Top Polishing Instructions Materials Needed: For 2014 - Recommend Metabo PE12-175 7" Polisher NSI Solutions 300 grit turbo pad NSI Solutions 500 grit turbo pad NSI Solutions 1000 grit turbo pad NSI Solutions 2 snail lock adapter NSI Solutions 4 rigid backer Alpha 4 Ceramica 1,000 grit resin Alpha 4" Ceramica 2,000 grit resin Alpha 4" Ceramica 3,000 grit resin MB-20 granite polishing paste 7-3/4 Hog s Hair Extra pad China marker or White Out pen Spray bottle for water Rags This first step is critical when dealing with cracks or seams; rub your finger or a razor blade across the crack or seam area to determine where the high side is. Make sure you check from the front all the way to the back, as the high side can change from left to right several times along the length. Mark the low areas right up to the edge of the crack or seam with the marker of your choice. Determine what grit is needed to start with, based on the depth of the scratch, crack or seam. For most seams, the 300 grit turbo is a good starting point. NSI Solutions does manufacture a 150 grit pad, but it is unnecessarily aggressive. A seam that cannot be flattened efficiently with the 300 grit turbo probably should be leveled better before attempting this procedure. Excessive material removal will result in a wavy or dished finish. This is unacceptable by any standards. Many cracks that do not develop an uneven surface can be repaired by starting with the 500 or even 1000 grit turbo. An uneven crack should be started with the 300 grit. The depth of a scratch will determine what turbo to start with. If you fingernail becomes easily caught in the scratch, start with 300. If you
can feel it with your finger nail, but it does not become caught, start with the 500 grit turbo. The Metabo PE12-175 7 variable speed polisher is the recommended machine, and the #1 choice of stone refinishing professionals everywhere. It goes down to 700 RPMs, and the hand grip on the front allows for more control, prevent s hopping around. Using your spray bottle, mist a layer of water over the first area to be worked on. You do not need any more water than this. If you have trouble seeing the area when it is wet, you can outline it with the marker Make sure your Metabo is set on the #1 (700 RPM) setting. This is the most controllable speed and will contain any splatter to the immediate area, making cleanup easy. Place the turbo pad FLAT on the surface. DO NOT START THE MACHINE AND THEN TRY TO PLACE THE PAD FLAT ON THE SURFACE. These pads are very rigid and can create a gouge in the stone easily if you are careless If you are right-handed, place your left hand over the head of the machine, directly over the arbor. With your right hand, squeeze the trigger with your index finger, then push the trigger-lock button with your thumb. Before releasing the lock button, release the trigger. The trigger is now locked. With your right hand, let go of the handle and place it around the center of the body of the machine. This hand should be used ONLY to control the movement of the machine, and NO additional pressure should be applied. ALL the pressure should be exerted from your left hand, directly on the center of the head. This will ensure equal pressure and eliminate the possibility of tilting the machine during operation, which could result in additional repairs. Working in very tight, clockwise circles, with moderate to hard pressure, work the immediate area to be resurfaced. Pay close attention to the slurry generated by the diamond pad. Some stones that appear to be very hard will actually cut quite fast. The faster your water becomes muddy, or thick slurry, the faster the stone is cutting. For
example; Black Absolute is often mistaken to be a very hard stone. It is actually quite soft when cutting, Black Galaxy is very soft. When your slurry becomes thicker, lift your machine straight up off the stone without tilting it and turn it off. Clean the area with a wet rag or sponge, then dry with a soft towel. Clean the area thoroughly. You will need to do this between each grit, it is very important. Inspect the scratch pattern in the stone very carefully. Make sure it is consistent everywhere and that there are no rough scratches or gouges. Of course, make sure your area is flat, or the scratch is no longer visible. Now take your marker and outline the edge of the scratch pattern. Draw more lines on the outside of that line about every ½ inch to an inch for each progressive grit. This will help keep you in a small working area without going too far outside. Granite takes a lot longer to refinish than other stones, and doing more than necessary will only burn your valuable time. Repeat the procedure with the next turbo step. Remember to thoroughly clean, dry and inspect the scratch pattern between each grit. The scratch pattern should be consistent with no variation whatsoever. Make sure to focus on the outside of the pattern to ensure proper overlapping. Overlapping is key, and will ensure a proper, flawless finish in the end. When you finish the 1000 grit turbo, it is good practice to do a few more passes even if you are convinced it s done. This is the stepping stone to the next part of the procedure. You still need to pay attention. These are not your typical resin pads, and the 1000 grit will still take material away. After the 1000 grit turbo step is done, and you are 100% sure it is consistent, you are ready for the next step. When you get down at eye level, you should be able to detect a crystal clear, semi-polish. At this point in the procedure, you will be able to determine whether or not you have kept a flat surface, and will give you a preview of the final results.
The next step is the Alpha Ceramica 1000 grit pad. I know it doesn t make a whole lot of sense to go from 1000 to 1000, but grits mean nothing when using different types of bonded pads. The rigid resin turbo style pads are far more aggressive than the traditional, flexible type pads. The biggest difference however, is in the technique. Remove your last turbo pad and install the 4 rigid backer on to your snail lock adapter. This 4 backer from NSI Solutions is proprietary to this system and allows for quick changing of your tools. Install the Ceramica resin pad onto the rigid backer. You only want to work about ½ a square foot at a time. Mist a very SMALL amount of water onto the surface, about ½ a trigger pull. Start the machine and place the pad over the wet area (not a concern any more due to the high grit and flexibility of the pad). Work in a circular pattern to spread the water out and create a very thin slurry. You want to let the slurry dry into a haze. When you see the dry haze appear, push down very hard and fight the machine as it grabs from the friction. This friction is exactly what you want. This friction will generate heat, and together they will polish the stone. However, you do not want too much heat. If it is too hot to hold your hand on, it is way too hot. It can be very warm at the most. Focus on the outside of the existing scratch pattern first, the pattern left by the 1000 grit turbo pad. This is the most critical part of the procedure. You must eliminate that clearcut outline from the honing of the 1000 grit turbo. When done properly, the shine will increase and that outline will disappear and fade into the stone, with no distinct stopping area. Finish one pass with the Ceramica resin, clean and dry the surface for inspection. Most stones will require two or even three quick passes with the Alpha pad. Some will require only one. You must inspect carefully and decide when it is over. There should be a significant difference in clarity and gloss, and the color will come back almost completely. THE OUTLINE FROM THE 1000 TURBO PAD MUST BE GONE 100%!!
Continue the process until the entire area you have worked on is consistent. Please note, it is normal to see swirls after this step. This is resin smear and will disappear after the next step. There should be no scratches, tool marks or any other distinct, detectable areas other than the general haze left by the last step. The next step is the last step, and is performed with a revolutionary product called MB- 20. MB-20 is a polishing paste for granite. There are many granite polishing compounds on the market these days, but I assure you, none like this one. Using a 7 backer (comes with the Metabo machine) and the 8 hog s par pad, apply a marble-sized dose of the MB-20 to the surface to be polished. You will want to work about 1 square foot at a time to start out. When you get the hang of it, you can work larger areas at a time. If your product is starting to clump up, which it will over time, you can mist a little bit of water on the area. No more than 1 trigger pull. The instructions on the tub say to not add water, but it is okay to add water in moderation Start out slow, with the Metabo on #1 (700 RPM) and work the paste into the surface. After a few seconds, turn the dial to #2 on the Metabo (900 RPM) and lighten up on the pressure. Move the machine back and forth across the surface in a linear pattern. As you see it start to dry, turn the dial up to #3 (1500 RPM) on the Maetabo. Dig the pad into the stone as you move across the surface. The objective is to burnish, or buff the product completely away from the stone. The speed and pressure applied will create the friction necessary to remove the product from the surface. Repeat the process until you have achieved the factory finish to blend in with the rest of the top. Typically, it will take anywhere from 1-3 applications. This process goes rather quickly and drastically reduces the physical fatigue associated with previously popular methods. When you are done, inspect the surface for haze or smears. If you see any, they usually will not be easily removed with a rag. Spray a little more water on the surface and give it a once-over with the pad you used to polish, but DO NOT ADD MORE PRODUCT.
This will dilute the product stuck to the surface and break it up. Going wet-to-dry like this will clean up the surface and prepare it for inspection by your client.