Wow Justin, I hadn't seen this video before! What a great tribute to your dad! You look just like him and obviously get your talent for cutting opals from him as well. Your so very lucky to have a video like this to look back on now that your dad has passed. I wish I had videos of my mom to enjoy but I wasn't lucky enough to have any done while she was still with us. Great video, especially for those of us that are still newbies and cut opal using a dremel, like me..

What a beautiful tribute to your father in having him show us what must be only a small window into decades of experience. So sad to hear he's gone but wonderful to have these. I loved hearing him talk about the process and your obvious respect for him was also heartwarming. Not to mention, the process itself is fantastic to learn a bit about. Loved opals all my life and now getting to work with them a bit myself so I'll be applying some of this knowledge. Great vid!

Your Dad was such a pro! He wore his hat like a boss! I’ve watched your videos for a long time, so happy to have gotten to see him in one of your videos. The balsa wood tips was ingenious!

I'm crying such a beautiful tribute to your father. Thank so very much. I feel like I can put a face now to "Dad"

Glad I found this video in your "Learn to cut opal" playlist. After hearing a lot about your father in many many other videos I've seen, I'm happy to see him here. Thank you, and your father!!!

OMG..Just found this; it gives me tears of joy. What a delight to be able to see him after hearing about him for the past few years. What a fine man, brilliant artist and Dad. I am grateful that you honor him.

Justin, what a wonderful tutorial from your dad! You are blessed to have him on video. 😍

Just found this great video. What a tribute! I was almost in tears, but so glad you have that video of your great Dad. Thanks for sharing. And blessings to you and your wife and your kids.

I always look forward to your videos. I came across this one and felt honored to get to see the interaction between you and your dad. The mutual respect and love is palpable. ❤️

This video makes me so happy, and also hurts a bit. Makes me think of my grandfather (pop pop). So glad you are carrying the torch and passing on the tools of your trade. Everything I’ve learned about opal I learned from you. And I’ve got the gas

WoW! Thank you for sharing...You Father is quite the GEM! Much respect...

Awesome tribute to your father, what a priviledge to share all that knowledge.

I learned about these lapidary Dremel kits from this video and also how to use them. This work great on gemstones and rocks that I find here in East Tennessee USA while Rockhounding. Thank you friends

It is wonderful to have an opportunity to see and hear your dear Father. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks I really enjoyed seeing you and your dad talk about his masterful skills, I learnt a lot.

That was so awesome to see your father and him working the carving.

I've been using a dremel for months and recently purchased a 4 inch gemmasta combo unit. still can't not use the Dremel. it's quite the transition and very different using combo unit. I find it is great to get more circular shapes with the wheels but enjoy using dremel. I love the natural pre form shapes of opals. does shape really affect price on finished piece. thanks for video Justin. have enjoyed learning from you and great to see you learnt from your dad. Two masters in my opinion. hope to visit from Melbourne one day soon and pop in for a coffee and some priceless advice. keep up the brilliant work. I'm sure many many people have learnt so much from you.

Justin, I've been watching your opal vidoes for awhile from the fringes (not in a crrepy way, LOL). Today I was searching for bits to use to polish uneven surfaces and this video came up. Very sweet and useful, I'm sure you teasure this video. My father died in 2016 and I love rewatching videos and pic even though its a bit (nop pun intended!) tough at times. God bless and thanks! Sarah

I've bought a good parcel of opal with a lot of fire that I've been wanting to work on but didn't have the machinery to do so. I knew there was a way to use a dremel tool but didn't quite know how to use it, so I was happy to come across your video showing how. Your dad is awesome and you're not to bad yourself =0)

Thank you guys! I have always loved rocks and my kids do as well. Thank you for an in depth look Into them and bringing me a new appreciation for an old friend. Awesome dude.

Wow! What a great early video - nice to see your Dad! ❤️

It was lovely to meet your late father, God bless his soul

What a gem this video is ❤️ so lovely to finally put a face on this genius with big fingers like You said it so many times... Bet He had cut polished and carved some tones of black opal😌 9 years have passed and still so many fire in Your eyes every time You remind Yourself those father and son moments... Now I know from where Your charm is coming from, just like Your talent with opals.

Wow you dad is so smart. Thanks for sharing xx

Finally! I have been looking for this kind of info for years!

Brilliant tips guys! Thanks! I thought I was doing the right thing by using the paste on the felt tips and thanks for the tip about the balsa wood. I have a piece that I carved into a shell (Complete with ridges) and I didn't know how to polish it. Now I do! Thanks again!

gday justin! i think we are the luckiest of men your Father is a real craftsman like mine accept he builds model aircraft.I would love to see more of your fathers work! ive just started working with some of my Opal rough i bought 1 of these 4' 360 grit sintered diamond wheels ,ive set it up on a low RPM sharpening grinder works really well.So far using a dremel for me has been quite successful just need to use more water not so much pressure as it can put cracks in the Opal. Take Care

Thankyou for sharing your dad to start and all the knowledge in this video.... Endless blessings of sami to you and your family 💖

Thank you both....☺I plan to begin carving "tree jade".....permineralized 4 million yr old wood...here in northern California USA....Keep carving , thanx again ..Cheers ☺☺

Thank you sir for great info, I would love to see more of your Dads work !!

This was a lovely thing to see... thank you for sharing x

There's a 100k grit!? Wow! I learn something new from every single one of your videos. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing your father and more history with us!

Wow mate, you've come a long way. It was cool to see your dad doing his thing. I only just got into opal a little more than a month ago, and just saw the video about the wooden tip he made a few weeks back, and hear ya talk about him. Cool video, thanks.

This is so sweet. You really look up to that man. That touched my heart and taught me a few things that I needed to know.

Great!!!! I also work with opals. In our country, Honduras, we have great opal mines.

das ist wonderbar Justin ! Duetchesvolks JA ! your dad is amazing ! so, just kidding around actually I am a yank, of Austrian decent same ancestry different area code lol...started cutting cutting opals a while back. your posts are outstanding and very informative. just sold a beauty I cut from the lightning ridge area 3.05 carats with a rolling broadflash red fire. and a cats eye effect that is unbelievable ! another crystal stone is selling tonite, nice purple broadflash with some green pinfires and a fossil root in it. got your ebay listings in sight and one day I hope to get some nice rough from you. thank you for the info ! keep posting and God bless ! Mark

I have been trying to find a reason to buy a Dremel, I've just found it! Thanks for an informative video. Am just literally starting out myself (mid life crisis!!), so am loving all your videos. Thanks for sharing yours and dads skills. Your dad rocks! (he really needs to stop biting his nails though, lol =) )

Father und Son team. Congratulations. A great show. Regards from Horst , friend of Willi Glogauer, the little Hitler from Lightning Ridge.

Thanks for the kind words. With the cintered wheels you will need to use more water than you think. Otherwise you will wear out the wheels in no time. Also It is mostly the heat that is cracking the opal when it goes dry. But if your cutting Ethiopian opal it will crack when you least expect it in water or out. :-)

Very nice...finally got to meet your pops...quite an art. ...I finally got a nice piece of rough black opal with nice color...13.6 crt....hoping to cut a nice cabochon with a dremel

thanks pops that was the little piece of advice I needed

Justin Thomas your father teached you very well, as you no very will Justin Australian Opals are the best & the best of the best come from the 3 mile Lightning ridge . I have the only heritage Opal mine that is still leased in Australian at the 3 mile have a look at the mine Justin .

WOW! I'm so glad I found this...

What an amazing video! I am so glad I got to see this!

a fantastic tip for using wood as Dremel tips and amazing that he goes all the way up to 100K for a polish. what a legend

Priceless.

You guys are so awesome... Thanks for everything you do! Cheers to Dad! :)

happy fathers day to both of you!

Great video. Thank you!

You are welcome ..

Thanks. Interesting and helpful..

Lovely video. I lost my Pa too. So very sorry my Aussie Brother.

How cool was your dad! He reminds me of Sean Connery

Thank you so much :-)

Wow can't believe I haven't seen this before now. Thanks for a little glimpse in. Justin

Great video I love the high fiving with your dad, one question can you use a dremel to carve and polish quartz, I am a complete beginner and funds are limited. I would love to carve as well as your dad. well done.

Very knowledgable man! I have most of those drill bits already, only ever used them on silver but wow didn't know you can polish carved stones with them....can you also use the bits on carved glass?

I always wondered what type of wood your dad used to make those wood tipped drimal bits. Thanks mate. It's a very soft wood and I had thought that he was using ukaliptus.

Es tu papá o tu hermano guapo??. Besos desde Barcelona, gracias por su experiencia de corazón.

love your love for your dd,.,.soo cool,.,.,and contagious ........

Would it be possible to see some more of your dad's carvings?

dang. he was an amazing artist

hard to believe I missed this video for so long

I like you machine cutting

What cool dude ,Justin's papa is ..

Thank you for the very instructional video. It's very nice and refreshing to see those with years of experience share. Quick question: Is there any sort of "wash" or for lack of a better term "acid bath" or some other step that you can use for opals to better prepare them for finishing / shaping? Any tips or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again and keep the postings coming.

Where do you get the ploish to polish the stones? Well thanks for your time... ~ Charles

That frog is amazing imagine doing that with a Dremel absolute amazing your father must have been

Thank you for the wonderful video - I will be buying rough from you to carve but I'd like to know how do you make a balsa wood tip please.

what dremel tip sets you would recommend for this, or a combination of sets?

Cool dad man!

what did your dad use to get the eyes to stay in the frog? I'm considering carving a chocolate Ethiopian rough & really want to inset uncut gems into it... your advise would be really appreciated.. Thanks (a first time carver)

Hi gents! I recently bought an opal and started to cut/grind the opal with my dremel. At beginning I did like 5 mine without water (didn't know for silica) and after I thought it will be better and finished the opal with some water. The problem is I really didn't know about silica and I didn't wear any protection, the rough opal size was around the size of my thumb. Do you think I'll be in trouble or just one time no problem ? Thank you for your answers !

on the dremel are you looking at speed or torc?

hi justin, may i know what kind of paste to beuse on polishing of opal wit dremel ??? tks

on how many rpm are u running your dremel?

Who sells the wood tips?

How do you make your own tips? how are they attached to the tool to use on the drumel?

Watching in 2021!

No sound for me.

Is that a Dutch/Australian accent?

what type of tool isit it is not a Dremel

Of all the things in life a man can acquire... you only get one of those!-gilpin 6117

oh wow, finally get to see the genius wow made this all possible . too cool.

dad