Help!! I can't keep white micarta or camel bone white when I polish it. Tried every

LARRYZ10

LARRYZ10

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
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When I am making a camel bone handle for my full tang knife I will sand to 400 grit with a new belt and wipe the knife with a clean cloth and then will put on a new buffing wheel and use a new bar of #51 white polishing compound. I will start to buff the scales and the wheel turns black in about 4 seconds and discolors the scales. I have tried resanding the scales and using Pink no scratch on another new buffing wheel but no luck. I have bleached the scales in a bud vase and buffed the knife with a dry clean wheel but the bleach etches the scales and they require polishing compound. I am going crazy . The micarta does not come out much better. i AM AFRAID TO FILL ANY ORDERS FOR CAMEL BONE KNIVES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. Does anyone have a technique to make a knife witH white bone handles that are mostly white? I would be very grateful for some advice from you pros out there. Thank you, Larry Lehman, BaKERSFIELD, CA
 
Larry,
Forget about the buffing, after your 400grit, hand sand up the grits 600,800,1000,1500, and 2000. If you get and grit in the scales, wipe down with a clean cloth saturated with acetone. You might be able to clean the scales you have with the acetone.
Give it a try, I know its a bit more work.
Thanks,
Del
 
Make a thick paste of detergent and baking soda. Scrub the paste in with your fingers, rinse.
 
Scrubbing clean, plus wet-hand sanding will usually solve the problem. If buffing with a high speed wheel, and there is any metal ( guard, bolster, tang) that contacts the wheel, it will turn black and rub in the stain. Either use a low speed buffer, and light amounts of compound, or use hand sanding with wet-or-dry and plenty of water/dish soap lubricant.
 
Besides the great tips you have already heard. Here are some I have found to be very helpfull.

Before your final sanding with the 400 grit (if you would like to use the buffer) fill all the pores with thin Cyano-Acrylate glue by rubbing it all over the handles. Sand it back down to the surface of your material, then buff. The glue fills the pores so they don't pick up polishing compound. I have used this to great results on natural materials as well as man made.

I also coat the handle with paste wax before I buff, it helps to keep the handles clean, and I get a better buff.

Stay off of the metal parts like the guard when you buff the handle material and stay off of the handle material when you buff the metal parts. I Usually do the metal first, clean the wheel, recharge it with clean compound and buff the handle. Many people mask the guard after they clean the wheel so it doesn't get black.

lots of good stuff here and above, you should be able to find some things to help you.

Have fun, Mark
 
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Mark, Thanks for the tip. I was thinking about rubbing clear acrylic into my scales before sanding but your idea sounds much better. One thing though. How do you clean your wheel? I was so frustrated I put a brand new buffing wheel on; in fact twice. Thanks again. Larry www.Lehmancustomknives.com
 
Del, Thanks for the help. I am going to try your method first on my next knife. Thanks so much, Larry
 
It has to be the metal. I make pistol grips out of camel bone and have not had the problem you mention. Oddly, I also do knife handles (not out of bone yet) but there is some discoloration on my white compound pad. However, this has not contaminated the bone grips yet.
Pete
 
I agree with some of the other comments that this is going to be caused by the metal.
 
delbert ealy said:
Larry,
Forget about the buffing, after your 400grit, hand sand up the grits 600,800,1000,1500, and 2000. If you get and grit in the scales, wipe down with a clean cloth saturated with acetone. You might be able to clean the scales you have with the acetone.
Give it a try, I know its a bit more work.
Thanks,
Del
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I do, although I also use 1200 grit paper and I don't use acetone. I use Brasso and then WD-40 after the 2000 grit. Here's an ivory micarta balisong I took to 2000 grit:

tumblr_lxdakf6Dkz1qcmmjy.jpg


tumblr_lxdak1OfAM1qcmmjy.jpg


The OP's issue is steel dust for sure--it's hard to avoid a full tang when buffing scales.
 
I am going to try all these methods. I agree that the acetone didn't do to much to cleaN UP SO i WILL TRY THE BRASSO AND THE wD 40. i AM HOPING THAT BY THE TIME I get to 2000 grit paper that I will wet sand with water and liquid detergent and hopefully the scales will have a nice glow. I look for a hand rubbed finish on my hardwood knives and would be happy with a semogloss shine from bone. I want to thank everyone that made a suggestion. I have been very frustrated. I make a really nice knife and have sold hundreds but the white scales have made me think i AM HEXED!! Thank you all again. I am grateful for the help. Larry Lehman www.lehmancustomknives.com
 
I wouldn't suggest using WD-40 and Brasso on the camel bone (just the micarta). To get the stains out, you're going to have to sand away the top layer--it can really get in there.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Mark, Thanks for the tip. I was thinking about rubbing clear acrylic into my scales before sanding but your idea sounds much better. One thing though. How do you clean your wheel? I was so frustrated I put a brand new buffing wheel on; in fact twice. Thanks again. Larry www.Lehmancustomknives.com
Click to expand...

Suppliers sell a spiky thing that brushes the wheel, I just use a used steel circular saw blade, it rakes all the stuff off the wheel. It doesn't really make the wheel white but with a charge of clean compound, I haven't had any trouble with dirty compound contaminating white handle materials.
 
Use the baking soda/detergent/water. It works.
Wax afterward.
 
I think that it is important, at this time, to mention that natural materials should not be gotten wet. Just in case anyone was thinking the detergent solutions might work on ivory, or horn. I have not used camel bone but I would recommend you treat it like any other natural material and not get it wet after it has cured. Would you guys agree or have you used the water solutions without problem?
 
I have used baking soda/detergent/water with no problems.
You don't have to soak the bone, just scrub it with your fingers. Then just dry it off.
 
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