I hate hand sanding. Motorized solution?

JG Custom Metal Works

JG Custom Metal Works

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Nov 27, 2013
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Has anyone used a palm sander for the role of hand sanding? I understand things can get out of hand with motorized equipment sometimes. So you'd have to be careful. It also probably wouldn't be that good for getting up into the plunge very well. What I'm wondering is if it could be used for the brunt of the sanding, for a particular grit, and then finish each grit with straight pulls by hand. If going into the higher grits I'm sure there would be a point where you want to switch over to just hand sanding.

I've been thinking about setting up a platen on the top of my KMG so I could grind length-wise. I'm not sure about how to go about it. I know Caleb Royer and Nathan the Machinist have setups like that and they look to work good.

Does anyone have any motorized solution for this process?
 
I hate hand sanding as well, I'm going in to have two Trigger fingers on my left hand operated on tomorrow and while I can't say hand sanding is the exact cause, It sure didn't help matters any!

Some are quite happy with the motorized Palm sander and put a piece of thin Micarta on the steel base to give a little padding.

Nathan's set up sure looks great except it won't work on my Hardcore grinder. I haven't done any hand sanding for a couple of years now, preferring to take my blades too 220 and then use Cork , Scotchbrite or a combo.

I like having a slight texture on my culinary blades, helps keep food from sticking like a mirror can.
 
Maybe you need a little help supporting your sandpaper and saving your fingers. I have taken a pair of my wife's rubber flap sandals and cut out a thumb shaped section which I sanded to the contour of a thumb on one side and left the other side flat. I curl a piece of paper around it and sand away either on the flats or the cutouts. I cannot live without this tool. I have some tubular rubber sanding supports as well for hollow ground blades which I bought online from Klingspor's wood working tools. Using some rubber sanding pieces really save your fingers and hands. Larry
 
I don't know why a palm sander wouldn't work, though it would tend to wash out any lines or transitions you want to be sharp.
For most grinds, using a disk sander for most of the work sure saves time.
I usually go to about a 65m on the belt, then take out ALL the vertical scratches with 320 on a disk. After that, it's very quick to get a good working finish hand sanding with 320- first on a metal sanding stick, then with a leather pad between the sanding stick and the sandpaper for the finish pulls. *shrug* works for me.
 
I think there is a strong bias for traditional hand sanding, and always, ALWAYS, draw the sandpaper over the steel in the same direction. I took a palm sander and installed a micarta block on it so the sandpaper would have a firm backing and retain the grind lines. Not surprisingly it made things go a lot faster. When you don't want to see the squiggles of the orbital sanding switch to hand sanding for the final finish.

Another way of increasing efficiency of sanding is to use a long sanding paddle to hold a long strip of sandpaper, or like shown here a grinding belt.

- Paul Meske, (AKA lonepine)
 
When I just started knifemaking I experimented with a palm sander. Didn't really work very well.

I've been experimenting with different ways of getting the blade finely finished. So far, nothing finishes like hand sanding. Nothing comes even close.

Some finishes look nice enough. And for a lazy finish I'll do a Scotchbrite belt finish. it's clean and fast and people seem to like it.

But when I want something to look high class...nothing finished like albow grease, a block of micarta and 10 or more grits of sandpaper.
 
I use a Makita 1/4 sheet sander for most of my flat sanding. I replaced the foam rubber pad with a 1/4 inch Micarta sheet and use several pieces of paper to cushion the sand paper.
 
If it's plungeless then you can use a contact wheel. The smaller the better but I use an 8" because that's all I've got!
 
Wow, why don't you just start trying to discuss Catholicism vs. Greek Orthodox, stones vs. paper wheel, or Rolling Stones vs. Beatles? That's a highly religious question, and you're going to get answers based on mostly religious beliefs. Logic would dictate that if you can't see the scratch marks of the previous grit, who cares how you got there. The final grit should still be hand drawn in one direction. Yes, a micarta backing pad will help keep things flat, and a second sander with micarta and leather will work for non-flat grinds. Sanders are cheap, and quick, and you'll actually go through less paper.

However, some believe that knifemaking is a religious experience and hours of tortuous hand sanding bring value to the knife. As such, you don't want to cheat the universe just because modern technology has found an easier way to do things.
 
Hand sanding starts on your grinder. I take a blade to a 220 finish on the grinder then go to the disk sander to make sure it is as flat as possible. then I start hand sanding with 220. it doesn't take more then a few stokes to see if how well you did removing the 220 belt scratch pattern and how flat you are off the disk. there are many times I will go back to the belt sander or disk sander depending on how bad the scratches are and start over. there isn't really much need to spend hours and hours hand sanding when you have a belt sander or disk sander that will help you get where you need to be really quickly and with much less effort. so save you hands and stay on the belt or disk until you get a good even finish and the blade is flat.
 
Barry Clodfelter said:
Hand sanding starts on your grinder. I take a blade to a 220 finish on the grinder then go to the disk sander to make sure it is as flat as possible. then I start hand sanding with 220. it doesn't take more then a few stokes to see if how well you did removing the 220 belt scratch pattern and how flat you are off the disk. there are many times I will go back to the belt sander or disk sander depending on how bad the scratches are and start over. there isn't really much need to spend hours and hours hand sanding when you have a belt sander or disk sander that will help you get where you need to be really quickly and with much less effort. so save you hands and stay on the belt or disk until you get a good even finish and the blade is flat.
Click to expand...

Lots of interesting opinions here, but I agree pretty much with Barry. Instead of disk I use my belt and Nathan's platen lengthwise to ensure I'm flat, but will finish on the belt vertically down to 220 or so.
Then I hit 320 on the bench by hand with a flat steel sanding bar, going up to 1200.
When I started my grinding was so poor I spent a lot of time at 220 working up to 800. 12 to 15 hours was about what it took.
I can do it it a couple of hours now that my grinding has improved. I don't mind spending that kind of time.
I just ordered a cork belt to see if it gets me closer to finished on the grinder....
 
Hand sanding with a machine? Isn't that an Oxymoron? I just turn up the tunes and and enjoy the seclusion.
 
The first guy who told me about doing that lengthwise on a platen was Matt Roberts back in like 2006. I have seen a few guys do it since then and know that people have been doing it for a while. Nate's new platens mean that you don't have to guess at what kind of rough radius you have to grind on the ends of the platen. If you want sharp 90 degree plunge cuts, then you are stuck with hand sanding. Other than that, you have options and not just going with a big sweeping plunge anymore.
William Schrade said:
Hand sanding with a machine? Isn't that an Oxymoron? I just turn up the tunes and and enjoy the seclusion.
Click to expand...
 
I can't imagine sitting there sanding it out with little strips of sand paper when you have electricity and an infinitely long strip of sand paper.
nutter.gif


You can put a radius on the end of your platen and run your grinder slow

81_zps4b566cf4.jpg~original


2.jpg~original



Hey, no fish hooks :D :thumbup:

It takes about 30 minutes.
 
36 grit -> 50 -> 100-> 220-> 400-> 400 cork -> 800 cork->

Then back down to 500 grit hand sand. That only takes like 15 mins to finish up


But to tell the truth a lot of customers like the belt finish just fine if it is going to be actually used.
 
Atlas Knife Company said:
Wow, why don't you just start trying to discuss Catholicism vs. Greek Orthodox, stones vs. paper wheel, or Rolling Stones vs. Beatles? That's a highly religious question, and you're going to get answers based on mostly religious beliefs. Logic would dictate that if you can't see the scratch marks of the previous grit, who cares how you got there. The final grit should still be hand drawn in one direction. Yes, a micarta backing pad will help keep things flat, and a second sander with micarta and leather will work for non-flat grinds. Sanders are cheap, and quick, and you'll actually go through less paper.

However, some believe that knifemaking is a religious experience and hours of tortuous hand sanding bring value to the knife. As such, you don't want to cheat the universe just because modern technology has found an easier way to do things.
Click to expand...


Perfect answer! :thumbup:
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I can't imagine sitting there sanding it out with little strips of sand paper when you have electricity and an infinitely long strip of sand paper.
nutter.gif


You can put a radius on the end of your platen and run your grinder slow

81_zps4b566cf4.jpg~original


2.jpg~original



Hey, no fish hooks :D :thumbup:

It takes about 30 minutes.
Click to expand...
As soon as I get a new variable speed grinder I'm getting one of these!
 
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