was before youtube when I was doing bad inlay attempts and doublets. I could do a much better one now.

[@charleslatre1436]

@RoysRocks no doubt but is it a d6 normal die or a fancy d20 for dungeons and dragons

[@dcallan812]

It ooks like it might be a lot more work with all those different "faces". Nice job 2x👍 I got a lot of Ethiopian opal that had tiny "tubes" in them that as soon as you worked them the tube got full of dirt and it just got shoved in the more you cut. In crystal pal its not a good look.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah that is a tough one. Having any channels like that would be a nightmare especially during the polishing part.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

dop that thang

[@RoysRocks]

I wish. Would have been soo much easier.