Machines
Specialist and hand machines
Edge grinders, benchtop and vertical machines, wet polishers and the tooling that reaches what a floor machine cannot.
Most of the visible quality in a finished job is decided at the edges, on vertical surfaces and around fixtures, because that is where a floor machine cannot go. Specialist machines exist to make those areas match the field.
This category covers variable-speed wet polishers, edge and corner grinders, benchtop machines for horizontal work away from the floor, and the small-diameter tooling that suits them.
What it is used for
- Grinding and polishing hard against skirtings, thresholds and door frames
- Restoring benchtops, vanities, tabletops and window sills in place
- Working vertical stone: shower walls, splashbacks, cladding and stair risers
- Refinishing profiled edges and bullnoses where a flat plate cannot sit
- Detail work around floor wastes, columns and inset fixtures
How to choose
The decisions that actually change the outcome, rather than the specifications that are easiest to compare.
- Variable speed is not optional
- Resin tooling and polishing compounds each have a speed band in which they work and above which they burn or glaze the stone. A fixed-speed machine limits which stages can be run and risks damage on softer material.
- Water feed and electrical safety
- Wet polishing on site needs controlled water delivery and residual current protection. Machines intended for wet use are built for it; adapting a dry machine is a genuine hazard rather than a shortcut.
- Reach and body shape
- The deciding factor for edge work is how close the abrasive sits to the machine's outer edge. A few millimetres determines whether a hand-worked margin is needed at all.
What it will not do
- Hand machines cannot produce a flat plane across an open floor
- Small tooling wears quickly and adds consumable cost on large areas
- Some profiles and internal corners still require hand abrasives
Where this sits in the process
Equipment only makes sense in the context of the stage it belongs to.
Tell us what you work with
Recommending the right tooling depends on the stone you work on and the finish you sell. Send those details and we will advise on what actually suits the work.