The rewards of the hard labour are clearly shown when the beauty of the rock emerges when the sanding is done. The veins and patterns in the rock are often a great surprise and can never be anticipated. My tried methods have been simple. Then, I apply floor wax, clear shoe polish, beeswax or any wax that will harden and give a sheen once the sculpture has cooled. Lately I started using ski wax, because I have tons of it from my skiing days at Whistler.
Ski wax is considerably harder than shoe polish and it gives a high glossy shine.
Beeswax is another beautiful material. It gives a matte shine and a lovely fragrance. Old soft rags are great for applying the wax evenly during the cooling process. After the sculpture has cooled completely an old terry cloth will do for buffing. Unfortunately during the buffing stage I am faced frequently with the realization that I have to go back to the sanding stage, because I missed certain areas or others have unsightly imperfections.