High polish blades

Jim Smyth

Jim Smyth

Joined
Oct 4, 1998
Messages
696
Help! I have about a half dozen polished blades under my belt so far. Just finished up one today and spent nearly 3 hours at the buffer for the 3 3/4 inch blade! The blade material is 440C. There has to be a better/quicker way than the way I am doing it. The blades looks good but I need to speed up the process a bit and would like any help offered.

I take the blades to a 1200 grit finish via the 8 inch wilton square wheel grinder. I am currently using an older sears grinder now turned into buffer. I have tried loose buffing wheels and am currently using a harder sewn buffing wheel. I am using the green bar compound that I purchased from Koval knives. It seems to take forever to get those fine sand lines out and from the knives I have seen at the show I know there has to be a better way. I am looking for zero grind lines and a deep shine with no hazing and would like to keep the crisp hollow grind without rounding the corners. Any and all help would be appreciated, Thanks in advance.
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CJ,
You are using a compound that is made for the final polish. Start with a dark grey, then a light grey, white then green and finally no scratch pink. Your blade polish will get brighter with each color compound, and it shouldn't take as long. Make sure you use a new buffing wheel for each color, don't mix them. a hard sewn wheel for the greys and a loose buffing wheel for the white, green and pink. Hope this helps. Oh yea, respect the buffer, it can be dangerous and throw blades at you.
Chuck


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A Knife is no more than an Iron Tooth
 
On a blade that size 5 minutes per side is more than adequate to get a high mirror if..I say IF your sanding prep work is good enough.

The biggest error is sanding in one direction only. You just cannot see if the previous grit lines have been removed if you follow the same lines with the next grit, you have to change the angle slightly everytime you change grits (20 degrees or so is ideal).

Buff surface speed is critical to good polishing. A minimum surface speed of 5000 feet per minute is recommended for stainless. This translates to a 12" diameter buff turning at 1750RPM or therabouts.

Sufficient polishing compound is another factor, a buff will throw off all of it's compound in about 30 seconds and must be recharged that often or you are just trying to buff steel with cotton and that just don't work.

Loose buffs on knives is an invitation to an accident, I value my miserable hide too much to use them on knives and recommend that others don't use them either.


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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
I have my best results using Green Chrome, ZAM then scratchless pink. They are right use plenty of compound or your wasting your time.
Green chrome and Zam work best if the metal gets HOT. That actually smears the surface and will give you the polish you are looking for. Be sure to buff from all the angles you can do safely
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STAY AWARE 2 nights ago I almost wound up with a 6" hunting knife in the gut! EVERY time you put a blade to the buffing wheel take 1sec and concentrate on what you are doing, before you touch the wheel. Thats alot quicker than a trip to the ER.

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RHankins Available knives
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=205453
 
CJ, I learned a very big lesson this past week. I already knew that using a worn out 600 grit belt could shine up steel and once I got my variable speed kit on my Wilton, I found the same belt running at about 20% speed would shine the steel even better.
I used to spend hours at the buffer working my blades and handles, but this variable speed kit has made all the difference in the world. I tried sanding my wood handles at 12% speed, and I was amazed! It shined them up better than a buffer can. I've always ended up with real dark ironwood handles cause the buffing compound builds up in the pores. Well check this out.
<img src=http://members.aol.com/l6steel/ironwood.jpg>
Thats thru 600 grit on my Wilton with the platent, and at 12% speed. No hand sanding, no buffing, and no super glue. I've never finished ironwood that was so clear you can see every burl in it.So, I think the answer to your question about buffing wood handles is get a variable speed kit for your grinder!! Take care!! Michael


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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
i second with L-6. i go to 400 to 600 on my varable hardcore on the steel and wood useing slack belt on the wood, and any buffing is done with a fordom flex shaft and a 3"wheel. with the blade in a vise.

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Laurence Segal www.RHINOKNIVES.com
 
striper28, I think your answer is what I was looking for. I kinda thought about different compounds and wheels but figured I would ask before I spend more money.

george, I was also looking for a time frame and 5 minutes is what I had figured. I have had a problem with sanding before moving on to finer grit before it's time and it is hard to tell at times. I have gone as far as now using dykem between belt changes and that way I know I have removed all the previous grit scratches before moving on.

bobH, I have worked with buffers alot in the past and have found that they demand the utmost respect! Thanks again for the warning, it is good advice.

L6, I have a wilton square wheel with a variable speed. I started with the cheap one, a fixed speed first not knowing any better and tried to save money. The variable speed is definately the way to go and I prefer using slow speeds for almost everything.

RHINOKNIVES, Thanks for the advice but I will still have to use the grinder and buffer verse the foredom.

I have also played with inverting a old worn out 400 grit belt on the grinder and loaded it up with the green compound. It puts a nice shine on the blade and keeps the hollow grind crisp. I am going to take pictures of the knife today and will try to post a pic of it here later. Thanks again to all that replyed! Take care and stay sharp!
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Well with the help of my wife, was able to get these pictures up for anyones viewing pleasure. This is my 5th fancy folder. I have about 30 some folders under my belt now. Up to this point I have been giving my knives to friends as gifts and exchanging them with other people for other things. I think I have come full circle and will be selling some in the future. I have always thought they weren't good enough but feel they are now. This one is my first real sale and is going to a very close friend, his wife is buying it for him for this years Christmas. I have enclosed a link to the pictures and each picture has a link to get a better picture if you just click on it. Enjoy! and Thanks again for the advice that will improve my skills/products.
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http://members.nbci.com/Tsmyth/cj/Mxmas.htm
 
Hi CJ
WOW! Nice Knife!
I just started working with the 3M TriZact belts. The last three knives I made were on the Grizzly down through 1800 grit. Buffing to a mirror polish took less than a minute per side. These belts are amazing. You might consider trying one or two. You just need to take care not to lean on them, and let the grit do its work.
My mentor told me that one of his early knives was on the buffer so long he actually buffed waves into the steel trying to remove the grind marks.


Dave Evans
Tenino, WA
 
CJ - Like I said at the Blade Show, you have some serious talent for knifemaking. That's the fourth folder that I've seen from you - the one Alan Folts has, the two from Blade, and this one. I don't think I've seen anyone put out that kind of product right from the start. Fantastic job!

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Kelly
My Custom Knife Collection

Member NCCKG , SCAK, and AKTI

Deo Vindice
 
Thanks for the nice comments guys.

WinDancer, I actually used the Trizact belt up to the 1200 grit, it did a great job. It was A16 I believe and I know they go up past that. I asked and was given that info from Walter Brend at the blade show this year. I am a great admirer of his work and with him giving a FNG some help I figured I wouldn't press my luck too much by pummeling him with a thousand questions!
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He actually walked me over to Mick Koval and he picked the belts out for me. The finest grit he had at the show was the 1200 grit. I will be trying finer grits down the road. Also be carefull using those belts. Very rigid and was told a story of a knifemaker amost cutting his finger off without knowing it by riding it near the edge of the belt!

It never ceases to amaze me of the amount of knowledge given freely by some of the biggest names in the knife business. I have had the fortune to spend some time at their homes with Kit Carson,Darrel Ralph and George Young so far.
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Also have had alot of good info in person and on the phone when problems crop up. The forums have also been great!

Kelly, nice pictures of when you and Dex went to Darrels house. I'm sure you guys had a ball, I sure did when I was there for what started out as a weekend trip and ended up being 4 days long with no less than 14 hours in the shop each of the 4 days. I'm sure Darrel was glad I left so he could get something done!
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But since he offered and I am a sponge I just couldn't get enough. Very knowledgable man! Hopefully I will be able to contribute and pass along info as time goes by.
 
<font size="4" color="#FF0000">Awesome knife CJ! ! !</font>


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GigOne
"Livin' Life - Full Throttle"
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"Happiness is a belt-fed weapon & a Walter Brend Model 2!"
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Beautiful knife CJ. I'd also like to thank you for the dykem tip. I've never been able to figure out the 'sanding in different directions' concept when you are working around the plunge. I'm going to the shop to give this a try right away!

Rob!



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Rob Ridley
Ranger Original Handcrafted Knives
 
hi mike, i haven't been on the forums ni a while, i'm glad to hear you like your variable speed motor, sounds like it works nice. i've been working hard on about 7 knives and have finished a few. i'll try and check the forums more often.
 
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