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Took 6 tries to find the right grit for polishing this agate slab

I kept using 400 grit too long and burning the surface, then switched to wet sanding with 600 right away and it came out like glass in half the time. Anyone else struggle with knowing when to move up grits on softer stones?
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2 Comments
eva666
eva6661mo ago
Heard from a lapidary group that some folks will actually test their polish by rubbing a fingernail across the surface to feel for drag before moving up. Seemed a little sketchy to me but I tried it on a piece of chrysocolla and it honestly worked better than timing it. Wet sanding really does make a huge difference with those softer agates though.
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dakotab13
dakotab131mo ago
That fingernail test would scratch your polish on anything but the hardest stones.
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