- Joined
- Feb 15, 2005
- Messages
- 419
This is the process of how I established a mirror finish on some INFI!
Once the black crinkle coating took a beating I decided to strip it. I've always enjoyed the look of shiny metal and a black handle.
So I used a chemical stripper, and then a paint removal pad that chucks into a drill to shine it up.
For the serrations, I used a craftsman 6in. Round File. I just marked o the blade with a sharpie where exactly I wanted them to be, and started filing. It's very slow moving at first. Only cut in a forward direction with the file! Do not drag it backwards as it flattens the teeth of the file. Once you start to form a trough in the blade, the filing becomes much easier. Later on, I widened the serrations out a bit with a small grinding stone used for sharpening chainsaw teeth. It fits right into a Dremmel. (These items were purchased at Sears, I'm sure they can be found at any other hardware shop also.)
To remove the Hell Razor bevels I needed some agressive sanding. To save me loads of time, I bought a kit from Sears that chucks into a drill. It has a black plastic disk, with which you can change grits of sandpaper.
This is a picture of the disk, and the changable pads.
This is from when the INFI dimples are gone, but the bevels aren't quite gone yet.
I started with Course Metal sandpaper.
It is important that at every stage you remove all signs of the previous cut, which will not always be easily visible. So try to make each cut cross it's previous one at 90 degrees, this way you can see the scratches. This means if you have sanding marks going from spine to blade, (like the pic above) then when you move up to a higher grit be sure to sand from handle to tip. And do not move up grits again until all of the pervious scratches are removed. It is easy to see them by looking into the reflections in the knife.
I used the course sandpaper until all of the larger scratches and pits were removed, then I moved up to the Medium and Fine Metal sandpaper. Again going at a 90 degree angle with each new grit from the previous cut. Then I moved up into 800 grit Wet/dry sandpaper. This can be found at most autoparts stores. Then from 800 to 1500, then finially to 2000. With each of these last three pay close attention to how easily they lose their "roughness". You should find yourself going through wet/dry paper much more quickly than the heavier grits. Be sure you're not wasting time with a piece of sandpaper that isnt removing any metal because it is wore out or clogged.
Once you reach 2000 grit, it is basically a mirror. It still has some haze to it though. Take it to a buffing wheel on a bench grinder with some Fine compound, and it will take the haze right out of it! If you dont have access to a bench grinder. Sears sells mini buffing wheels that will chuck into your drill and get the job done!
This site offers some great tips as well.
http://www.englishcustompolishing.com/usca/stainless.html
Remember, don't rush your work. It will show!
Here's a pic where the bevels are gone, but it's still not fully polished.
Once the black crinkle coating took a beating I decided to strip it. I've always enjoyed the look of shiny metal and a black handle.
So I used a chemical stripper, and then a paint removal pad that chucks into a drill to shine it up.
For the serrations, I used a craftsman 6in. Round File. I just marked o the blade with a sharpie where exactly I wanted them to be, and started filing. It's very slow moving at first. Only cut in a forward direction with the file! Do not drag it backwards as it flattens the teeth of the file. Once you start to form a trough in the blade, the filing becomes much easier. Later on, I widened the serrations out a bit with a small grinding stone used for sharpening chainsaw teeth. It fits right into a Dremmel. (These items were purchased at Sears, I'm sure they can be found at any other hardware shop also.)
To remove the Hell Razor bevels I needed some agressive sanding. To save me loads of time, I bought a kit from Sears that chucks into a drill. It has a black plastic disk, with which you can change grits of sandpaper.
This is a picture of the disk, and the changable pads.
This is from when the INFI dimples are gone, but the bevels aren't quite gone yet.
I started with Course Metal sandpaper.
It is important that at every stage you remove all signs of the previous cut, which will not always be easily visible. So try to make each cut cross it's previous one at 90 degrees, this way you can see the scratches. This means if you have sanding marks going from spine to blade, (like the pic above) then when you move up to a higher grit be sure to sand from handle to tip. And do not move up grits again until all of the pervious scratches are removed. It is easy to see them by looking into the reflections in the knife.
I used the course sandpaper until all of the larger scratches and pits were removed, then I moved up to the Medium and Fine Metal sandpaper. Again going at a 90 degree angle with each new grit from the previous cut. Then I moved up into 800 grit Wet/dry sandpaper. This can be found at most autoparts stores. Then from 800 to 1500, then finially to 2000. With each of these last three pay close attention to how easily they lose their "roughness". You should find yourself going through wet/dry paper much more quickly than the heavier grits. Be sure you're not wasting time with a piece of sandpaper that isnt removing any metal because it is wore out or clogged.
Once you reach 2000 grit, it is basically a mirror. It still has some haze to it though. Take it to a buffing wheel on a bench grinder with some Fine compound, and it will take the haze right out of it! If you dont have access to a bench grinder. Sears sells mini buffing wheels that will chuck into your drill and get the job done!
This site offers some great tips as well.
http://www.englishcustompolishing.com/usca/stainless.html
Remember, don't rush your work. It will show!
Here's a pic where the bevels are gone, but it's still not fully polished.
I have thought about that a few times.
