New Makita 9565CVL & white marble.

[Sean Kelly]

I got my new Makita from stonetools the other day. I bought the full set of dry disks too.

For the past week or so I have been trawling through the web in search of tips on how to remove blemishes, glass marks, fruit burns from white marble. I have come up blank.

Today I have tried out the machine and pads and have a few questions.
1. The speed on the Makita was set to 2, then I moved it to 3 when I got to 1500 grit. What speed should I have it set to?
2. Should I be holding the polisher level (horizontal) to the marble when polishing?
3. Should I be as light as possible when polishing or should I be using the weight of the polisher, or should I be heavy handed with the polisher?
4. I keep getting burn marks on the white marble, but I thinks its' deposits from the dry disks. Any tips on how to avoid these marks. The marks mostly appear on grit 3000 and the Buff pad. I have to go back down to 1500 to get rid of them.

I have read that I may have to run in the discs before using them on a job.

Any help is urgently required.

Cheers
Sean

I enclose a pic:

 

[Sean Kelly]

I went back to 400 grit and then 800, 1500, but on 300 and buff the black marks came back onto my marble. I am thinking that level 3 speed is too high? Can someone take a look at this 3000 grit disc and tell me if it's burned out. Should I be using a sponge and water when polishing? I was looking at going on a course but all I want is to be able to buff up a work top and remove stains and marks. Cheers Sean

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Right first of all those pads look cheap and nasty to me. What make are they? 3000grit is not worn but your burning it. to polish marble you only need to be working between 155-175 RPM check the manual it should tell you what number each speed is, if you cant' find let me know the model of the machine and shall get it for you.

Right when operating the machine you need to keep it as flat as possible (hand on the grip & hand on the top slight pressure down) work across the work surface evenly other wise you will cause "dishing" in the stone. Now when you get to 3000 grit stop take a natural hair pad water and either a acidic or non acidic polishing powder and polish it you will then get rid of the "black swirls" which is what I believe you are referring to.

Tips: I prefer wet but have some kind of barrier around you so you don't get splash marks all over you. Secondly if its that white Carrea Marble in the picture it will polish after 1500 or even 800. The "Buff" pad is for granite put it away.

 

[Sean Kelly]

Tony, great advice. Each pad is just over £10 and the buff was about £15. I will practice practice practice on my sample tile. Can you recommend a polishing powder please? I will also check out the machine speed. Cheers Tony again. Sean

 

[Mike Mike]

Right first of all those pads look cheap and nasty to me. What make are they? 3000grit is not worn but your burning it. to polish marble you only need to be working between 155-175 RPM check the manual it should tell you what number each speed is, if you cant' find let me know the model of the machine and shall get it for you.

Right when operating the machine you need to keep it as flat as possible (hand on the grip & hand on the top slight pressure down) work across the work surface evenly other wise you will cause "dishing" in the stone. Now when you get to 3000 grit stop take a natural hair pad water and either a acidic or non acidic polishing powder and polish it you will then get rid of the "black swirls" which is what I believe you are referring to.

Tips: I prefer wet but have some kind of barrier around you so you don't get splash marks all over you. Secondly if its that white Carrea Marble in the picture it will polish after 1500 or even 800. The "Buff" pad is for granite put it away.

Sage advice Marble_Tony. Sorry to bring this up, but your name, it's familiar somehow??? You're not related to Swiss Tony from the Fast Show by any chance?

[video=youtube;Hr3hP0CeiQo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr3hP0CeiQo&feature=related[/video]

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

No problem

Mmmmm If a mod says I can I will. I don't want to get into trouble. Pads sound cheap a descent pad should be costing 15-20 thing to look out for next time is the ones with good resin and with plenty of flex in.

 

[Gazzer]

No problem

Mmmmm If a mod says I can I will. I don't want to get into trouble. Pads sound cheap a descent pad should be costing 15-20 thing to look out for next time is the ones with good resin and with plenty of flex in.

Go for it.

 

[Sean Kelly]

Tony,

The dial and rpm info:

1 - 2000 rpm
2 - 3000 rpm
3 - 4500 rpm
4 - 6000 rpm
5 - 7800 rpm

I would have pad £20 a pad if that's what they cost. The job lined up is a massive marble island (in a kitchen). about 2m x 3m.

Is there a way of getting those brown marks off the bottom of the pad?

When I used the Buff pad it just made things worse.

Cheers
Sean

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Okay well just to make it fair so you have a choice. The one we use is Klindex KP85 which will polish 90% of marbles I know for fact it will polish that marble! (unless it's the cheap stuff from turkey) or has high Iron content in it. There are other choices out there Diaglo, Green Hulk etc what you need to be careful of is that it is not a vitrification method which green hulk is this should be a last resort Aqua Mix do two different ones Renue and Reviver. The key is to let it "Breath" the stone that is after you have completed it. There are also other ways like wax it then polish that way I don't advise it but like to give options.

 

[Gazzer]

Just thought Sean, is the sample you are working on the same as you will be polishing in the future ?

 

[Sean Kelly]

I got a bit of a shock there Tony. I found KP85 on Amazon for £100 !!!!!!! then I found a smaller 1k tub on ebay for £40. Cheers for the advise.
Sean

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Sorry Sean you must of posted when I was typing. In my experience it's to high that machine. If you try it again then go with water at the lowest speed you can Drench the stone and try and keep it as wet as possible someone standing there with a water bottle is you best bet. The marks on your pads may just wash off.

Yes it would of got worse one of the reasons is that a stone can only be polished so much see what your doing is what you do to would your making the surface go tighter and tighter the finer grit you go and sometimes you just have to know when to say stop. Keep practicing at least you have a quality polisher for granite!

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Give me a call tomorrow it's not that much!:whistling:

 

[Sean Kelly]

Just thought Sean, is the sample you are working on the same as you will be polishing in the future ?

I'm 99% sure its Carrera White.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

It certainly looks like Carrera but the thing is sean there is A,B, C/D grade ect also there is a Turkish one full of silicon when you look under a microscope it's ........... to polish