Organizing Your Materials

• Gather all the materials you need before you begin. This includes rags, a polishing compound and sandpaper ranging from the rough 80 grit to the fine 600 grit. You will want about 10 grits of sandpaper. You will also need a bucket of water in which to dip your cloth when you wipe away the grit after sanding the slabs. Choose a location to polish your slabs where the mess won't matter or put down some plastic sheets to catch the mess.
  
  

Only Polish Visible Portions

• If the slab will be placed on the ground, you don't need to polish the bottom. Simply polish the top and sides of the slab. If the slab will be placed as part of a wall, only polish the part that will be visible.The exception is if the stone is at the top of the wall. In this case, you'll need to polish the top and side of the slab as well.
  
  

Be Patient

• Avoid the temptation to rush when you're polishing a slab. Use a back and forth motion with the sandpaper, wiping with the cloth as you work. Start with the 80 grit sandpaper and do as much as you can with it before moving on to the next stronger grit. Remember to wipe the stone with the wet cloth after each sanding. By doing so, you'll remove the previous grit and make the subsequent sanding go more smoothly.
  
  

Use Protection

• Wear eye protection while you are sanding as rock grit in the eyes can be both painful and dangerous. You should also wear gloves, since one slip the wrong way with the sandpaper could result in a nasty cut, especially if you are working with a very jagged rock. If you are asthmatic or particularly sensitive to inhaled dust, you should also wear a dust mask to keep the particles out.