buffing compound

mattd

mattd

Joined
Oct 6, 2003
Messages
252
Many of you will probably laugh or say No-s#!% but I have had a hell of a time buffing blades. They always ended up looking like junk and it took a very long time to do any good. I recieved the green compound from POP's the other day and my world has gotten alot better. I highly recomend it if you are having trouble with the stuff you find at OSH, Home Depot, etc...
 
Howdy There....!
Pop's sells good stuff, I use the green on stainless and carbon, use the white a pink on a loose wheel for the finishing buffs. One thing that I have learned about buffing is do your finish grinding and get your blades a smooth as you can before buffing. You will spend alot less time at the wheel and get a better polish on your blades. As the old saying goes, " make little scracthes out of large ones". Good luck...!
 
Get the black from Pop too. Start with it and then go to green. Get the white from Pop too. Use it for handle material. Green is also good to start with for soft metal bolsters (nickel silver, brass, etc.), then finish them with the white. Do not use the black on soft metal furniture and only white should be needed for the rest of the handle. Be careful with the green where the bolster/guard mates to the softer handle material or it will cause dips at that juncture.

Use a seperate buffing wheel for each of your different buff compounds.

RL
 
I like green for a final polish on the blade, No scratch pink works well for handle materials. Keep you buffs and compounds "protected" I keep my buffs in cookie tins. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what a little 60 grit grinding dust will do if it gets on your buffing wheel.
 
I agree, Pop's compounds of great. I use the black, green and white on steel and the white on non-ferrus and handles. Pop (Jim) is a great guy, too.
 
my only grievance with buffing compounds is that they tend to fill up voids in handle materials (large-grained woods, raw antler, etc.) and are a major pain in the rear to remove. Anybody have a way around this? I've thought of getting a grain filler, etc...
 
I thought I ordered the black but I got the green and am very happy with it.

Will,
I haven't given up hand rubbing blades. There has been a demand for large, very large,kitchen knives and handrubbing them sucks. I did just as you said in your note with the paper samples you sent me. I went all the way up to 2000 and then back down to 1500. I needed to find an alternative or I wouldn't be making any real big knives any more. The small ones I still hand finish.
 
Originally posted by pendentive
my only grievance with buffing compounds is that they tend to fill up voids in handle materials (large-grained woods, raw antler, etc.) and are a major pain in the rear to remove. Anybody have a way around this? I've thought of getting a grain filler, etc...
Click to expand...

Get some of that "Fix It", or whatever the new stuff is called, from TKS.
Or, apply a couple of coats of Minwax sanding sealer, and dry it with a hair dryer. Buff it just like the Fix It, IE; across the grain.
 
For handles I keep coming back to this greasy unknown stuff I got from some surplus place. I believe it's bobbing compound.

What I like is it gives a real nice matt-shine-glow on stabilized woods, ivory, etc. Doesn't leave scratches in those materials either. On 416 it makes a pleasant matt finish. Nice alternative to mirror polish.

The other thing I like it it is easy to wash off. Dry stuff (like pink no-scratch) gets in there and won't come out. The green chromes I have come out, with effort.

But this 'bobbing' compound is just what I like.

Steve

PS Mike's idea of sealing sounds good. You can also use a sonicare toothbrush and tooth paste or solvent. The vibrating bristles seem to get in the grain pockets and lift a lot of that crap out.
 
Yes, Mike. The sanding sealer is what I'm considering using. Thanks for the tip.

Steve - where do you get that stuff?
 
Originally posted by pendentive
Steve - where do you get that stuff?
Click to expand...

Toothpaste is carried by most of the more progressive grocery stores.

Steve
 
I seal my handles with a danish/teak oil mix before buffing. This works the same as what Mike mentioned, just takes longer. When I'm doing antler I use a regualr toothbrush and WD-40 when I'm finished to get rid of the excess compound.
 
(Sorry Dan couldn't resist.)

Back to your question: I bought a couple of bars from some warehouse place. Neither of us knew what it was. I got that and a 10" x 2" hard felt wheel for $20. hahahahahha That I knew what it was worth!

In any case the stuff looks exactly like this:

http://knifeandgun.com/catalog/white_diamond_1535352.htm

Don't know if it's the same, but I think so.

BTW It also cuts pretty well. It will smooth transitions (like left overs in a finger groove or along the handle) in stabilized wood. I wouldn't use it to remove scratches, but rolling over sharp edges works (know what I mean?)

Take your masterpiece to a 30 micron belt or 400 grit paper and then attack with this stuff. Will make it as smooth as a baby's butt (well when they don't have that icky rash that makes the poor little tyke cry so hard while you are at the airport that it makes everyone suspect you're a terrorist and the undercover federal agents haul you away leave an undiapered child screaming all the louder in the middle of the terminal causing flight delays and me missing dinner.)

Originally posted by J. Neilson
I use a regualr toothbrush and WD-40
Click to expand...

J's too progressive for me.

Steve
 
I have some luck with bleach and a toothbrush for my bone handles. I like it because it cleans the bone up while leaving a "rough and tough, but not too nasty look." I think bone should have discoloration and flaws but that's way off the subject. Soaking the bone in bleach can make it brittle and too clean in my opinion, especially the teeth. Last night I used this method to remove green compound off a couple of places that I accidently buffed while fixing a mistake. Don't forget to ware your safety glasses when using bleach! :cool:

Matt deClercq

still working on that picture J.
 
Originally posted by Sando
... Will make it as smooth as a baby's butt (well when they don't have that icky rash that makes the poor little tyke cry so hard while you are at the airport that it makes everyone suspect you're a terrorist and the undercover federal agents haul you away leave an undiapered child screaming all the louder in the middle of the terminal causing flight delays and me missing dinner.)


Steve [/B]
Click to expand...

Hey Steve, been getting enough sleep lately?:p

Good ones, though, keep em comin.
 
try finishing to 15 micron and buff on a clean buffing wheel.
then use just a little white to shine it, stay away from the
other fittings they will pull up Black real fast. do the fittings
after the antler, horn or wood is done, and use a different wheel.
a little pink don't look too bad in it and it seams to clear up some with time if you don't seal it..:)
 
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