Cleaning up precision grinding marks?

[flatgrinder]

Any recommendations on how to clean off precision grinding marks from ground stock and maintain the "flatness?"

I'm thinking about making a few folders and tested my technique on a piece of D2 to see if I could remove the marks without screwing up the tolerances.

Using a disc grinder with 3M 220 grit wet/dry paper and holding the piece of D2 with a welding magnet, the marks were removed ... but the test sample would rock on a granite surface plate!!

Any ideas?

 

[silver_pilate]

Use said granite surface plate and lap the marks off using a figure-8 movement. That does take a while, though.....

Oh if we could all have surface grinders. Lord knows I sure could use one. I've been brainstorming about how to build one, but there is significant doubt that I could make it rigid enouch.

--nathan

 

[lukus]

I think you just have to do it by hand. Stick a sheet of sandpaper to a piece of glass (or even a 12"x12" marble tile) with water. Then it's just time and patience.

I've had precision ground in the past. Seemed to be just a waste of money. The "precision" scratches were so deep that it would have been faster starting with hot rolled stock.

 

[flatgrinder]

Hi Nathan,

Thank you for the advice. I haven't tried that yet.

Do you start with a 120 grit? Or something more or less aggressive?

I have a surface grinder, but it leaves snakeskin-like marks in the steel. I may have to dress or use a finer wheel (it's a 60 grit)??

 

[gusval]

I start whit 120.

way! you have a surface grinder??

maybe you tryin to take too much at the time
and you have to go out of the stock every pass,
and before muve the y axis.
make sure the rails are clean.

 

[Shing]

Get a palm sander, replace the rubber sole plate with Micarta and sand the steel with it. don't sand the tang because its already precison ground