Polishing powders for lapidary

Carborundum et abrasifs pour polissage des pierres

Le carborundum ou carbure de silicium (SiC) est un abrasif utilisé par les lapidaires pour le travail de la pierre, les verriers, mais aussi pour la réalisation de lithographies et de gravures, notamment avec la technique du carborundum.

Les prix:
Grains de 40, 60, 80, 220:
6€ le pot d’1kg

Grain de 320:
10€ le pot d’1kg

Grains de 400, 500, 600:
14€ le pot d’1kg

Grain de 1000:
20€ le pot de 1kg

*Les poudres sont conditionnées en pot plastique d’1kg ou en seau de 3kg. Provenance: Europe. Ces prix sont garantis jusqu’à épuisement des stocks.

*Si vous empilez les pots pour les ranger, veillez à toujours placer le grain le plus fin au dessous afin de ne pas risquer de polluer le pot du dessous.

Carborundum de fabrication européenne
Contrairement au carborundum chinois, dit carborundum perpétuel, qui ne s’écrase pas, ce carbo s’écrase au fur et à mesure du travail.
Par exemple dans un tonneau, lorsque vous êtes en phase de finition avec un grain de 320, 400 ou 500, au fur et à mesure que le tonneau va tourner, le grain va s’écraser en même temps que la pierre va se polir. Donc à l’arrivée, si vous ne mettez pas trop de carbo dans le tonneau, le grain s’affine et la pierre se rapproche du prépolissage.
En général, ce carbo est peu utilisé car plus cher à l’achat que le carbo chinois. Par contre, il évite de rincer les cuves et les pierres entre chaque grain; il évite aussi les manipulations de grains et donc les risques de pollution entre chaque étape.
Lorsque l’on travaille une pierre très dure (agate, cristal de roche etc…) on peut directement attaquer au 40 ou au 60. Mais lorsque l’on travaille du lapis lazuli ou des pierres plus tendres, il vaut mieux attaquer avec du 320. Après, c’est la durée du travail qui fait le reste…
Le travail avec les tonneaux hexagonaux et les tonneaux ronds n’est pas le même. La rapidité et le résultat changent du tout au simple.

Silicon carbide from Europe
This silicon carbide is completely different from the Chinese, which is also called perpetual carborundum. Our grinding powder becomes thiner and thiner during the work.
For instance if you use in a tumbler the grind 40 or 60, the carbo will be thiner and will finally polish the stone. So you will not use too much carbide and water. This carbide is more expensive than the Chinese one, but you will save time because you won’t need to wash the stones and barrels between each grind.
If you polish very hard stones, such as agate, you can start with grind 40 or 60. But if you work softer stones, such as lapis lazuli, it is better to start with grind 320 or 500.
Carborundum powders are sold in 1 kg pots or in 5kg drums. Origin: Europe. The prices are guaranteed while stocks last.

Prices:
Grind 40, 60, 80, 220:
6€ the 1kg pot

Grind 320:
10€ the 1kg pot

Grind 400, 500, 600:
14€ the 1kg pot

Grind 1000:
20€ the 1kg pot

* If you stack the pots for storage, be sure to always place the finest grain on the bottom so as not to risk polluting the pot below.

Les Poudres de Polissage/Finition

Lusterite Gem Polish Formula I – 1 pound (450gr)
Lusterite formula I is versatile polishing powder for different stones of various hardness. It can easily replace cerium oxide, but it is in much cheaper. Unfortunately those products are not sold anymore. Those bags are original products, they are not a copy. This specific formula is not an oxide but a crystalline formation, so that it does not heat up during the polishing process. It is very useful for opals, turquoise or rock crystal that is to say stones which must not heat during the polishing. Some stones, jade for instance has to heat during the polishing to get a nice surface.
To Use: Mix only amount you will use each day. This will prevent waste and settling. Use as you would tin oxide or cerium. Mix with water to a rather thin consistency and apply to felt or leather buff with a paint brush. Run buff as dry as possible without dusting. Eight inch to ten inch felts or leather buffs should be urned at 400 to 600 R.P.M.. Smaller buffs may be turned faster if necessary. Be careful with the water you use. Tap water can be very hard or may contains some particules. The best is to use rain water filtered with a coffee filter.
Price: 20€ for 1 pound (450gr)

20 bags available. The prices are guaranteed while stocks last.

Lusterite Gem Polish Formula II for tumbling – 1 pound (450gr)
Lusterite formula II is a specific powder for tumbling, tumbled stones making, vibrating laps. For 1 kg of stones put 1/2 teaspoon of lusterite. If you add some polished rock crystal chips (well washed before use), you will avoid the pieces hit one another and you increase your chance to get an excellent polishing. This technique is good also with vibrating bowls such as vibra-sonic. To have a perfect finition, it is better to put only one single piece in the tumbler with polished rock crystal chips and some polishing powder. In this case you can divide by 2 the quantity of powder you put in the tumbler.
Price: 10€ for 1 pound (450gr)

20 bags available. The prices are guaranteed while stocks last.

Oxyde d’aluminium

Aluminiumoxide P-596
Standard polishing powder

Price:
10€ the 1 kg pot
50kg available

The prices are guaranteed while stocks last.

Oxyde de cérium

Les oxydes de cérium en poudre vont du rouge foncé jusqu’au blanc. Pour le polissage du verre, des optiques ou des pierres les plus tendres, vous obtenez un meilleur résultat en prenant du cérium rouge. Lorsque l’indice de dureté de la pierre augmente, vous allez vers les poudres les plus claires jusqu’au blanc pour le cristal de roche, les calcédoines etc… Pour les professionnels, il y a une grande déclinaison de poudres de polissage, également un grand nombre de fabricants, ce qui rend l’information pas toujours très claire.

White cerium oxide – 1 pound (450gr)

The cerium oxides powders go from red color to white color. For glass and optics polishing or soft stones polishing, you will get a better result with the red cerium oxide. As the hardness of the stone increases, you will have to use a whiter type of cerium for rock crystal, chalcedony… For professional uses, there is a large variety of polishing powders which makes it difficult to have the right piece of information.

Only 10 bags available. The prices are guaranteed while stocks last.
Price: 50€ for 1 pound

Super Premium Cerium Oxide Polish- 1 pound (450gr)
OUT OF STOCK
Prix: 50€ for 1 pound

Tripoli

Prix: 10€ le de pot de 500gr

Tripoli is a kind of burnt material. It is a soft abrasive for polishing stones like opal, turquoise, etc. which must not heat up during polishing. The blocks are very friable, so it is very easy to reduce them into powder. It is also possible to put the powder in a drum with steel balls and just a little water to obtain a fine granularity. This will allow, for example, the ultra-shiny polishing of turquoise.

Price: 10€ the 500gr pot

Granulat de pierres pour tonneaux et bols vibrants

Céramique de polissage (déstockage)

Ceramic polishing media (destocking)

Ceramic media to polish metal or stones (destocking)
The ceramic media must be used alone a half day to erode them a little bit. Rince well with water. Then you can use them to polish metal or stone with a light abrasive powder. Works very well with soft stones. But one must regularly verify the process.

Résine pour polissage du métal (déstockage)

Resin media to polish metal (destocking)

Polissage du métal (déstockage)

Metal polishing media (destocking)