Best grits to remove decarb with?

C

CaptFappingtons

Joined
Jun 22, 2014
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I recently stripped my TGLB and went to work on the decarb with 60 & 80 grit sandpaper, and I'm not sure where to go from there, this is all new to me. I unfortunately don't have anything like a dremel, just a sanding block and a little elbow grease. What grits do I go on to from here?
 
Order a bunch of good 3M wet or Dry paper and a gallon of elbow grease.

120 grit to 220 grit is a good place to start at post HT ( depending on how fine you went pre-HT and how bad the decarb is). Use the block and lube the work with a spritz of water and dish soap or Windex. Go up the grits when each grit is perfect. Clean everything well between grits. No point in going any faster...because you will end up going back to get out scratches you missed.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Order a bunch of good 3M wet or Dry paper and a gallon of elbow grease.

120 grit to 220 grit is a good place to start at post HT ( depending on how fine you went pre-HT and how bad the decarb is). Use the block and lube the work with a spritz of water and dish soap or Windex. Go up the grits when each grit is perfect. Clean everything well between grits. No point in going any faster...because you will end up going back to get out scratches you missed.
Click to expand...

Is there any method besides using sandpaper or a blaster? Any chemical process that can be done at home?
 
Soak it vinegar for a few days, it will remove the scale.
 
There really should not be much for decarb on a finished TGLB. Can you post a few pics of what you are trying to remove?
 
Grayzer86 said:
There really should not be much for decarb on a finished TGLB. Can you post a few pics of what you are trying to remove?
Click to expand...

I thought he was making a TGLB copy and sanding off the decarb after HT. If it is a factory blade he is modding or rehabbing, he is only removing the factory patina/finish....not decarb. That should sand away easily with paper starting at 220 grit and going up as needed to get the desired finish.




BTW, I see people post to soak in vinegar overnight to remove decarb. That will soften scale, but decarb is in the steel itself, and has to be ground/sanded away.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I thought he was making a TGLB copy and sanding off the decarb after HT. If it is a factory blade he is modding or rehabbing, he is only removing the factory patina/finish....not decarb. That should sand away easily with paper starting at 220 grit and going up as needed to get the desired finish.




BTW, I see people post to soak in vinegar overnight to remove decarb. That will soften scale, but decarb is in the steel itself, and has to be ground/sanded away.
Click to expand...
Maybe I have it wrong and this isn't decarb. I took a factory blade and removed the tanker grey finish.

http://imgur.com/a/fTUej
 
CaptFappingtons said:
Maybe I have it wrong and this isn't decarb. I took a factory blade and removed the tanker grey finish.

http://imgur.com/a/fTUej
Click to expand...

fTUej
 
Ha1T0K5.jpg
CaptFappingtons said:
I don't think that post worked, I was just playing around with the posting anyway, disregard.

I got what grits were suggested and got to work. I'm now out of sandpaper, and this is the end result. http://imgur.com/RxrDM80,tiUUdWg,Q3Yfseq,hqJuwJy#0

It still isn't all gone, and the area around the tip is wearing down, so I'm getting nervous about continuing. Any further tips for me?
Click to expand...

Ha1T0K5.jpg



Y5JEG5F.jpg


Q3Yfseq.jpg


hqJuwJy.jpg

3GyRrz7.jpg


You can either stop, or keep going.






I don't know if I'd call that decarb

The problem is they use that thick coating to hide bad metal finishing


I'd go back to 120
If you want a nice finish, you have to get it all down below the black marks.


Make sure you use a hard backing stick like Nick Wheeler shows in his hand sanding videos

Make sure you're using metal working abrasive cloth or paper, not sandpaper for wood
 
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