On Sat, 29 Jan 2000 15:38:21 KLV wrote: >I have been working on an alabaster bowl for some time, >How do I get a smooth finish on it. It is incredibly hard >stone. I tried soaking it in water for days,& wet sanding. >Nothing seems to work. Any suggestions would help When I carve alabaster, my finishing sanding and polishing sometimes takes just as long as the initial carving did. I've found that starting with 60 grit wood sandpaper (remember to wear a mask!) gets rid of the chisel and tool marks relatively easily, well, with lots of elbow grease! I continue with aluminum oxide sandpaper through 100 and 220 grits as well. Switching to wet/dry sandpaper, and having the object resting in a plastic tub quarter filled with water is the next step in my process. I start with 220 grit silicone carbide sandpaper (or 100 grit, if there are still large scratches and pits) making sure that I wet the stone, rather than the sandpaper as I scrub along. Having a cup to douse the mud that collects on the object is handier than cupping water and spashing everything around me. 400, 600 then even 1500 grit sandpaper are the eventual finishing steps I go through. I know when I'm finished one step when both my arm feels like falling off, and all the scratches ! ! from the previous sanding are removed. The final 1500 grit paper can be found at any lapidary shop, and some MEGA hardware stores that are popping up evertwhere. This last finish makes the object baby assed smooth, a veritable dream to touch and caress. Having diamond grit riffler files can help smooth hard to reach places. I usually polish the piece with linseed oil, but beeswax does the job just as well. Linseed oil stains the object, making it darker, but I find that it brings out the depth of the colours. I'm sure there are other methods to finishing, but I feel that this process brings me closer to the peice, like raising a pet! Good luck, Delayne ........................................... FAQ info and help on using this list is on http://www.learningstone.net/lslstfaq.html
