buffing/polishing micarta ?

BLADECARVER said:
hi all what is best to buff light scratches out of micarta? and buff to a high gloss finish?
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Don't ever expect buffing to remove ANY scratches - ever.
Use finer grits of paper until ALL scratches are gone!
Buffing is for polishing, not scratch removal!
If you want to buff Micarta to a polish, you'll need to go through something like 220 - 400 - 800 - 1200 - 1500 then buff. Go over the entire piece with each grit COMPLETELY removing ALL of the scratches from the previous grit until you make it to 1500, then buff lightly.
Buffing with compounds to remove scratches is a bad habit to get into.
 
another thing...
if you are using a buffing wheel that is electric, buffing hard can actually accentuate the scratches... not a good move.. better to go through the pain of sanding down. and sand with a block to keep it from getting wavy
hope this helps
~Chris
 
I actually buff lightly from 600 on to show me if any scratches are left. Once I see no scratches I buff one last time with green rouge. Hope that helps. I dont know if the rouge is really needed for micarta or if the phenolic or whatever will buff on its own but for me its easier to just use my green wheel than get a cclean one dirty.
 
Hand sand up to 2000 and now you can go to the buffer and hit it a lick or two and you will be done. That's all folks.----:thumbup:
 
Anyone telling you to sand beyond 600 grit is wasting your time. Heck, you can buff brass after 400 grit. Micarta is plastic. I don't even use an agressive compound and I buff after 600. If the scratches are like the scratches your SAK gets on the scales from being carried in your pocket with coins I wouldn't even sand at all. If you want to be safe, wetsand with 600 grit and buff with a red compound.
 
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