Felt Polishing Laps – Flat Laps for Soft & Medium Gemstone Final Polish

Felt polishing laps provide a soft, conformable flat polishing surface for achieving a bright final polish on soft to medium hardness gemstones. Mounted on standard flat lap machines, felt laps work with tin oxide, cerium oxide, chrome oxide, and alumina compounds to deliver a gentle, scratch-free finish on opal, turquoise, malachite, rhodonite, and similar materials.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What is the difference between a felt polishing lap and a felt polishing pad?
  A: Felt polishing laps are flat discs designed for use on flat lap machines, providing a stable, flat polishing surface for cabochons and faceted stones. Felt polishing pads are typically used on rotary or vibratory polishing machines and may have a backing for attachment to different machine types.
• Q: What stones are felt laps best suited for?
  A: Felt laps are ideal for soft to medium hardness stones (Mohs 3–6) such as opal, turquoise, malachite, rhodonite, and fluorite. For harder stones (Mohs 7+), leather, phenolic, zinc, or tin laps are more effective.
• Q: What polishing compound should I use with a felt lap?
  A: Tin oxide is the traditional choice for soft stones on felt. Cerium oxide works well for opal and glass. Chrome oxide is preferred for jade and green stones. Alumina is a versatile option for medium-hard stones.
• Q: Do felt laps need to be used wet?
  A: Felt laps should be kept lightly moistened during use to activate the polishing compound and prevent overheating. Avoid soaking — excess water can cause the felt to deteriorate faster.
• Q: What sizes are felt polishing laps available in?
  A: Felt polishing laps are available in standard 6-inch and 8-inch diameters to fit most flat lap machines. Browse Felt Polishing Laps →