Thanks for your reply Adam.
 
   Let me see... I first lay a neutral barrier over previous polished area. Then I spread the powder on the dry floor in an arc, roughly a quarter the circumference of pad, to the right of my machine. I drop a couple seconds of water, start the machine, then once steady drop it onto the arc. Then I quickly swing left & right over area to distribute. From there I begin the 4 minute pattern.
 
   I think that means I was doing what your first solution proposes. I think the variable here is the amount of water. As I mentioned, I was low on powder, so I quit dropping much, if at all, water. But frustrated with the etching, I was laying thicker & thicker neutral barrier, which due to the imperfect level, was running into my slurry. I'm guessing that with more slurry, more slinging.
 
   I can see the point of your second solution, but it seems to be a lot of work, when the polished areas are on more than one side of the current work area.
 
   Yes, I was experiencing that the powder left on my pad at times, was enough to remove the etched spots, but apparently was also enough to make new etches.
 
   I'm learning a lot here. Really do appreciate this group.
 
 
Eric Lewis, Technical Mgr
DirtyGroutGuys.com
West Chester, PA 19380

On Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 6:50 PM, Adam <info@restoreyourtiles.com> wrote:
The problem you are having may be as simple as spreading polishing powder over neutralized area when you start to polish new section. Hot Powder granules are sitting for full 4 minutes etching the stone. 

Do you drop your machine over the powder or run into it? 
There are simple solutions to this, one is to drop machine over the powder, the second solution is to make 2 passes over previously polished section right at the end of you 4 minutes and before you are about to flood with water. 

Honing is not needed to fix it. Just take used polishing pad add some water and quickly repolish all. You may add a little of polishing powder if you have to but only if you can't get them out with the leftover powder on the pad. 

Hopefully that will help. Good luck. 

Adam Bartos
BiO Tile & Grout Restoration

On Apr 8, 2012, at 2:10 PM, Eric - DGG <eric@dirtygroutguys.com> wrote:

   Thanks Stuart. No, none of the splatter marks matched any of the component lines of the stone. That pic isn't really representive  of the marks. Yes, most appeared elongated. My helper remarked that many looked like crows feet.
 
   The main reason the client is probably satisfied is that there are very few angles where you can get daylight on the marble. You really need the bright sunlight to easily make out the marks. While I can find them with the overhead lighting, they don't photograph well. This photo might help:
 
 
   I was spending 4 minutes on each 10 sq.
 
 
Eric Lewis, Technical Mgr
DirtyGroutGuys.com
West Chester, PA 19380



On Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 2:25 PM, stuart rosen <mail@stoneshine.com> wrote:
Hello Eric,
Just so you know-everyone of us has been in that spot-so if it makes you feel any better you aren't alone.
First jobs are always a memorable experience.
Your right its hard to see the pic but  this is what I see.
First-that doesn't look like crema marfil. I would bet a buck(that's my limit!) it is a marble that has some sensitive minerals in the makeup.
So what I think is happening is that you aren't etching due to to the splattering but the amount of powder and the time you are spending on the surface is burning the sensitive minerals. From the pic it looks like the etching is happening to one particular mineral in the stone.
The etches from splatters look like a elongated teardrops if that's make sense to you.
If the rest of what I am saying makes sense then you will likely just have to tweak your process.Can you send us a better pic or just explain if the etching after closer examination does in fact appear to be on a certain mineral.
If that is the case than you will probably need to rehone the surface like Jamie says lightly like a 400 grit and then take the stone up higher to 800 or even above then polish. Then like John says you may have to use much less powder and or water or switch to something like a non-acidic powder. Don't get freaked out the folks here will help you get through this.

On Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 11:49 AM, <flooramor@aim.com> wrote:
MB--22 might be a product that may help you out with this also. You'll most likely have to do some light honing, but test first.

Sent from a smartphone.
From: john jackson <kcstoneguy@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2012 07:31:56 -0700 (PDT)
To: Restoration and Maintenance<sccpartners@stoneandtilepros.com>
ReplyTo: "Restoration and Maintenance" <sccpartners@stoneandtilepros.com>
Subject: RE: [sccpartners] 5X Slinger

welcome to the wonderful world of stone. When i first started, would have problems like that a lot. But i learned that the powder I was using was too hot, ( i was using that Hertron junk)..I switched to true 5x powders, I will only use Italian Craftsman 5x powders, much easier to work with.

I always use an alkaline natural stone cleaner to neutralize  the acid of the powder polish, not a neutral cleaners.

#3 and probably most importantly, each stone varies in how sensitive it is.  A lot of time with a limestone or similar type stone, you dont really use much water at all, just mist the water and almost just do a dry polish. It just takes time and experience to learn what to do. It could be the photo, but it didnt really look like crema marfil to me, looked more like a limestone due to the color, most crema marfil has more of a yellow hue to it. And to be honest, some stones are so acid sensitive you just cannot use a powder polish like 5x...thats why i keep a bucket of Eastern Marbles 52b in the van, its a non acidic (tin oxide) compound.

my main suggestion is to cut back on the powder and not use so much water and see how that goes..

From: Eric - DGG <eric@dirtygroutguys.com>
To: Restoration and Maintenance <sccpartners@stoneandtilepros.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 9:09 AM
Subject: [sccpartners] 5X Slinger

   Trust you all are having a fine Easter weekend.
 
   First marble polishing job since being trained by John & Butch in beginning of March. 320 sq Crema Marfil foyer, powder room & hallway. Seemed like a nice simple first job. Right.
 
   The prescription was 220, 400 & 5X polish. Everything went fine up until the polish. After drying there appeared to be splash etching marks on the stone. My first assumption was that the mix ratio of the neutral cleaner was too light, so I quadrupled it. Repeated the polish which removed the etch marks, only to have new ones appear.
 
   Okay, so maybe using the pump sprayer to lay down the neutral barrier wasn't such a good idea, even though it appeared flooded. Switched to the academic bucket & mop method. Took extra care to lay it down thick. Yet still the marks appeared.
 
   The only other variable was how I removed the slurry. Used both wet vac & our truck mount spinner. Neither seemed to make a difference.
 
   I even tried just doing 10 sq at a time before extraction, as opposed to the normal 20. Same problem.
 
 
   Not a great photo, but the etch marks should be obvious.
 
   I was even sparing on the 5X as I discovered that the one pound container we had was only going to cover 250 sq.
 
   I know I'm a newbie, but this is ridiculous. Any clue as to what I'm doing wrong?
 
 
Eric Lewis
DirtyGroutGuys.com
West Chester, PA 19380



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