Help me finish my mirror finish

L

lewdog

Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Messages
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I bought a Bradley Alias and took off the matte grey finish on the handle--goal is to get the handles to a perfect mirror finish. I have dutifully hand-sanded, starting at 80 or something grit and worked my way all the way up to 1500. I alternated directions with each grit progression so that I could make sure that I was getting absolutely all of the prior grit's lines out. I've used MAAS by hand and power tool to try and get the remaining lines out--this hasn't worked. I've also been trying for a while with the Veritas honing compound from Lee Valley (I got a bar for honing and thought, since I've seen the beautiful mirror finish it put on edges, that it would work the same on my handles). Neither has worked particulary well. I've got hands, a Dremel, a belt sander, and a bench grinder with cloth wheel. I know that I could buy 2000 grit and finer paper and continue doing what I was doing earlier, but I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction with what I've already got. Power tool-based is preferable since I'm ready to be done with this. Any ideas?
 
If you have a true 1500 grit finish, it should be easy to polish it out on your buffer. Use green rouge, spray the piece with WD 40, and polish at 45 degree angles to the sanding marks. Then hand poish with Simichrome.
Bill
 
So, using WD40 in combination with my cloth wheel and the Veritas compound will not hurt the wheel/compound combo?
Also, any idea approximately what grit that Veritas stuff is? How about the Maas? Even if you don't know numbers, do you know what order they are in in terms of "fineness?" For instance--Maas is finer than Veritas is finer than 1500?
 
Don't those have S30V blades? If so, it willl never have a mirror finish.
-John
 
I'm trying to put a mirror finish on the titanium handles. Is that a useless pursuit?
 
Titanium polishes up almost like stainless steel , but it will scratch very easly.I did mine on the buff just like any other metal using the white compound and a soft "T" shirt cloth buff.
 
lewdog said:
So, using WD40 in combination with my cloth wheel and the Veritas compound will not hurt the wheel/compound combo?
Also, any idea approximately what grit that Veritas stuff is? How about the Maas? Even if you don't know numbers, do you know what order they are in in terms of "fineness?" For instance--Maas is finer than Veritas is finer than 1500?
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The WD 40 will allow the compound to cut more aggressively, but smoother. It will have no lasting effect on your polishing wheel.
I can't help with grits of your polishes.

Tape the blade of your knife before you polish the handle on a buffer!
Bill
 
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