Hand rubbing

blgoode

blgoode

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Messages
7,145
Well, I did it. Nice contured purple wood handle and all!

My question is, how do I get a nice hand rubbed finnish. Do I just take time and patience or is there a trick to it?
I am using 01- steel.
Thanks.............
 
First go here: http://www.engnath.com/public/manframe.htm and find the handsanding topic.

Second you've got a little oopps on your hands. You should do that before the slabs. I suggest you leave the ricasso alone at this point and just finish the blade. You can sand from the plunge line to the tip, but I don't know of a way to sand the ricasso with the slabs in the way without leaving start/stop marks.

Maybe someone else here knows?

Steve
 
At work right now, so don't have my bookrmarks, but hopefully someone else will post link to Bruce Evan's(think it was his anwyas :) ) tutorial on doing a hand rubbbed finish. Very easy to understand, well written, and gives an amazing finish. Take it up to 1000 or 1500, about msot anyone does. I took the one i did up to 2000, was JUST barely short of mirror finish. Quick glance looked like mirror, but closer you could just barely see scratches still.

Someone here goes up to notebook paper, which would be even finer than 2000 grit I believe, though not sure exactly how fine it equates too.
 
I thought I was out of sequence. If I hand finnish the blade before the slabs go on. How do I clean up the epoxy neatly?

Thanks guys......

Still an awsome experience!
 
How do I clean up the epoxy neatly?
Click to expand...

After your all done and it's all clamped up before it hardens...

Wet a paper towel with windex and wipe up as much as will come. Then dampen another with brake cleaner and clear off the rest. Besure you don't wipe so hard you get break cleaner under the slabs. Break cleaner is an excellent solvent for uncured epoxy and will wash it right out of there. Toothpick to make sure its all nice and tidy.

Steve
 
I will try to take a picture monday with our works digital camera. I can send it to you to post if you can. I like it!!!! Handle is very smooth. That was the easyiest part.
 
As for cleaning up excess epoxy....

I use a small wooden scraper when the epoxy is half cured...it needs to still be a bit tacky. Using the scraper I go over all the joints, carefully removing the excess epoxy.
 
acetone is a great clean-up for epoxy messes. Just make sure you don't get any on the epoxy you want to keep - it'll thin it out quickly.

Vinegar is the best "safe" solvent. Takes a little longer, but does a good job.


Re: handrubbing after glue-up

I've done this probably 100 times (on "used" knives)...just takes patience. You need to cover the guard/bolster with a strong tape and then use a file (or equiv. flat piece of steel) with 400/600 grit paper wrapped around it. You push toward the guard and draw it back. Back-n-forth...takes probably 10 minutes (which at the time will seem like an eternity, but given how long you spent making the knife....not so bad). If you do that area first so you can see a clear difference. Some work better than others - so don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work right.


I know you already finished the knife - this info is just "out there" for anybody else that runs into the same problem.


kudos to Sando for "breaking it to you gently"... :D :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top