Buffing problems

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
283
Now I remember why I have done nothing but hand rubbed finishes after my one and only attempt to buff in a mirror polish a few years ago... :mad:

Here is my dilemma. When I buff the exposed steel in the tang it turns the adjacent wood scales (mesquite, btw, so the black really shows) black. Anything I do to get that black out requires an abrasive, and even steel wool ruins the mirror finish. How do I break the cycle? Taping it off really close didn't work out. Either the tape would get peeled back or it would cover too close and leave a thin spot of unpolished metal that stands out.

I would leave the tang with the matte finish, but the bolsters are polished and that means a defined line at the bolsters where we go from polished tang (between the bolsters) to matte finish (between the scales). Is this the best compromise? I don't like the look...
 
You can gain somewhat better control by using dremmel buffing wheels.

Masking helps. I haven't tried it, but I suspect sealing or waxing the wood well might make it easier to clean up the black.

Rob!
 
Dont use a buffer. I hand sand to a high grit and never buff. Ive ruined wood handles before by buffing even just a little. It is acceptable on ivory at times though.
 
I was mistaken in my "interpretation" of the first post. I was thinking ricasso and not tang. I sand up to 2000 on the exposed tang and then buff with a clean flannel wheel. It does not work as good as a loaded wheel but I get no black streaking.
 
how do you get the handles to a seamless fit if you dont shape them attached to the blade? sorry for the idiot question but I am compeltely curious as this would help me a lot
 
I have never had any luck getting scales shaped without scuffing the tang. When I shape and then disassemble to finish they end up slipping.

I know...position the pins such that the scales are held in place and have no chance to slip. It just never works perfectly in my shop...:foot:so I leave scales oversized and finish the tang with the scales. No problem, since I normally do a matte hand rubbed finish...until a cuss-tomer wants a bright buffed mirror polish and I agree to do something outside my (relatively inexperienced) norm.:(

I have some 1200 and 2000 grit left...I'll just run those over and call it good. I'm not really steady with a Dremel type tool either. Maybe I need one of the flexible shafts for precision work...
 
Have you tried using white buffing compound? It might work better for you in this instance.
 
could you assemble the handle and bolsters temporarily make everything fit nice and snug,dissasemble buff the tang and reassemble?
 
White compound works better, but it still leaves dark streaks...enough that I notice it and find it objectionable.

I have tried fitting up tightly and gluing on scales later. Both times I got slight misalignment. I'm sure it can be done, but I didn't want to mess around with it too much.

I went back and hit it with 600 and 1200 grit and it blended in well enough, and a steel wool rub of the adjacent wood took out the marring so I am going to stick a fork in this one and call it done. Thanks for all the tips!

The end result:

DSC003132.jpg

:D:D
 
For One You Should Be All 99.9999% Done Buffing Before Those Handles Ever Go On That Knife For Good. Secondly If Ya Didn't Glue Them On Ya Could Always Remove Them And Do A Light Sanding On Them And Re Buff. Try Using Pin Stock Instead Of Screws. Good Luck
 
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