Stone Refinishing Training is not for everyone; it is a specialized area of training aimed entirely at craftsmen working with natural quarried stone or one of the modern engineered counterparts. In particular stone that will become a surface such as a countertop, flooring or wall cladding. Sculptors will use similar techniques but as an adjunct to their art.
With stone, the starting point lacks luster in its natural state and after quarrying and basic cutting to size and shape, the finished piece needs to be polished and sealed. This process could be referred to either as finishing or refinishing. If, after time in use, the stone has become stained, scratched, weathered or, otherwise lost its finish; further polishing and sealing might be required to refinish the stone to restore its original appearance. Those who carry out this work could easily cause irreparable damage to the stone they are working on if they have not acquired the necessary skills through proper Stone Refinishing Training.
Stone Training Courses
Working with stone is not a book learning thing and those seeking a career in stone working will need the type of a�?hands-ona�? training that only attendance on one of the applicable Stone Training Courses can provide. Obviously, a good knowledge of stone; its types and features will be required but the main area of instruction will be in choosing the correct tools, techniques and aids to use when finishing or refinishing any given piece of stone.
In days of old, stone masons might spend years of training by being apprenticed to a master mason and working with the most basic of hand tools. There were no electric grinders or polishers back in the days when they built large edifices in stone (such as the marble Taj Mahal in India). The stone was hewn by hand and polished by hand rubbing with abrasive compounds.
Today, the range of available abrasives is not only larger but also more efficient in use; especially when applied with rotary power tools small enough to be hand held (or pushed somewhat like a vacuum cleaner). Todaya��s tools are so efficient that, if used without the proper knowledge and experience, too much stone might be removed during refinishing and the piece could be ruined and require replacement.
Fortunately, people with a genuine love for stone and the products made from it a�� such as the late Maurizio Bertoli who founded MB Stone Pro a�� are only too keen to share their specialized knowledge by training others to become good stone refinishers. Those interested should sign up for one of these courses.
