Belt grits

A-Zone

A-Zone

Joined
Jun 4, 2006
Messages
56
I have been away from grinding for awhile. Can someone help me select belt types and grits to go from raw steel to satin finish? How are the new types of belts? I grind ATS-34.

Thank you.
 
George made a good suggestion! also,check out scotch bright belts and cork belts!you can get scotchbright in 3 different grades..,fine,medium and course.they're the easiest for producinga factory like satin finish.cork belts are used to polish,yet leave fine lines..,depending on what grit you decide to take it to.
 
george tichbourne said:
I grind at 50 grit then skip to 180, heat treat, and finish at 400 if I am not going on to mirror.
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I really like the way Mr.Tichbourne said this. He goes to 180 then heat treats. years ago when I sent my blades to Paul Bos a fellow knife maker told me something I have tried to pass on for years now. He said your not trying to impress the heat treater. I never forgot that . I stop at 220 then I heat treat. Then I go to 400 , 600 ect.
 
If you're plate quenching in-packet I can see going higher, but if you're air quenching you might as well stop in the 200's. The scotch-brite will leave an even finish, but it may be "rough" to some folks. I like it. You can also get them in super-fine, pop's sells them for 15 bucks, but they last for a long time.

I started playing with the S.R. Johnson style, grinding @ 50 or 60 grit and then moving to 400. I like this so far, although it seems I haven't properly worn in my cork belt yet. If you're worried that a 400 grit belt won't last long enough to do an entire blade from 60 grit, consider using two, you're still using fewer belts than if you grind from 60-120-240-400. You can go straight to the scotch-brite form a 400, or you could go up to 600 or 800 beforehand to get a finer satin.
 
I grind out my blades to shape with a 50 grit. Then I drill out the holes for the handle work. I look the blade over for high spots and irregularities and then proceed with using a 120 grit. By then the knife blade is looking pretty good. I finish up to a 220 grit and then go on to heat treat.

After heat treat I grind off the scale with a worn 220. When the worst is ground off, I go to a fresh 220 grit. Scale loads up and kills belts in a hurry, so I use old belts up for scale removal. From there I go to 320, and on to 400. If I am satin finishing I stop at 400. If I am going to buff up a mirror polish I step up to a fine micron belt 9 microns before going on to the buffing wheel.
 
Thank you for all the help. What grit scotch bright belt should I use after a 220 belt? Or should I get a med. and a fine scotch bright belt?
 
I would finish to 400 at least before scotch bright. The fine and super-fine are my favorites, but med does get some play with me.
 
I go from 80 to scotchbrite...
 
I do the initial grinding with a 40 grit and then sharpen with an 80 grit and then take it to the buffer to do the final sharpening. Will scare the hairs off your arms! :D
 
If I use a med. scotch bright belt first, than switch to a fine belt will this produce a fine satin finish? Or is it best not to use the two belts one after another?

Pohan, those are beautiful knives! I really like the lines and visual balance. Are they finished to a 40 grit surface? They look smoother in the pictures.

Fiddleback, do you rough out your blades with a 80 grit belt? Do you use the med. scotch bright belt after the 80 grit belt?

I have used the scotch bright belt in the past, going from 220 to the med belt. I like the results, but Pop says to go to 400 grit before switching to a fine SB belt. What are your thought on this?

Thank you for all the help.
 
A-Zone said:
Fiddleback, do you rough out your blades with a 80 grit belt? Do you use the med. scotch bright belt after the 80 grit belt?
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I rough them out with 36. Then go to 80. Then heat treat. Then 80 again and all 3 Scotchbrites.
 
I am interested in the S.R. Johnson style of grinding. I have looked for posts regarding his method here on BF and also on TKN, but my searches don't turn up anything. Please point out some links for me.

Thank you
 
I use straight carbon and low alloy steels for the most part: 1084/85/1070/5160/9260. I rough on 40 Grit ceramic belts, the refine on 120 grit Zirconia, finish on 220. After HT, it is the reverse, 120 to knock off the scale and soot and then 220 to finish. The vapor etch Patination sweat-tank followed by LOTS of steel wool and Ballistol ends up with a Satin 400 grit French Gray.
 
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