Things You'll Need
Sand paper
Tung oil or furniture polishing oil
Clean, dry rags
Soapstone is a soft-and-beautiful mineral that is popular for hand carving. If you want a finished soapstone work to shine, it must be properly treated and polished using the right kind of oil and the proper techniques. Polishing your soapstone will give it a professional-looking finish and help bring out the subtle features, natural colors and shapes within the stone.
Step 1
Sand the stone to remove cutting and filing marks. Use medium-grain sandpaper to start, then switch to finer paper after you have removed the largest marks to refine the stone's overall texture.
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Step 2
Rinse the stone in a gentle stream of water to remove all traces of dust from sanding. Let the stone dry completely before polishing.
Step 3
Apply tung oil or furniture polish to a polishing cloth. Use just a few drops of oil at a time to avoid oversaturation because this will leave the stone oily or gummy instead of well-polished.
Step 4
Rub the stone with oil. Use firm, circular motions over the stone's entire surface. Apply more oil as needed (a drop at a time) until you have created a shiny finish over the entire surface of the stone.
Step 5
Buff the polished soapstone. Rub the stone with a dry, clean rag to even out the distribution of polishing oil and to remove any excess.
Tip
To prevent dust in the air during sanding, wet both the stone and paper.