Polishing or polishing stone, also known as lapidary, is a fun hobby and can produce amazing results! You can polish stones by hand with few tools, or you can use a rock tumbler (a tool for polishing and smoothing stones) which can polish multiple stones at once. After polishing them, arrange the rocks in the house to show off your new skills!
Step
Method 1 of 2: Polishing the Stone Using Sandpaper
Step 1. Choose the right stone
You can polish any stone you want, but there are certain types of stone that are easier to polish. If you want a stone that is easier to polish, choose a softer stone such as onyx, limestone, or calcite. Hard stone does take a long time to polish, but produces a more beautiful shine than soft stone.
- To find out what type of stone you have, scratch it with another stone. If the scratch looks chalky, the stone is soft.
- Try to choose a stone that is round, without large protrusions or indentations.
Step 2. Wash the stone
If the stone is dirty, wash it thoroughly with soap and water. Use a stiff brush to remove stubborn dirt or debris. After washing, dry the stone with a cloth.
Step 3. Shape the stone
If you want it to be round, use a small hammer or chisel to remove the protruding parts. Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from shards of rock, and also wear gloves if you need to. Scrape off the protruding rock.
- If you like the shape, you don't need to shape the stone.
- You can also use a concrete slab to scrub and remove any protruding parts of the rock.
Step 4. Scrub the stone with coarse sandpaper
Size (grade) 50 is the coarsest level of sanding. This size is great for shaping stones. Use sandpaper to rub the bumps on the stone you want to flatten. When you are satisfied with the overall shape of the stone, rub the stone evenly using 50 size sandpaper to smooth it out.
Step 5. Remove scratches using fine sandpaper
Scrub the stone with size 150 sandpaper. Coarse 50 sandpaper will leave scratches on the stone. Scrub the stone using 150 size sandpaper to smooth and remove scratches.
Step 6. Scrub the stone using 300 to 600 sandpaper
Rub the stone evenly with sandpaper ranging in size from 300 to 600. Focus on removing scratches on the stone. The size of this sandpaper is very fine so it doesn't cause scratches. However, if there are scratches, you can remove them with a finer sandpaper.
Step 7. Rub the stone using a polished or polished skin
When you have finished sanding, polish the stone with leather and polish. Purchase polish and a piece of leather at a hardware store if you don't have one. Next, apply the polish on the skin and rub your stone over it. The stone will turn into a beautiful sparkling.
Do not buy colored polish because it can stain the stone
Method 2 of 2: Using a Rock Tumbler
Step 1. Purchase a rock tumbler and grit (abrasive silicon carbide grains)
Rock tumblers are perfect for polishing stones because they can give a sharper shine than hand polish. In addition, this tool can also polish many stones at once. You can buy it on buying and selling sites such as Bukalapak or Tokopedia. Keep in mind that rock tumblers are sold at very variable prices. So, buy the type of tumbler that suits your needs. Also buy a grit specially designed for polishing stones, ranging from coarse (80 grit), medium (220 grit), to fine (400 grit).
If you only want to use it a few times, a good option is a cheap plastic rock tumbler. Look for a more expensive tumbler if you want to make this activity a new hobby
Step 2. Select and sort the stones
Before starting to polish, do the sorting so that the stones that are inserted into the rock tumbler have the same hardness and surface shape.
- Do not put stones of different hardness in the tumbler because softer stones can be scratched by harder stones. You also should not include various stones with different shapes, for example, some are jagged and some are round. Round stones polish faster than irregular stones.
- Try inserting stones of different sizes. The stone will come out in a more uniform shape.
Step 3. Insert the rock until it reaches - of the rock tumbler
The first thing to do is to clean the stone with soap and water. After cleaning, put a rock of the same shape and hardness into the rock tumbler. Next, remove the stone from the tumbler and weigh it. After weighing, put the stone back in the tumbler.
Step 4. Run the tumbler with coarse grit
The amount of grit that must be put in the tumbler is 50 grams of grit for every 500 grams of stone. Next, put the water in the tumbler until it reaches the bottom of the layer of stones in the top row. Close the tumbler tightly, run it for 24 hours, then open the appliance to check its progress. Close the tumbler again and run it again.
- Polish the stone in the tumbler for 3 to 7 days, and check every 24 hours to make sure that everything is running smoothly.
- Coarse grit is useful for flattening the shape of the stone. Round stones only take about 3 days to get a good shape. For jagged stones, it may take you about 7 days to level the surface.
- Check every 24 hours to see progress. After checking, determine if the stone is ready for the next step, or continue polishing for another day.
Step 5. Remove the stone from the tumbler
After 3 to 7 days have passed, remove the stones from the tumbler and place them in the pot. Clean the grit that sticks to the stone and clean the inside of the tumbler as well. Do not throw grit into the sink as it can harden and clog the drain. Throw the grit in the trash.
Wash the rock and rock tumbler thoroughly. A small amount of coarse grit remaining can interfere with the next process
Step 6. Run the tumbler with medium grit
Put the cleaned stone back into the tumbler. Add medium grit in the same amount as coarse grit, then add water to the tumbler until it reaches the bottom of the stone layer in the top row. Close the tumbler and run for 4 or 5 days. Check every 24 hours.
- After 4 or 5 days have passed, turn off the engine and open the cover. Put the stone in the container and clean the grit that sticks to the stone.
- Again, make sure you've washed the stone and the container thoroughly. Discard any remaining grit, but not in the sink.
Step 7. Run the machine with a fine grit
Put the cleaned stone back into the tumbler. Add fine grit in the same amount as coarse and medium grit. Add water until it reaches the bottom of the rock layer on the top row. Next, put the lid on and run tumbler. This method takes approximately 7 days. Check it every 24 hours to see how it is progressing.
This is the last stage in the use of grit. So don't shorten the process until you're satisfied with the smoothness and shine of the stone. Maybe the stone needs to be cleaned first to give it a shine when you check its progress
Step 8. Clean the rock and rock tumbler
Clean the rock and rock tumbler thoroughly. Clean the remaining grit in every nook and cranny of the tumbler because if not removed, the adhering grit will affect the performance of the tumbler in the future. When the grit has been removed, the stone will have a beautiful and brilliant sparkle!
Step 9. Do the final polishing
Sometimes soft rock can't sparkle if you just use a rock tumbler. To give the stone a finishing touch to make it more shiny, use leather and polish. Apply a small amount of polish to the skin, then rub the stone over it. Make sure you've rubbed it all over the skin. The stone will turn out to be beautiful and brilliant as expected!!
Tips
- If you want to get stones to polish, look at the beach or buy semiprecious stones.
- Do not forget to clean the rock tumbler thoroughly so that the machine does not jam and can function effectively.
