Thank you for that :)

Thank you! :D Rock on!!!

I will add it to the list :)

Thank you!

Thank you very much!

Yes they do!

Thank you! and welcome to the channel! I hope that my videos will help you out, even in the slightest :)

Thank you! I'm so happy that they turned out nice!

thank you!

PS: My honest opinion, I would rather work on Obsidian than any other materials out there. I've learned how to read it in the rough, how to cut it, the tumbling of it (To me the hardest part of working Obsidian), the collecting and hounding it, now to learn the talents you have on polishing Obsidian on the wheels.. It's like watching a great movie on the big screen with a huge bucket of popcorn and nothing else exists, just you and that piece of Obsidian.... Let the magic begin!!!

Michael, you are welcome to share any of my videos anywhere you'd like...free knowledge for all :) And I'd be happy having you over here at the shop! For me, it's when it comes time for polish and you wipe away the polish to reveal the crisp black shine of the stone. Sure sometimes you have to go back and redo a step but going from a dull finish to a shine is just a fantastic experience.

Howdy! Always a pleasure to see you leave a comment! You always do such beautiful work. I haven't really tumbled myself except for once and I don't count that since it was a cheap tumbler 20 years ago in my teen years and I never got to the polish stage. I have several tumblers that I do want to give it a shot with and try obsidian. I should also invest in a lot of tumbler if I end up liking it. Usually I do try and remove as much of the imperfections as I can but it really varies piece by piece and if it's for me or not. These pieces they all went pretty deep and I didn't want to risk damaging the pieces since they weren't mine to break. Like that once piece of fire obsidian I did that ended up being two pieces, it pained me to cut a portion off of it because of a fracture. It just kept going 💀 Sorry for the long response but yeah, working on the wheels can be hit or miss and can sometimes take too long. Plus, the bigger the piece, the harder it gets because of all the surface areas. Much smaller pieces are easier to work.

@@WorldofRockhounds If you get a tumbler and want to do obsidian, a vibratory tumbler is the way to go. Rotary tumbling obsidian requires very long run times from what I've heard. I have never tried it. rockhoundlounge.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/tumbling_obsidian.pdf

Thank you kindly

Thank you for the compliment! 👉🤠👉

Thank you so much 😀

How much obsidian do you have? Do what I did when i first started and start with a piece you have no attachment to and use it for practice. 🤠

@@WorldofRockhounds I have a variety of big chunks of silver banded and mahogany from Rogue. I also have a big box that I haven't opened yet from ThisRocks21 in Nevada. I'm thinking about trying my hand at knapping.

@@RagnarRocks DO IT, try polishing and knapping. Just like Kyle said, start on a piece that you won't feel bad about 'killing'. Once you get the hang of it, Obsidian may become a favorite (I sure was beguiled by it's beauty and gorgeous polish).

Thank you and no fire in this pieces :) There are some goldsheens that can have mini fire layers but not enough to try and extract.

I don't think I've ever had any little pieces get stuck in my fingers. If it ever were to happen, it would be when I go to clean up after using the 80 grit wheel because it can remove larger chunks and the pieces end up in the drain pan. But I'm also super careful around the stuff. :)

I find that its easier to test out the grits on discarded pieces of obsidian or pieces that hold no value to you and that way you can get an idea of what the outcome of each sanding stage will give you. I always think to myself "know your wheels". That's why I kept my genie even though the wheels are super worn. Helps get me a better finish *sometimes*

@@WorldofRockhounds I've kept all my worn wheels for that purpose. I've most definitely have learned what wheels work best for what,.. especially the in-between ones I call them..like the 140 wheel,240 etc. I can definitely tell the cheaper wheels do not last as long as per say,the Nova wheels, that being said, the old cliche comes into play,you get what you pay for. My main thing now tho is trying different cutting techniques on my obsidian. I have magnificent rainbow and blue sheen to work with, along with plenty of silver and gold...sure would like some fire one day!!!

haha thank you!

I considered getting one at one point but I also know they require lots of precise cuts lol so I'm still up in the air about getting one.

That's alot!

That's a good question. It honestly depends on the stone. Sometimes it might seem like just a little crack but sometimes it can open up to be deeper than expected. You can always try and see what happens! With those pieces, I could have easily ground down more to get rid of some of the imperfections but I could see how far they went in and knew it would cause loss of additional material that I didn't want to waste. Also, if do want to grind down with a dremel, make sure that you make the surrounding surface areas flush with the area that you are working, otherwise you will get an uneven finished product. However, if you are going for a more "contoured" artsy piece...then absolutely go for it. Honestly, every artist is different and it never hurts to play around with random pieces to try out a technique before applying it to what you actually want to work.

@@WorldofRockhounds thank you that makes sense.

That's a good question. Obsidian can be fragile considering that it is a natural volcanic glass. You could probably make some really nice countertops out of it but I'd recommend having soft coasters on anything that is placed on it to prevent scratching. Fireplace, probably where it isn't exposed to heat to avoid breaking/fracturing from getting too hot. A thick enough piece of obsidian with the edges rounded can be somewhat durable but I would still be very careful.

@@WorldofRockhounds Oh really. Thanks! Do you think a layer of resin would help protect it from the heat or scratches as a countertop?

I use Gordon's glass company cerium oxide

@@WorldofRockhounds Thanks. I'm new to the hobbie. What's the best material for a buffing wheel?

Unfortunately I don't know anyone in the market for it!