NZ Paua / Abalone shell polishing (How-To)

My DIY home method for polishing New Zealand Paua shells otherwise known as Abalone shell in other countries. More Below:
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[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

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[@orthoassigment4627]

Awesome video, love the explanations you know what you're talking about. Bit bush mechanics too, love that!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers!

[@Indygirl9229]

We go canoeing in freshwater rivers near my house in central US and we find mussel shells that are about 5-6" in diameter. I could see them shimmer through 4-5' of water so I hopped out and collected about 30-40 of them a couple of years ago. Inside they have similar (but not so incredibly vibrant) iridescent color. I finally decided to clean them off and polish them. I learned a lot from your video about how to process them to get them ready for gold leafing and polishing/finishing. I hope to give them as gifts also.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Awesome! Always fun finding treasures as such! Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers for your comment!

[@YukonJack]

Please use a tight fitting/sealing respirator and goggles when grinding and sanding shells. Silicosis is pretty much guaranteed if you aren't using proper safety gear. The dust that is kicked about when grinding/sanding/cutting shells like abalone is incredibly hazardous. Having a lifetime of painful breathing and lung inflammation is absolutely not worth it.

[@SeashellSuppliesPhilippines]

Wow wonderful procedure of shell polishing. Oceans are one of the most fantastic place😍. This is a wonderful design process from alot of beautiful shells can be seen🐚!!! I have millions of collections to 😊. This was a great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@charleightepeeti1636]

that nz way of saying grit! :) lol love it!! ahhaah cant wait to try some!! thanks

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Any luck?

[@spearingsouth7294]

Good tutorial mate! I’ll start mine this week! 😁

[@beatricemorunga4829]

Thank you.. iv always wanted to do something like with all our paua shell instead using them as ash trays.👍

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

You’re welcome 😊 Good luck!

[@lottiemichell7664]

Cheers mate I've been muckin around with a piddly little dremal when I need an angle grinder. This was informative and empowering in a no nonsense kiwi way. Thanku u have renewed my passion for polishing the paua.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

East bro, glad you got something from it. I’m still yet to find an easier way. Have to do some more myself soon

[@tiffanymazziotta6151]

Lmao and I thought that’s just how some of them come.. thank you! Can’t wait to do mine.. bought it because it was the last they had and wanted a more shiny one so I’m glad I can do it myself

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Good luck! Really satisfying project these shells

[@charliemaddock3459]

Awesome vid man thanks 💪👌🤟🤟 they’re well worth the effort very nice 👏

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers mate

[@phillsmith8560]

wow those shells are beautiful mate, great tutorial!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Thank Phill, glad you enjoyed it

[@PennBlockMuzic]

I found the frames really cool!! Nice colors! Good work Man!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers! Beautiful alright!

[@pikonspider]

Awesome explanation. Cheers

[@gatorjk]

Finally, A useful video. Thanks dude

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Bit rough but works. Cheers mate

[@melissareiri7773]

If U soak them in baking soda most of it will fall off n u don't have to cut so much off, baking soda makes it go like powder

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Melissa Reiri cheers! I’ll try that on my next ones!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Just baking soda and water? like a 50/50 mix?

[@Gradechecker1]

Did you find a good ratio for soaking the shells?

[@abytc2023]

Baking soda and what? Ratio?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Melissa, Can you please go into more detail on the baking soda process?

[@kristakimbrell7382]

Thanks! Helpful!

[@nancneumann4196]

Spectacular!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Thanks!

[@NoorInaya]

Cool as! I’ve been too scared to try to remove anything from the paua that I find, but I guess I better give a go and see what happens!

[@aaronhill8681]

Your the man

Choice my bro I’ve been wanting to get into this for a while wicked

[@xavierdemaroussem2717]

I am going to try this cheers mate!!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Good luck!

[@rebeccajoy3635]

so pretty！

[@slipperygypsy8776]

Awesome video. Will try the baking soda aswell as per previous comments.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

How did you go with baking soda? Almost time to do some more

[@bazzmcfury9550]

Nice brother good job.

[@jamesgould7217]

great vid mate

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers 👍

[@marney68papua]

Thank you so much for sharing

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Happy to!

[@kevinsolove458]

Quite nice indeed 👾

[@TheUntyT]

Ka pai bro 😎 only video on utube that’s helped

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Easy brother 🤙

[@gm6719]

Great work and fit lad

[@porkbones8751]

Gayyyyyyyyyy!

[@FknNefFy]

Pretty! Hcl works too

[@beberoli]

awesome tutorial mate , only brought one back to france but I'm afraid to break it through the process

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers, Yeah they can be a bit fragile. The bigger ones are much thicker though. Can always do it very slowly all by hand and take it safe if you have lots of time!

[@LordV1adak]

Bahaha classic kiwi. Recommends all safety gear and for someone who knows how to use a grinder. But yet cant do either bahah made my day

[@lyndonb9496]

i noticed it wasnt centered before he even started ahah. poor fella

[@creativeroutine1473]

Thank you!!!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

No worries! Far from a perfect tutorial but I hope you gathered some useful parts from the vid!

[@sweetvene]

Awesome👌 bro

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers bro 👍

[@beachmotors6950]

Luv it

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers

[@Pearlbella2003]

This is great since you use sandpaper I can use my lapidary grinding wheels 😊

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Thanks and good luck!

[@markanthony559]

Shot bro, i do carvings and was asked to inlay some paua, now I have a fair idea. Thanks.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers bro. I’ve heard people use baking soda and vinegar etc to dissolve lime shell but no luck myself. Just wear a good quality mask then grind back the dust is toxic as

[@markanthony559]

@@olliecraig-primalpursuit ok will do, thanks again.👍

[@MrOly0001]

bud the fence the fence ( dont let the dog out) nice video

[@decleversonbueno4]

Good!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers!

[@abalone317]

Fantastic!! Thank you for this! I was wondering why mine looked so much duller than the ones you see in shops. Also, great idea to use glue gun sticks to mount them. Do you just cut them to size, then melt them with a lighter on both sides?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

That glue gun stick trick didn’t work for very long, they ended up breaking off. Still looking for a good method. Shells still look great though after about 4 years!

[@Rafael057]

Beautiful work. How do the glue sticks keep the shell on the glass?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

They actually didn't hold long term I'm still thinking of a new technique!

[@NormajeanLisaMartin]

If time is not a problem… Bury your shells… the worms will tuck right in and clean them up real good

[@richardrobinson7645]

i use a heavy duty twisted wire brush as it i goes down to the shell first off so i dont have to change wheels so offen..

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Thanks for the tip Richard! Going to do a batch of shells soon, will try all the recommendations!

[@jamiekehoe5217]

Love the videos Loving the content, scary watching you change disk pads when still pluged in then mixing 240 volts with water lol. otherwise keep it up

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

She'll be right

[@keithturner636]

I got a bit concerned with the back of the angle grinder flopping around. Gloves to protector your hands would have been a bit more proactive. Angle grinders as found out from experience are dangerous tools but make a quick job . But hey thanks now I know how the clean them.

[@fleachamberlain1905]

So the inside of my abalone shell has what I initially thought was a bit of dirt but didn't come off when I washed it. Can I just hand sand that off as well? Just use a fine grit for the whole job? Or can I start with a coarser grit as for the outside?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Im not sure what that is on the inside of an abalone shell as they are a bit different from our Paua here in New Zealand. It may be like some of our paua which have a mottled brown/black spot on the inside which you cannot erase. Always start with courser grit then move down to fine.

[@kameron.w4089]

Hi, where did you get the Box Frame from? (im doing same project) Edit: is it Living & Co?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Kameron Winter k mart! Let me know if you think of a better way to attach shell to frame

[@jakewilliams7786]

maybe you should DIY fix your fence!!! kidding mate, keep the videos coming!!!

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Moved on, not my dodgy fence now! Haha

[@taahinetonga3056]

Thanks that's I'm looking for 👌😇

[@ganjalfcreamcorn8438]

Lmaoooo the grinder wheel though

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Long time ago, learnt my lesson with out injuring myself! haha

[@baroqueasb6097]

Do a fence restoration video

[@NorthSouthRIDERS]

Bro I’m stuck lol, can’t figure the best way to mount them on to the box frames - did you end up going with that method? If so let me know if it worked. Chur bro

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Nah mate, never figured out another way. I think what I'll try next time is mounting on a foam cut out to shape piece glue that to glass then shell to thta. I think that would hold a lot better. just be sure to sand up middle of glass to create a surface it will stick to. goodluck

[@rosswilkins965]

Great video - but you NEED TO WEAR A MASK. I work with paua, the nacre is gorgeous, but i've done my research and learned the risks. The shells aren't toxic, but the dust is mechanically dangerous. When viewed through a microscope dust particles have sharp edges - these can cause lesions in your lungs and eyes. The dust is also a mighty dessicant, hard to wash off, and isnt easily dissolved by water or bodily fluids so it can build up. Shells bleached in the sun CAN contain quicklime or even slaked lime in risky amounts - these are caustic materials. I work my shells as much as humanly possible while keeping them submerged or wet to minimize the dust, but I always wear a mask and goggles.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers

[@rayclark7963]

Hello from the States. Im near Pittsburgh. Where can I buy raw shells from? I want to make them shine myself.

[@strainddgrayvee]

My name's Ollie too lol

[@ihansung6383]

did you used a paint or something to the shell you showed at first? because i did mine but it didnt look like yours?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

No paint. Maybe you have a different type of shell? This Paua Shell is from New Zealand

[@ihansung6383]

oh, mine is from california.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

@@ihansung6383 oh right, yes they are quite different!! Looks awesome too though

[@mmercado0212]

BEAUTIFUL, Can someone tell me where to buy them?

[@gpdude22]

Amazon

[@lyndonb9496]

beach

[@abytc2023]

Does soaking them in baking soda and water work?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Still haven't tried that yet, I'm waiting until I find some nice big ones and will give it another go

[@samanthasimental3788]

If you soak the shell in vinegar it will get rid of the lime without the dangerous dust.

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

I've tried that with no success.. so far. How to to soak the Shell?

[@mayurenpillay]

@@olliecraig-primalpursuit sup bro I just use 60/40 ratio of water and bleach it works. Coming from a South African that finds abalone shells everywhere . Oh also it's 60/water 40/bleach

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

@@mayurenpillay cheers mate will give that a nudge

[@mayurenpillay]

@@olliecraig-primalpursuit make sure to polish the shell after you soak it. [with a silver polish] , cheers

[@leydahgg7158]

shot bro choice

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Thanks mate.

[@ryanlemon7227]

What spiecies is that?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

NZ Black foot Paua

[@benpotaka5893]

Don't they use muriatic acid to loosen the calcification?

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

I have heard something like that before!

[@diverlifenz4998]

You need to use arbour shims if the disc don't fit right it's dangerous m8

[@tyrell9402]

Does the clear gloss you use yellow

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Nope! Not yet anyway (about 2 years)

[@tyrell9402]

That’s good thanks heaps

[@PrecisionHolePunching]

No need to swing off the wrench man. 20 years as a fitter and I do my grinding discs up by hand

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers Steve, I’ve come a long way since making this video 😂

[@azkazidnichanel5852]

Hi bro how are you??can we talk about busnis please

[@wave._.hunter]

Lol I have hundreds of abalone shells sitting in my garage

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Lucky you! Get busy!

[@silverpassion3588]

How can you wear a ear plug that has been put on the grass. Your ear will be full of material and shit !! very bad advise to show this.

[@warrenkendall2255]

Grab some eye protection mate!

[@j.huriwai8981]

Meke

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Cheers!

[@robogat_the_real]

I seems safety is not a big issue in your country. Grinding with a broken power tool, not wearing safety googles, grinding while keeping the tool and the shell only by hands, continuing grinding even when you noticed the disk is not properly mounted. OK, hands, eyes and life are yours…

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

A lot younger then, still wouldn’t do much differently about gloves, I find it safer without them. Don’t like them getting caught up in grinders etc can rip fingers off. Each to their own

[@dwiastutika2757]

ini cara yang salah untuk mengupas cangkang paua

[@h.t.8565]

Eyes...

[@steveandjenny149]

What the hell are you doing! You still alive or in the hospital now?

[@mrclancymac1]

It’s pronounced abalone EE

[@carmineredd1198]

fix the damned fence

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Long gone from there, not my problem now!!

[@silverpassion3588]

Wasting a lot of viewers time as you change the first disc. When don't change before hand. And your disc wasn't installed properly. Holy cow

[@lyceeuk]

You have not got a clue what your doing

[@olliecraig-primalpursuit]

Turned out pretty good I think!

[@dalefrench6749]

I found your clip informative. Most of the other clips on KZbin do not seem to know what the end produce should be like. One question, where do you find such small abs from, we only have big abs across the ditch.......only joking. Well done

[@SoleAdventuresNZ]

@@dalefrench6749 🤣