restoring marble

[Ivan in Oz]

had terrible problems pulling a root through my uni years.

I had all my Wisdom teeth pulled [Roots and all] before I left High school
I remember RPN, I used to understand it, no more.

[maglite]

had terrible problems pulling a root through my uni years

I didnt need to go to uni to have that exact same problem

[johnc]

Stains can go deep into marble, especially rust, beetroot, red wine, felt tip marker etc. It is much softer then granite and will not hold a natural shine as granite will. It is relatively easy to cut with a stone fibre blade and a diamond tip blade will fly through it. It can be polished with wet and dry but as with cutting mask up for dust. You can also cut it back with a wet slurry and a carborundum or even water stones (only the ones you don't really value) the key is to not press, work the whole surface the stone will cut under its own weight, and gradually move to finer stones until you get the polish you want. Can't help you on finish we used non silicone floor wax such as Fishers if it still exists but that will not do for a food surface. I've been told that a paste of Salts of Sorrell and Oxalic Acid will draw out the stains but have never tried it, Applied Chemicals amongst others have probably got a better brew these days.

You will end up with dead flat stones with slightly rounded edges where the slurry builds up I guess.

John.

[wombat47]

Several years ago we acquired a piece of marble very cheaply from a monumental stone mason who was going out of business. The plan was to incorporate it into a kitchen bench. But, having looked into the care that marble requires in a kitchen, we changed our minds.

Because of its porous nature and ability to absorb water and stains, there is a huge list of do and don't associated with marble. Even the currently popular orange based cleaners are likely to damage the surface. Vinegar, ditto, so don't spill the salad dressing on it.

A penetrating sealer will provide some protection but, even then, it is advisable to recoat on a yearly basis. And the sealer won't protect from scratches, etc., from glass bowls, saucepans, etc.

Is there some way of using your marble without creating a care/cleaning nightmare? Perhaps using it as a top for a pull out unit, where the marble would be protected under the existing bench top.

If I were contemplating a bench top insert, I think I'd go for reconstituted granite which, according to Granite Transformations, is "flexibile, resistant to wear and to chemical agents, light weight, non absorbant and frost resistant and is heat, stain, and scratch resistant". The frost resistance is what sold me.

[johnc]

Generally you did not coat marble with anything in the kitchen and used it for rolling out the pastry, as the previous post said you have to be careful as it is easily stained and damaged. Personally I would not use it, and I did work as a Monumental Mason for a period of time and saw various sides of its use. The material is very effective as a table top or other applications away from kitchen preparation areas but is not suited as a general purpose kitchen work top.


John

[seriph1]

When working for a very large importer of restoration/period products in Melbourne, we had a large number of marble mantels that required cleaning. A range of poultices were used as well as a year "on the roof in the sun" were applied as stain removers. It seems Marble is incredibly porous and as mentioned, fairly sucks up iron-type materials. I recall one person said that a specific food-friendly oil can be used to sel the marble, which made me remember that it can't be vegetable oil as it goes rancid apparently.

[bennylaird]

I went for Ceaserstone (spelling?)

Works great and has a bit of bounce without chipping. Cleans up nice with no satin problems, cheaper too.

[seriph1]

I love caesar stone too ....... doesnt address what they are to d owith their bit of marble though

[helga]

note to self: check with forum before buying stuff out of Classifieds on weekends.

Thank you for replies. Maybe we will rethink plan for slab to be in main galley bench and put it on a sideboard out of the everyday work space. I am still keen to use it for rolling out stuff, etc. mmmmm PIES.Can anyone recommend grit for wet and dry sanding, I imagine not too rough? Thanks again
Uni sounds boring, I'll stick with TAFE.
Helga

[Clinton1]

Helga,

Did you check out the Monumental Masons as suggested in another post?

I think that the monumental masons would be able to recommend a suitable sealant, although maybe they don't have too many people wanting food safe headstones.

Otherwise, you could cut it down to size and use it as a rolling board - I'll grudgingly accept the other piece to help you get rid of it.

I'd like to hear how you go.

Cheers,
Clinton. (who has his eye on a piece of cheap marble)

[johnc]

The smooth side of your average Norton carborundum stone will be fine, if you've got the patience to rub it back yourself. If its wet and dry just go back through your papers to around 1200, I note the comment on headstone sealer, forget it marble will not hold a sealer in the weather. Not only that but cleaners for granite and bluestone generally stain marble. To polish for inside use most wax based floor and furniture polishes will do the job, but avoid car polish I'm told. Ubeauts EEE may well do the job, but have not tried it myself on stone.

[dennford]

I know that this is an old post but as Ihave just bought a marble topped washstand I wondered if anyone has found out more - particularly stain removal and sealing/finishing. I have started to sand back but will leave some of the marks (I don't want a untouched surface).

Basically I would like to get rid of the stains - including cigarette burns and give it something of a finish.

Denn

[seriph1]

I believe the best bet would be to call (I even hate to say their name - their service stinks) SCHOTS in Melbourne and ask to speak with the Marble Fireplace expert and explain your plight .... there are people who restore this stuff in Perth but I can't recall who they are these days, sorry. Because the material is so porous, it can be dyed if you can't remove the marks..... so at least you could disguise them by making the top darker, but I would try bleaching them out first .... just gotta make sure to use the right chemicals.