Cleaning agates is an essential step after cutting and before beginning to polish them.
Why should an agate be thoroughly cleaned?
The main reason is to prevent scratches during polishing, as loose material with a high degree of hardness can detach from the surface during polishing and be drawn under the grinding wheel. This then leads to scratches and is extremely annoying. In many cases, one then has to continue with a coarser grit.
What methods of cleaning are there?
There are different methods for cleaning:
- Hard plastic brush
- Soft plastic brush
- Steel wire brush
- Brass wire brush
- High-pressure cleaner
- Ultrasonic bath
In most cases, we prefer pre-cleaning with a hard plastic brush and subsequent treatment with a high-pressure cleaner. The advantage of this method is that the surface visually remains similar. With metal brushes, it is important to note that the metal can change the surface due to abrasion!
An ultrasonic bath is also a good method, but only high-quality ultrasonic cleaners are suitable for this. Cheap models often only have a low cleaning effect.
