problems sanding and finishing alabaster

["Casey Harbison" <dragonphyre@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Dulce,

I get good results with alabaster by starting with a 60 grit sandpaper,
then 80, 100, 220, 320, 400, 600, 1500 and finally 2000. When I get to 220,
I begin to use water, and really try to eliminate all the scratches at this
stage. I usually have to allow the piece to dry completely 3 or 4 times in
order to see that all the scratches are removed. Then the work with the
finer sandpapers is relatively easy. It is important to throughly rinse the
stone before changing to the next grit. This gets rid of the coarser
particles shed from the last paper.

Once the piece has dried at least overnight, I use a polishing compound (
a waxlike block available from sculptor supply companies like Montoya.) and
a set of two polishing buffs that fit on a power drill. Run the drill at a
medium speed and touch the first buff to the compound, allowing it to
absorb some of the material. Then carefully touch the buff to the surface
of the stone while running the drill. Faster speeds generally seem to work
better. I use up to 2500 rpm. You can see the shine appear. (I sound like
an old commercial.)  Take care not to allow the drill itself to touch the
stone or it will leave a scratch and you will have to start over on that
spot. A dremel tool with a felt polishing wheel is good for hard to reach
areas. Once the piece is completely polished, I like to use a clean buff
and go over the whole thing again to remove any traces of the polishing
compound. At this stage, some people apply a polish to the surface to
protect it. There are various products that can be used, like Waxlit liquid
and Butcher's Wax.

Linda Harbison