Belt finish & hand sanding

E

englishteacher

Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Messages
84
As a new guy, I am wondering about the possible progressions to get a belt finish, and specifically if most people will hand sand at some point in this process. For instance, should I hand sand before HT, even though I am going back to belts after HT? Is it common to use belts only before and after HT, and not hand sand at all? Etc.

I'm sure there are a variety of methods, and would be interested in hearing some.

Thank you!

Scott
 
What kind of steel are you using?
If you are looking for general information and not something specific you could try the bladeforums search. There is a ton of threads out there and a lot of reading to do.
 
Currently I am using AEB-L and 1084.

Thank you for the advice. Before posting this, I definitely searched for Belt Finish and read a lot of threads, but wasn't able to find the exact answer about hand sanding and the belt finishes.
 
I like to belt finish aebl up to 220 grit and then hand sand at opposing 45 deg angles up to 400 grit. Then do a parralell to edge hand finish with 400 grit. Im still working on my process.
 
Thank you for your reply, Tim. What if I want to END with a belt finish on AEBL? In your opinion, can I skip the hand sanding process? Or will it depend on my grinding skills and how well I can get flat bevels?
 
after a year of trials going thru cork belts, hand sanding and other various methods, here is what I settled on
I grind all after HT

rough belt on platen - 60-80 grit
refine on cushioned platen - 120
240 flap sand
320 flap sand
buff with green compound.

you will also have to go thru your own trial process to determine what works for you and your equipment and your desired end result.
this process for me is the most efficient and gives a nice user finish IMO

I've personally purchased many knives when I was a collector and I had the hardest time using a knife with a mirror or hand rubbed finish. It's too nice to use and I want my knives to be used.
 
englishteacher said:
Thank you for your reply, Tim. What if I want to END with a belt finish on AEBL? In your opinion, can I skip the hand sanding process? Or will it depend on my grinding skills and how well I can get flat bevels?
Click to expand...

I grind hardened steel pretty frequently and IMHO if you want to finish w/ a belt finish then there is no need to hand sand... the key is to use sharp/new belts to make sure they are cutting efficiently to remove the prior grit scratches. To verify this you can alter your grinding angle just slightly to get a new grind angle and you can see when the prior ones are erased. I can't help on pre/post ht grinding finish as I don't deal w/ that much, but I'm sure plenty others here will be by to help!! Hope this helps, YMMV.
 
there are some people who use belts only. i think most makers use belts before HT, then belt again and finish with hand sanding afterwards. for shiny finishes i go to 220 before ht, after ht start with 120- 1200 belt then hand sand w/1200-2000 and buff. for satin i go to 400 belt, then to 400 or 600 hand sanding. as hsc said, no one technique will be prefect for everyone depending on your equipment and style.
 
There are a lot of variables based on style and desired outcome. In general you want to rough grind pre-HT. Some take it down close to finished, others don't grind at all pre-HT. I tend to take it down a good ways, but leave plenty of meat for after HT.
If you want just a belt finish, for me, it would take a bit of grinding skill to be able to finish evenly enough. I can pull it off but that is the challenge.
If you aren't too particular, you can just get it where you are happy and quit. It is up to the maker to say when it's good or good enough.
Good luck to you Teach
 
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