Finishing blades

S

sattley

Joined
Aug 15, 2001
Messages
148
While finishing another blade, I thought it might be nice to get other makers to share their finishing sequence and tips or tricks. So I'll start off with my way, then everybody chime in with yours. I'm always looking for better or more efficient ways so I'm looking forward to hearing how others do it.
This is how I do a stock removal hollow grind w/mirror finish. Initial grind 36 grit then 60-80-120-heat treat-240-400-600 then hand sand horizontally with 600 until all verticle grind marks are gone. Next comes an A-6 trizac until all horizontal scratches are gone. Then to a sisal buff w/Jackson Dark Grey, A sewn muslim hard wax buff with Jackson White then a sewn muslim buff with Green Chrome. At this point, I mask off the blade, Assemble and shape scales, handle etc, hand finish, then polish them with the wax buff and Jackson White. Unmask the blade and polish everythin with a sewn muslim and No Scratch Pink. I do not use a loose buff because I believe they are entirely to dangerous. I am relatively happy with this process except that I get a slight "orange peel" or raised grain. I assume this is from buffing too long but I only buff just enough to remove the A-6 scratches.
 
Yup, the dreaded orange peel, that's the main reason I quit buffing my blades.
Hated seeing that in a blade I'd worked so hard to complete.
Now I just satin finish em with a scotchnite belt on my Wilton.
Might be a cop out but least I don't get the orange peel anymore.
Sure do like a nice polished blade on a presentation grade knife but till I'm shown a way to do it that doesn't involve much use of a buffer I'll stick with satin.
I need to order a cork belt a try Kit's tips with that and see if it will work for me.
 
sattley....

Im just a newbie, so I cant really add to this topic, However I have a question for you.

I noticed that you buff a few times, and that in one buffing you use Pink No-Scratch.

Well I have just finished off with the last of my Pink no-scratch,,,and I was not too impressed with it at all.

I used it after some dark gray buffing,,,and I dont really think it worked the way I wanted it to work.

The no-scratch part didnt really live up to the name on my blades,,,perhaps I needed to buff more with a different buff before the Pink?..I dont know..

I have switched to that Green Chrome stuff and I like it a lot better,,,the steel seems shinier to me...


If I were to get more PINK,,,would I use it before or after the green chrome?
 
I don't do a lot of mirror finishes any more, but when I do I use green and if I want to get extra shiny I use white afterwards. I use sewn muslin wheels, btw. I have experimented with sisal wheels and red compound, which leaves a nice smooth satin.
 
DaQo'tah Forge
My main reason for using no-scratch pink is to avoid getting green crap in my handle material. It works well on handle materials, I have never tried pink as a stand alone on steel. In my experience with the compounds I have, dark grey to green or pink is to big of a jump so I use white as an intermediate.


Sure do like a nice polished blade on a presentation grade knife ....
Click to expand...
Micheal,
Me too, maybe someone will let us in on a good secret.
 
I seem to get the best results with stainless using the green, and I use a hard wheel, going light for final finish. I stay CLEAR away from soft, floppy wheels. I have a hard durable wheel, about a 7" I made from layers of canvas conveyer belt and laminated the 1/4" belt using contact cement. Green is the rouge on one hard wheel. It works good, you can actually hog out scratches on my other canvas wheel with the white.Another wheel that has worked excellent for me is the hard feldt wheel, with white on one, green on another. Soft furniture,red.
 
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