peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Dec 5, 2011 15:40:06 GMT -5
Hey, if I'm good for nothing else, I can always be the bad example. I read the suggestion by wampidy about using beeswax to get a polish on Soapstone. Don't have any beeswax, but I did have some moustache wax. I had quite a lot of Green Soapstone that I sold over the years at rock shows and on EBay. A lady at a rock show carved this Green Soapstone gremlin for me out of my material. She did a nice job but I decided to be bold and use the wax to put a polish on it following Wampidy's instructions. While I was at it, I decided to wax two Ruby in matrix specimens that I hand-shaped myself. I'm not saying that I advise anyone else to use moustache wax but I think it worked! Here's the results:  BY comparison, here is the "before" picture, with no polish, just as matte items:  I don't think matte, unpolished finishes are always bad for sculptures but I was ready for a change. I do like that shine on that gremlin. In case anyone is wondering, no, we don't have any moustaches around here, but I used to try to do something with my unruly eyebrows... |
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shadowhound
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2011
Posts: 19
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Post by shadowhound on Dec 5, 2011 16:00:34 GMT -5
i love the shine  and amazingly it worked |
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mjflinty
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 358
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Post by mjflinty on Dec 5, 2011 17:13:38 GMT -5
Wax does some neat stuff! I use it on my arrowheads sometimes to increase the gloss.
Michael
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Post by Toad on Dec 5, 2011 22:59:34 GMT -5
Seemed to work fine, but what happens with age???
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 5, 2011 23:05:30 GMT -5
When the wax starts to age, a little rubbing alcohol will remove it. Then just put on a fresh coat of wax.
A good grade of furniture builders finishing wax will work too. For my specimen Fairburns, I warm them in the oven and dump them in a bowl of baby oil. After they cool I use a soft rag to remove the excess oil and polish them.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2011 23:18:54 GMT -5
Thanks for the proof. They look great.
Jim
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lisatech
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2011
Posts: 140
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Post by lisatech on Dec 10, 2011 12:10:51 GMT -5
Interesting pieces and it certainly looks like you achieved what you expected with the moustache wax - lol, could you call that a "Movember" finish? :-)
I haven't had a chance to read the instructions on wax finish but wondered it if people use a nylon for a final buff? I could get a mirror shine on my show boots from using a nylon buff at the end - the premise being that the nylon rubbing creates a bit of warmth that melts the wax a tad to even it out and produces the shine...
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 10, 2011 15:11:16 GMT -5
The principal ingredient in moustache wax is beeswax, with a little petroleum jelly to make a paste. Warming them as Don does would probably help the shine.
Lee
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Post by connrock on Dec 14, 2011 9:46:59 GMT -5
I think they came out great!
I've never carved soapstone but have done a little,,,,,very little alabaster carving.
I don't remember where I read it but it was suggested to use several coats of Butcher's Floor Wax to get a shine on alabaster.
What I read was to heat the alabaster carving just enough to melt the wax into it and let it cool then do this 2 more times.
Well my first attempt wasn't all that great as I used an old sock to apply the wax and when the wax hardened it left tiny "hills and valleys" like applying semi dried paint to a surface and you can see the brush marks.
I found that I had to use a cotton ball to apply the wax and sort of let the wax find it's own "surface level" which would end up very smooth.
By heating the alabaster it allows the wax to soak into the pours of the stone and the more even you apply the wax,,,the better the shine will look.
I tried buffing by hand but ended up using a 4" stitched muslin buff on a 1725 RPM motor.
I've seen alabaster carvings with a very high shine on them and they don't look like they have any sort of "chemical" coatings on them but have to wonder how the heck they are polished up so well!
connrock
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and amazingly it worked 
