soapstone & alabaster sealing

["George Graham" <georgergraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary, I'll pass on what I can on finishing alabaster and sealing.

I've been carving colorado alabaster and virginia steatite for quite awhile
and after much experimentation have found some decent results.
Alabaster and steatite/soapstone , while both being extremely soft, require
different approaches to finishing. Neither will polish like marble and
limestone because they don't have any calcium carbonate in them, so none of
the acid polishing compounds work.

To seal and polish alabaster I use an indoor marble floor tile sealer made
by Trewax Company. It is basically an extremely good acrylic floor wax. The
finish is much harder than the stone. It helps protect your stone from
stains and scratches. I use a clean cotton rag with a small amount of sealer
and rub it on as thin as possible. It should dry almost instantly, as it
goes into the stone. You won't be able to tell that its on after the first
coat, but after repeating 3 times you will have a very clear tough finish
that is not laying on the surface, but is in the stone. because the sealer
is drying so fast, you can polish up your project very fast.

Soapstone is completely different. I've tried tung oil, linseed oil, old
english furniture wax, , boiled linseed oil, carnuba wood wax and others.
I've baked pieces in the oven and played with beeswax, and melted wax onto
the stone with a propane torch. All these produced something, so you need to
experiment to find what you like. The consistent problem with all was a
yellowish oily discoloration and buildup on the stone, especially on rough
textured areas.

My last experiment was the most successful. I wanted a high polish on a
small virginia soapstone torso. I used the extremely refined linseed oil
that oil painters use to thin their paint. Using a few drops and rubbing it
in darkened the stone instantly and looked very good. I let the stone set a
couple of days to be sure there was now residue left of the surface, and
then rubbed on a thin coat of carnuba wood wax and in a moment of
inspiration, I used an old shoe brush to shine it up just like polishing
leather shoes. The  results were immediate. I got the best, clear , clean
black polish ever. Time will tell on how often the piece will need to be
rebuffed. Probably once a year as long as it stays indoors.

So that's my Christmas present to you and all others who are trying to
polish alabaster and soapstone.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a great new year!!
George Graham