Lapidary Basics - How I Get a Mirror Like Shine on My Agates

[@matthewcarey7323]

Great tutorial Scott, thanks for sharing!

[@spwinaustin]

Thanks for watching! I’m glad it helped!

[@gregtullis1882]

Very nice, hope to have a cabbing machine by spring.

[@spwinaustin]

I hope you get one too, it’s so much fun!

[@time_for_stones]

Wow, good work , well done 🙂

[@spwinaustin]

Thanks so much!😁

[@DaMzK8]

Very educational, thank you for sharing. The finish you achieve is always phenomenal.

[@spwinaustin]

You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@Novascotia_agatecollector]

Super nice finish!

[@spwinaustin]

I’m glad you liked it! 😊

[@philstover2422]

Thank you for sharing. You definitely get great results on your polishing.

[@spwinaustin]

Thanks Phil, I appreciate you watching!😁

[@greatnorthernviews3052]

Nice paying attention to detail ❤❤

[@spwinaustin]

Thank you! I appreciate you watching! 😁

[@RickSmith-kp3sy]

Beautiful stone, beautiful shine, thank you for the tutorial. Do you use diamond wheels for all your lower grits up to ~360?

[@spwinaustin]

Thanks Rick! Yup, all diamond until the final cerium oxide.

[@kirsiselei8703]

Thx for sharing ur way to polish rocks(though i dont do it, but really intresting to watch) ❤

[@spwinaustin]

You should try it!😁

[@kirsiselei8703]

@spwinaustin dont have the machinery nor money to buyso im just admireing when others do it😁😍

[@Mike-br8vb]

You have a processs that works perfectly! How much pressure do you apply to the agate? Are you pushing hard? Or light pressure?

[@spwinaustin]

It’s actually a combination. I start off with heavy pressure and then slowly reduce it before moving on to the next grit.

[@Mike-br8vb]

Thanks for letting me know, bud! Have an excellent weekend! 🍻

[@jennabennett4236]

Wonder how well tumbled rocks would turn out with a 50,000 grit polish 🤔

[@spwinaustin]

I’ve tried using cerium oxide and tin oxide as final polish. The difference is not substantial 🤷‍♂️

[@scottowens1535]

Yes that's real nice! Rock's..the international language. Probably comes from way back 😉

[@spwinaustin]

Thanks Scott, I appreciate you watching!😁

[@davidbales6321]

How long do you spend on each wheel typically? I have a flat lap and don’t get the beautiful shine you get

[@fiensiferum]

I was wondering the same thing.

[@spwinaustin]

Hi David, thanks for watching! I spend the most time in the coarsest grit, usually several minutes depending upon the initial condition of the surface. After that the amount of time per grit drops off as the grits go up. I also “feather” the stone, which means apply more pressure at the beginning of the grit and less at the end. Finally, I move on to the cabbing machine for the higher grits in order to get the best shine. I’ve never had much luck getting a mirror-like shine using just a flat lap. 😔

[@davidbales6321]

@ Thanks for the info. I will definitely try the feathering technique

[@roman11469]

You are making me breakdown and get a flat lap…

[@spwinaustin]

It’s a good place to start the polishing if you want a flat finish!😁