Lortone Stage 3 Aluminum Oxide Pre-polish - 5 Microns

The Critical Step Between Grinding and a Brilliant Final Polish You've spent days—or even weeks—tumbling your rocks, and now you're ready for the final polish. But there's one important step you don't want to rush. Step 3 Pre-Polish prepares your stones for the final shine. Lortone Step 3 Pre-Polish uses an ultra-fine 5-micron aluminum oxide abrasive to refine the surface of your stones after the grinding stages have removed the larger scratches and imperfections. The result is a smoother, more refined surface that's properly prepared for Step 4 Final Polish. Why Use a Pre-Polish? One of the most frustrating experiences in rock tumbling is finishing all four stages only to discover that your stones aren't shiny. Often, the problem isn't the final polish—it's the surface underneath it. If scratches from Step 1 or Step 2 are still present, your final polish has to work against those imperfections. A final polishing compound is designed to create shine on an already smooth surface; it isn't intended to remove significant scratches. That's why Step 3 is so important. Step 3 bridges the gap between grinding and polishing, using a much finer abrasive to smooth and refine the stone surface before the final polishing stage. 5-Micron Aluminum Oxide Lortone Step 3 Pre-Polish contains 5-micron aluminum oxide, an extremely fine abrasive designed for the pre-polishing stage. At just 5 microns, the abrasive particles are fine enough to work on the smaller surface imperfections left behind after the earlier grinding stages. Specifications: Product: Lortone Step 3 Pre-Polish Abrasive: Aluminum Oxide Particle Size: 5 Micron Approximate Mesh Equivalent: ~3,000 mesh Stage: Step 3 – Pre-Polish Use: Rock and gemstone tumbling Suitable for: Most rocks and stones Micron is the preferred specification for very fine abrasives. Mesh equivalents are approximate and can vary depending on the grading standard used. The Difference You'll See After a successful Step 3, your stones should have a noticeably smoother surface. Some stones may even begin to show a soft luster before the final polish. That's exactly what you want. Step 3 isn't supposed to produce the final shine. It's supposed to create the surface that allows Step 4 to produce the final shine. Keep Your Step 3 Clean At this stage, cleanliness becomes especially important. Before starting Step 3, thoroughly clean your stones, barrel, lid, and any tumbling media to remove leftover coarse or medium grit. Cross-contamination from earlier stages can introduce larger abrasive particles into your pre-polish and create new scratches. For the same reason, we recommend keeping your Step 3 and Step 4 media separate whenever possible. A little extra cleaning at this stage can make a big difference in your final results. Use With Ceramic or Plastic Media Small rocks may not fill a tumbler barrel enough to provide the proper cushioning and contact needed for effective polishing. Adding appropriate tumbling media helps fill the barrel, improves the tumbling action, and provides more consistent contact between the stones and abrasive slurry. For the best results, keep the barrel properly filled and maintain the appropriate amount of water to create a smooth slurry. Don't Rush Step 3 The pre-polish stage deserves the same attention as the final polish. If your stones still have visible scratches after Step 3, don't move on to Step 4 just because the stones have completed the recommended number of days. Run Step 3 longer if necessary. Every rock is different. Hardness, shape, surface condition, and the amount of damage left from previous stages can all affect how long a batch needs. The goal isn't simply to finish Step 3. The goal is to finish Step 3 with a properly refined surface. Ready for the Final Polish? Once your stones have completed Step 3 and have a smooth, scratch-free surface, they're ready for Step 4 Final Polish. Lortone's Step 4 polish uses 1-micron aluminum oxide, which is significantly finer than the 5-micron Step 3 pre-polish. That progression—from grinding, to 5-micron pre-polish, to 1-micron final polish—is what helps transform ordinary rough stones into smooth, glossy, polished gems. Product Highlights ✓ 5-micron aluminum oxide ✓ Ultra-fine abrasive for the pre-polishing stage ✓ Helps remove fine scratches left after grinding ✓ Prepares stones for the final polish ✓ Designed for use in a 4-step rock tumbling process ✓ Suitable for most rocks and gemstones ✓ Lortone quality Give Your Final Polish the Surface It Needs A beautiful final polish starts long before Step 4. Lortone Step 3 Pre-Polish gives your stones the fine surface preparation they need before the final polishing stage—helping you get closer to the smooth, glossy finish you've been working toward.