Buffing or Polishing old Blades with bench grinder

[ferguson]

I sometimes buy older inexpensive fixed blades like Western or others. Often they are slightly pitted. I've tried various methods of buffing them off. 320 grit flap wheels in air powered die grinder, and sewn muslin wheels with emory, white compound in my bench grinder. Looking at catalogs, I see various types of buffing wheels and compounds. Cutting compounds, cutting/coloring compounds and coloring compounds. Loose, sewn muslin wheels, hard/soft felt wheels, etc.
What should I use on a 7" bench grinder to clean up old blades. BTW I know not to clean up old expensive collectors pieces, these are just beaters that I want to make look like new.
Thanks,
Steve Ferguson

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

steve, welcome. i get good results with the 3m scotchbrite wheels their $30-40 bucks and worth it. i have a maroon color one that with clean the crud off any old carbon steel blade. most of the knife supp, houses have them.

 

[Eric M Ericson]

I clean up the blade with sand paper (120g wet or dry lubricated with oil to start and step it down to 400g) get a hard wheel, load it with black emery (rated for stainless) or green.

buff away

this cleans the crap off the new ones too

 

[The Zodiac]

I would go with rinoknives on this sissal wheel with dark grey or black compound on it may also work on lite stuff but if there is heavy stuff on it go with the scotch brite wheel

 

[ferguson]

Thanks guys,
I have a maroon scotchbrite wheel. I ordered 2 muslin wheels and some dark gray (cutting) and some green (coloring) compound. We'll see how that does.

Steve