Cylindrical tool for thin sample grinding and polishing

A method for grinding and polishing of thin cement-based samples, comprising:

• in an assembled stainless steel cylindrical tool, a circular plate on a more than one stainless steel threaded holder is first elevated to a same bottom surface level of a stainless steel outer and more than one stainless steel inner cylinder with a help of a notch, marker, screwdriver and an engraved rounded scale;
• the thin cement-based sample is placed on a surface of the circular-plate, wherein the thin cement-based sample is attached on the surface of the circular plate with a visible layer of a paste, if dry cured;
• the circular plate with the attached thin cement-based sample is then adjusted such that any portion of the first thin cement-based sample-layer sticks above the bottom surface of the assembled stainless steel cylindrical tool, wherein the thin cement-based sample thickness is controlled via the engraved rounded scale;
• the first thin cement-based sample-layer of 0.25 mm ( 1/128 inch) is removed by grinding on a grinding and polishing machine, with SiC (Silicon carbide) sandpaper grit 320, then the grinding is switched to SiC sandpaper grit 500, so 1-2 layers of 0.25 mm ( 1/128 inch) are removed;
• the thin cement-based sample is taken out from the elevated circular plate for thickness measurements;
• if the measured thin cement-based sample thickness is 1.5 mm ( 1/16 inch), the thin cement-based sample is returned to the circular plate and a polishing with SiC sandpaper grit 1200 is performed to remove new 1-2 layers until the thin cement-based sample thickness reaches 1 mm ( 1/32 inch);
• a removal of layers is done by hand, vertically holding the stainless steel cylindrical tool perpendicular to the grinding/polishing machine and the SiC sandpaper, to obtain the equally thick cement-based sample at all sides;
• after the removal of the new 1-2 layers of 0.25 mm ( 1/128 inch), the thin cement-based sample thickness is additionally controlled;
• a duration of grinding and polishing procedure depends on the thin cement-based sample age.