how to make it shine?

[jkoti2001]

Alright I am what you would say a Do It All yourself handy man( around my house not for anyone else.) so here we go, I built some very nice cabinets and my wife decided she would like Granite so we go and pick out some granite from A World of Tile, they sell these 25 1/2 inch squares with a bull nose one them for about 15 bucks a square foot,the name of the granite is UBA TUBA. since I have not failed yet on all my jobs around the house, I can do it. Well I set the squares and they were flat and level and then over night some shifted. The tile guys said use these so I did ( thery were Alpha PVA marble polishing pads). they didnt work except the very coarse grit took down the lippage some but removed the high polished look. so I bought a 4" semi- rigid velcro backer and a set of 4 "Monster dry diamond polishing pads. ( i used them wet with a spray bottle) and things started to look promising things looking good feels softer and smooother after each pad well I get to my buff pad and use it and if feels smooth and soft but no high shine likr the other pices of counter top so I buy Tenax diamond granite polishing powder, and a 4" alpha felt pad and I go to town on this thing I tired useing the powder 3 times in the same little area and it does not get very high shine. Where did I go wrong???
I put my seams together with epoxy ( which was a nightmare ) cleaning up the epoxy.
I might have gone to fast on my RPMS on the grinder i didnt know what speed to go with and the amount of pressure to apply on the granite. I would like to learn how to do this correctly but I dont have a lot of money to fly out and take a two day class. ( it would be nice tho )

any feedback would be nice ( I have read a lot of things on the internet and everyone has their own epinion on what to do I want the right opinin

thanks Jim Koti e mail jkoti2000@yahoo.com

	Polishing Polishing: This is the final stage, which leaves the surface with reflective characteristics.

	grit GRIT SIZE: Applies to the size and number of particles per square inch which are used to determine the abrasiveness of sandpapers, grinding stones etc.

	epoxy EPOXY A two part resin with superior adhesion properties used for joining and filling stone. Also used for grouting stone and tile.

	Marble MARBLE: CHARACTERISTICS This standard includes general information on the characteristics and common uses of marble and identifies typical problems associated with the material. INTRODUCTION Marble is an extremely hard, metamorphic stone composed of calcite (CaCO3). It is formed as a result of the recrystallization of limestone under the intense pressure and heat of geologic processes. The effect of this process is the creation of a stone with a very tight crystalline structure and small but definite porosity. Because of its structure, marble can take a very high polish and is a very popular decorative stone for architectural and sculptural uses. The limited porosity of marble, especially polished marble, makes it less vulnerable to the leaching effects of water. Calcium carbonate, however, of which marble is composed, is highly susceptible to attack by acidic agents. Marble is readily dissolved by acids, even very dilute acids, however the actual results of acidic exposure will vary with the nature of the acid. Chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and other chemical compounds react differently with marble and produce various by-products, which have a wide range of solubility and impact on the durability of marble. For this reason, it is always important to determine the exact type of pollutants causing marble deterioration. Marble itself can be of two types, one composed of calcite and the other of dolomite. Dolomitic marble is much more resistant to acid attack than calcite marble. The color of marble ranges from the brilliant white of calcite to black, including blue-gray, red, yellow and green, depending upon the mineral composition. TYPICAL USES Marble has many decorative and structural uses. It is used for outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases; in architecture it is used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative features, stairways and walkways. The way in which the stone is used may be a factor in limiting or controlling the severity of exposure. The use or function of the marble may also affect the feasibility of applying certain treatments, but type of use is not the primary factor in the major types of deterioration and damage to which marble is susceptible.

	Buff Pad your polishing process is made easy to achieve a high final polish. This pad not only cost less than others in its class, but it also work faster and with less mess.

	class The weekend classes are described by Mr. Huligar as "A true “hands-on” experience. No seats. No stories. No sales pitch. Each student has the opportunity to perform multiple repairs, honing and the highly coveted art of top-polishing an additional note to the counter top repair class; the students receive a full set of tools including a variable polisher inclusive in the price of the class. Everything you need to get started.” Those who have attended the recent class had this to say;

[Huligar]

Stop playing with this top, you need to treat it like a floor.
Get a 150 pound swing machine and go to town. I do not recommend you do this your self, but if you want to try go for it.

By the way good call on using the epoxy for the joints, I hope it was a real epoxy and not polyester that is some times call epoxy by mistake.

If you have any pictures of your top I would love to see it.

	epoxy EPOXY A two part resin with superior adhesion properties used for joining and filling stone. Also used for grouting stone and tile.

[Steve Patrick]

Whew! I appreciate your fortitude in this project. Before you go along any further, I would take one of those tiles and practice on a test piece to get the process under control. Work with each grit slow rpms, lots of PSI and little water until you see no further improvement of each grit. Watch the scratch patterns of each grit very carefully and overlap. Check out Huligar's video and watch the method carefully. Patience is key.
You might find that taking the class would have saved you a huge amount of time and investment.

	grit GRIT SIZE: Applies to the size and number of particles per square inch which are used to determine the abrasiveness of sandpapers, grinding stones etc.

	class The weekend classes are described by Mr. Huligar as "A true “hands-on” experience. No seats. No stories. No sales pitch. Each student has the opportunity to perform multiple repairs, honing and the highly coveted art of top-polishing an additional note to the counter top repair class; the students receive a full set of tools including a variable polisher inclusive in the price of the class. Everything you need to get started.” Those who have attended the recent class had this to say;

[Topshop]

Top polishing is not a task for the do it yourselfer. Pay a professional to do it right. Hopefully you did not destroy the stone in the process.

	Polishing Polishing: This is the final stage, which leaves the surface with reflective characteristics.

[jkoti2001]

professionals in my area are what you would you say are expensive peices of crap, I called and talked to the top three adn they all told me you can not get the factory finish back to 100% you can get it close, But I know Huligar can Ive seen his videos and they his seams adn top polishing is better that the factory! nice shine, If only you guys had pros from the NSRA you would make a killing out here because yours is the best because you know what gets the job done. out here people are ignorant and dont know what looks good they just settle for what they paid for .

I will go with huligars attitude anything with stone you can fix, just takes time, patients, and a little bit of money. anything is possible not improbable

PIX:

	Polishing Polishing: This is the final stage, which leaves the surface with reflective characteristics.

[Huligar]

oh my, what have you done?
It is time to turn this job over to a pro.

[david bassler]

$1,200-1,500 my guess to fix that with regional driving time added.

[tim scarlata]

you're fired. and
you forgot the sink

[Topshop]

You are correct that the polish can be made to be new or better. Some times if a piece of stone is so destroyed it is not worth the cost to fix. I am sorry to say this but it is my opinion that at this point your best bet is to tear out and replace that mess you made.

[hoboal]

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