How to leather granite

[santanota]

Hi guys

Recently I bought a radial arm, the first one in Bogota
I'd like to receive your suggestion for the leathering finish on granite

How can start to leather granite?
Could you tell me the steps and grit of the brushes?
Where can I buy the brushes and what brand you suggest?

Looking forward your comments

Best regards

[Matt Lansing]

If your slabs are polished then you usually want to remove the polish first as the brushes can slide around on the polish and not bite real well. How you remove the polish will help determine how rough of a brushed finish you will end up with.

This is what we usually do:
We are running all Tenax abrasives now.
Remove polished with a 80 grit metal or abrasive frankfurt brick.
Start with a 36 or 60 grit frankfurt brush, again depending on how rough you want the surface.
Continue up with the 120, 220, 400 grit brushes.

We made our own drive plate from some 3/8" stainless steel plate and some Weha plastic frankfurt shoes to hold the abrasives.

500 RPM, full water, and good down pressure but not so much that you crush the brushes.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

There is a thread around that Carmine did awhile ago don't know if it was on this site or the old SFA sight
anyhow i was at his shop and the brushed stones they do with their radial arm are top shelf , maybe he will chime in too

[VThartzog]

I've never done it, but have heard guys flipping the slab over and brushing the rough side.

[Dan R.]

The Tenax 35 grit diamond wire brush will remove the polish. Brushing is like polishing, the higher the grit the more color comes out of the stone. There are many finished options that are easily achieved with a it of experience.

After the 35 diamond wire, we typically use a 36, 46,60,120,220,320,400,600,800 Filiaflex resin brushes from Tenax in many different combinations. We also use the 45 and 60 diamond wire brushes from time to time. There are Tenax polishing bricks that help achieve a Caressed finished (leather with polish high spots)mare valuable to have on hand.

[santanota]

I thank to everybody
Greatful for your help!!!

[Carmine Pantano]

Here is the video using a Park Wizard and the Tenax brushes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuXO9QSkuhM&feature=plcp