Life In 19x19

Hi guys! So I followed Erythen's guide on cleaning shell go stones and I have some questions. After the treatment, is the stone supposed to be matte? I noticed that it doesn't shine. And it doesn't feel as slick? The untreated one feels like glass when you touch it and run your fingers through it; the treated one, however, does not. There is more resistance to it.

Would a polishing cloth help? Can I buff it? How? Would ibotaro wax restore its glean?

I used a 3% H202 solution and left it for about 48 hours. I've attached an image for reference.

Thank you!

Shell stones come with a coating of wax which makes them feel so smooth. Possibly you removed the wax coating when you cleaned the stones. I think the wax might be available from Kuroki Goishi shop. Some kind of micro-crystaline wax, like Renaissance Wax might work. I doubt that buffing the stones without wax would help much.

gowan wrote:Shell stones come with a coating of wax which makes them feel so smooth. Possibly you removed the wax coating when you cleaned the stones. I think the wax might be available from Kuroki Goishi shop. Some kind of micro-crystaline wax, like Renaissance Wax might work. I doubt that buffing the stones without wax would help much.

Thanks! Will try waxing them. Question, doesn't wax get stripped away if you use some dishwashing liquid? I've tested it on some stones, and it didn't really dry or matte them out like the post-H202 stone. You can feel a bit of friction, yes, but it hasn't lost its glass-like feel. And the stones still reflect light. What are your thoughts?

gowan wrote:Shell stones come with a coating of wax which makes them feel so smooth. Possibly you removed the wax coating when you cleaned the stones. I think the wax might be available from Kuroki Goishi shop. Some kind of micro-crystaline wax, like Renaissance Wax might work. I doubt that buffing the stones without wax would help much.

I completely agree with Gowan.

The wax is at the origin of the smooth and shiny appearance of the white stones.
H2O2 treatment removed it while restoring and cleaning the surface.
The difference between H2O2 and soap is that the former is lightly acid and will attack the surface of the stone creating the microporosity (matt/frictioning sensation). The soap option will mostly remove dirt and wax with less acid effect.
I do not recall any suggestion about soaping white shell stones thought, it is usually said to buff them with some soft cloth (that have the effect of removing the dirt and shine again the wax by levelling it on the surface).

Anyway, Erythen's guide advise to apply wax again after H2O2 treatment (if I well remember, he suggest using carnauba wax, but microcrystalline is a good, possibly better option, as Gowan stated). After waxing you will again have your lustering white stones ...and they will be better protected too.

Galation

Galation wrote:

gowan wrote:Shell stones come with a coating of wax which makes them feel so smooth. Possibly you removed the wax coating when you cleaned the stones. I think the wax might be available from Kuroki Goishi shop. Some kind of micro-crystaline wax, like Renaissance Wax might work. I doubt that buffing the stones without wax would help much.

I completely agree with Gowan.

The wax is at the origin of the smooth and shiny appearance of the white stones.
H2O2 treatment removed it while restoring and cleaning the surface.
The difference between H2O2 and soap is that the former is lightly acid and will attack the surface of the stone creating the microporosity (matt/frictioning sensation). The soap option will mostly remove dirt and wax with less acid effect.
I do not recall any suggestion about soaping white shell stones thought, it is usually said to buff them with some soft cloth (that have the effect of removing the dirt and shine again the wax by levelling it on the surface).

Anyway, Erythen's guide advise to apply wax again after H2O2 treatment (if I well remember, he suggest using carnauba wax, but microcrystalline is a good, possibly better option, as Gowan stated). After waxing you will again have your lustering white stones ...and they will be better protected too.

Galation

Hi thank you for your reply! You guys have been very informative. Will try waxing them once I get my hands on a good one. BTW, one thing I've noticed is that the sides of the stones tend to get rougher than the rest. Will try buffing it on a soft cloth and see how that goes. Thanks again!