Extra Novice Question

[RIP Dequincy Jynxie]

say I have a blade of low alloy steel 26C3, O1 or whatever carbon steel Opinel (XC90) uses, as well as something with a bit more alloy like A2 (medium-ish), and I want to get it super shiny (FYI I'm not attempting to work with 3V or S90V here)

apart from elbow grease, what kind of machine(s) will I need to accomplish this?

for the final polishing and buffing, what process will work best for this?

if this is a bigger question than I thought, any direction to other resources is also appreciated

tl;dr What tools do I need and how can I use them to get my low-medium alloy carbon steel knife a really shiny finish, as close to mirror as possible for a beginner without too many mechanical resources?

[I do have a Tormek T8, but can't figure out how to accomplish the above goal using only a T8 in conjunction with other Tormek accessories]

 

[Craig James]

Presumably you are talking about polishing the entire blade?

you can do that with progressively fine grits of sandpaper (SiC) followed by some metal polish.

You won’t get the edge polished on the tormak. Again you can use sandpaper followed by some compound/lapping films or a series of stones to the appropriate grit

 

[RIP Dequincy Jynxie]

What machine would you use the sandpaper on, as opposed to doing it by hand?

What would you suggest as an example of the grit progress, again in order to get as close to mirror fine polish under the circumstances?

 

[desmobob]

I've done it to an old 1095 knife with a simple and inexpensive assortment of wet/dry silicon carbide abrasive paper available at most hardware stores. It's easiest on a flat-ground blade, and using a hard sanding block to keep the surfaces dead flat. My assortment has grits from 220 to 1200.

This is a 1930's Case that was found in the road and had been run over. The previous owner had also apparently "sharpened" it on a bench grinder. It was a mess. I worked on it in the living room, over a bucket of water. No power tools needed.

Doing the same thing to a blade that was already satin-finished or otherwise undamaged would be comparatively easy.

 

[Craig James]

What machine would you use the sandpaper on, as opposed to doing it by hand?

What would you suggest as an example of the grit progress, again in order to get as close to mirror fine polish under the circumstances?

An acknowledgement of someone taking the time to answer your question rather than firing more questions without so much as a thank you is not the best way to go about getting what you want. Manners are free. I suggest you use them

 

[Dominick Maone]

If you are looking to get machines I would get a belt sander in a size that has a variety of belt types. 2x72 belts for instance come in thousands of belt types. I believe 2x48 is similar. But having these machines can make hand sanding significantly easier. You can get a really nice consistent scratch pattern and then hand sand. For the final polish I would use a buffer. There are tons of different wheels you can buy and compounds you can try. I hand sand with a scrap piece of wood. It is actually very relaxing to me, similar to sharpening. If the knife is not flat ground you can get a piece of leather to help with the contours. Good luck.

 

[David Martin]

Craig James, it could be cultural and age. Those items can make a difference. DM

 

[Craig James]

Thanks David, I appreciate the sentiment but age is really no excuse and cultures that fail to put an even minor emphasis on gratitude are few and far between.

 

[chalby]

You could try a buffing wheel on a bench grinder, but if it was me, I would just use elbow grease with progressively finer grit wet/dry sandpaper as has been mentioned. You will have more control and accuracy at the expense of speed and labor.

Thanks David, I appreciate the sentiment but age is really no excuse and cultures that fail to put an even minor emphasis on gratitude are few and far between.

I'm not trying to start an argument, but I look at forums like having a conversation. You might have gotten a big thanks after you both finished asking questions and answering them.
It would be a bit weird IMO if we were talking and I had to thank you after every bit of advise for you to remain interested in helping. Just my 2c

 

[desmobob]

You could try a buffing wheel on a bench grinder, but if it was me, I would just use elbow grease with progressively finer grit wet/dry sandpaper as has been mentioned. You will have more control and accuracy at the expense of speed and labor.

The wet/dry is also much safer. Buffing a knife on a wheel can be very dangerous...