Rocks are an essential part of nature and can be used for various purposes, such as decoration, jewelry, and crafts. Polishing rocks can bring out their natural beauty and give them a smooth, shiny finish. Many people believe that you need expensive polishing machines and materials to polish rocks, but that is not true. There are many household items that you can use to polish rocks. In this article, we will discuss some of these items and how to use them.
Figuring out how to grind a stone at home to a shine is not difficult. But it is worth remembering that this is a dusty job that requires full body protection.
What you should be aware of
Processing stone at home can be associated with two needs: to return the product to an attractive appearance, or to process a stone found in nature. In the latter case, it is necessary to pre-saw the stone into pieces of suitable size.
Processing of a natural stone can be:
- Mechanical. This processing includes stone cutting, grinding, polishing, brushing, drilling holes, heat treatment. They do not require special equipment and can be done at home.
- Physical-mechanical. In this case, thermoactive gas burners, high frequency currents, etc. are used. This requires expensive equipment and a special place.
At home, the choice of tool depends on the characteristics of the stone. For soft rocks are suitable tools for working on metal, for hard rocks you will have to buy special tools for stones.
It is also important to remember that when grinding stone at home a huge amount of dust is formed. It is recommended to work in a room with good ventilation and a constant supply of running water (there must be a water supply or stretched hoses). Also requires full protection of the body and organs: a thick coat or suit, goggles, respirator.
Preliminary preparation
Before you begin, it is worth checking the softness of the stone – whether it is suitable for polishing. To do this, take a penknife and try to scratch the surface carefully. If a white trace or a grainy mark is left, the stone is not suitable, polishing will make it friable. If a shiny mark is left, the stone is hard, you can work with it.
When checking, it is necessary to hold the knife towards yourself and not to put too much pressure on it, as it may slip.
If it is necessary to grind the stone found, first it is given the desired shape with a chisel and hammer. If the stone is big and has big indentations, it is necessary to chamfer the indentations. Finally, it should be rinsed and all dirt should be removed.
Choice of tools
Natural stone is quite strong, and therefore processing stone with their own hands at home will not be easy. For cutting and rough processing, use a grinder, the power of which is from 1.5 thousand watts.
Other tools are also used:
- Diamond cups. These are special nozzles for a grinder of different diameters. It is better to take at least 2 nozzles of different grit for work.
- The cutting wheel for work on the stone. It has a diamond coating, can be used for wet and dry cutting.
- Flexible grinding wheels (“turtles”). These have a diamond coating and are used for giving a mirror-like shine to the stone. The grit size depends on the hardness of the stone, for example, P800 is enough for marble and P1500-3000 for granite. For this attachment it is enough to use a grinder with power up to 850 watts.
- Profile diamond cutters. They are used for complex processing.
- Sandpaper of different grains with a diamond dusting. Perfect for sanding specific areas.
- Soft cloth, felt or rags.
- Chemicals (waxes, cleaners, etc.).
Other tools may be required for additional work, such as a gas burner for aging, metal brushes to brush.
The polishing process
Grinding and polishing stone at home is a long and laborious, though not complicated, process. It is necessary to prepare the tools in advance: several nozzles of different grits are required.
Grinding
It is carried out manually or with special tools. Carry out it only in the open air or in a well-ventilated room with good filters. The respiratory system, eyes and skin must be protected.
You also need a constant supply of water to the place of work – it collects dust and cools the tool. You can use a sprayer or a wet sponge, supply water through a tube. Experts do not recommend starting polishing if water cooling is not possible.
In total, there will be 3 stages of processing, which differ only in the grit of the nozzles:
In the first stage, a wheel with a grain size of 350-60 microns is used for rough sanding;
At the second stage for smoothing – circles 60-7 microns;
On the finish grinding the surface smooth with a wheel with a grain of 37-10 microns.
If a light sanding is required, 3-4 mm of stone will be removed. If the surface is too heterogeneous, it may be necessary to remove several centimeters.
Dissecting how to grind stone at home to shine, it is worth mentioning and the option for small surfaces up to 20-25 cm in diameter. They can be polished with quartz sand or other abrasive material. It is poured on a cast-iron plate, watered and rubbed the stone until it becomes smooth.
Polishing
Polishing is done manually with chemicals. Wax-based polishes are recommended, but any polishing agent will do. The polish is applied to the surface and rubbed with a soft cloth or grinder until it shines.
You can use crystallizers, which contain organic acids. They are mixed with water in the proportions indicated on the package, applied to the stone and rubbed until smooth. The liquid residue is then washed off in a soapy solution, rubbed with a dry cloth and polished with a wet disc to remove the acid residue.
When polishing precious stones, it is important to remember that the polishing agent will be hammered into the pores and cracks. The color of the stone may change because of that (it may become darker or lighter), and the stone may become unsightly. To avoid this, first treat the surface with liquid paraffin, glue or epoxy. This creates a protective layer that keeps the stone from changing.
It is not difficult to figure out how to treat stone at home, but the process requires some knowledge. It is dusty and painstaking work that can only be done outdoors or indoors with excellent ventilation. Also, you should not neglect protective equipment.
The process itself is not very complicated: the prepared stone is processed in several stages, using nozzles of different grits, gradually removing the excess and making the surface shiny. At the end, it is wiped with a soft cloth and the excess chemicals are removed.