Im new to the polishing game but im putting an order in with you imminently so im going to order a polishing disc.. I mainly work with porcelain so if you could direct me on what I should get to have a play around with...
I'll run through some of the more common applications in tiling:-
Electroplated diamond hand pads #50 to #400 grit. These are ideal for tidying up edges and envelope cuts on individual tiles. You wouldn't want to be doing much quantity with these, they are a handy tool to have in the kit.
Silicon Carbide discs:- The reality is you can polish pretty much anything with these, they are probably the most appropriate product for a tiler that does a bit of polishing every now and again.
The very low grits #40,#60,#80 you're grinding. #120-#320 is honing. #400 upwards is varying degrees of polish. #1200 is very fine, often used in glazing to polish glass.
Silicon carbide grits do not relate to diamond grits. Diamond pads generally range from #30 to #6000 whereas the same range is covered in SiC discs in #40 to #1200. (#1200 SiC is about #6000 diamond).
The main advantage of diamond pads (the round one you use on a polisher) is longevity, they last far longer so are more economical when doing lots of polishing, particularly wet polishing.
Dry diamond pads are simply less messy (more dust, less water) cost more than wet pads, generally don't last as long but easier to use on site. You don't have to dress like a fishmonger to use them.
Any specific questions just ask.
