Abstract: There is disclosed a novel method and apparatus for automatic optic polishing. The apparatus includes a spindle arm rotatable and transversely displaceable which has removably secured thereto a cross hatched, radially cut pitch lap in contact with the optic to be polished, the pitch lap being transversely displaced across the optic while simultaneously rotating in a direction opposite to the direction in which the optic is rotated. The cross hatched radially cut pitch lap transported across the optic in the manner prescribed while submerged in a polishing compound results in an optic surface having a better than one-tenth wave deviation.