How is granite honed - are there alternate methods?

[jpotter]

I want my slab to be honed, but my fabricator is now telling me that it is too big for his machine and that it will need to be cut before it can be honed.  I'd like to avoid having a seam in my island.  My slab is "L" shaped with long edges measuring 111 inches by 76 inches.

Can honing be done chemically?

[Mark D.]

Nothing that I know of. sorry.
You could sand it but the appearance would be poor.

Mark

[hoove]

I have had some luck using automotive wet sand methods. Diamond pads are outrageously expensive. I would be curious to see if an automotive body shop would consider doing it. If they can put a nice finish to a car body...

[Mark D.]

The problem with hand sanding this is that you are taking a piece of stone where the top is on one plane and scratching away the gloss. You will have some areas of the stone where you will have to sand it more than others and this will make some small depressions on the stone which will hold liquids in place.
The other problem is that some areas will be more scratched than other areas resulting in a poor appearance.

That being said if you still want to try it definitely stick with the diamond pads (like 600 grit sandpaper) because the silicon carbide sandpaper that the body shops use won't work on granite.

Hoove, you are 0 for 3...maybe you should check before your posts lead someone to mess up there stone.

Mark

[hoove]

I bow to the sage of stone.

[Mark D.]

Hoove,
No offense intended I assure you, but you are comparing granite to working on cars.
You should NEVER paint granite.
There are some materials that work sanding paint and metal that won't work on stone because it is so much harder.
Routing a joint will never make it smaller.
Don't use construction adhesive on natural stone...there is too big a chance of it bleeding through the stone and staining it.

We do appreciate your input here I assure you, but when in doubt you might want to ask a question rather than offer an answer that may be incorrect..
Mark

[Stone Dude]

honing powder is going to be your best bet for a final finish. diamonds will tend to leave swirls and glare marks, and look incomplete, just like honed tile from the factory. i would start with 200 diamond pad, and work your way up to 400, then finish with a 600 or 800 honing powder. if you use diamond pads, and arent experienced, be sure to use no bigger than a 4" pad with a rigid backer. this will prevent an uneven surface like mark was talking about. the honing powder should be used as a slurry with a variable speed sander set on the lowest setting (makita has the lowest of 600) . get a 7" foam backer and cut the same size out of a white floor pad for the honing powder.