Knife repair question

[chickentrax]

The funning thing is until I read your horror stories about buff wheels....I never gave a thought that a guy could get hurt on a cotton buffing wheel...

There was a pic of a well-known custom knife makers' shop posted here once...He had dozens of old worn-out sanding belts littering the floor under his buffer...I asked why he didn't pick them up...He said they were cheaper than pillows...

 

[jb4570]

JB does your wife know basic first aid? LOL
Be careful!
Post some pics before and after!!!
(No ER photos though)

Funny Jim,

The wife is a nurse....If I cut myself she can stitch it up.....I'm sure she will make it hurt worse than it needs to....LMAO .

Well the wife wants me to clean up the garage and hall some of my stuff off as I'm always complaining that I cant get to any of my tools....HeHeHe, I'll clean it tomorrow so I can set up for new tools to come in...or at least some new parts for my existing tools.

jb4570

 

[muskrat man]

Hi MM, BW, & Trax,

Will a 3M Scotch Brite wheel it on a 6" grinder??? Where do I get one and as trax tossed out...how much do they cost??? I've also got a nice Old black micarta handled 124 with a scratched up blade....so that project would help defer the cost of the SB wheel.

MM do I just sand the bolsters by hand or should I use a block??? Remember....I think almost everything can he fixed with a large hammer or a saw . Fine finish work on anything other than wood is not my forte!!!!! But I've got a little time and the will to give it a try.

BW...thanks; I like the no nick look and hard steel. It's not quite the first issue black micarta handle I gave to my older bother back in 72 or 73....But, it will do until I find one of those . Oh, and the blade looks worse than the scan when in hand. Looks like my scanner is loosing some of it resolution these days.

jb4570

the wheels will fit on a grinder I believe, they are around $35-$40 last time I checked. I usually just hand sand the bolsters, but if you are looking to keep the edges true and sharp (I usually round mine anyway-it feels better in my hand) I would use a block. go from 220 (use 150 first if neccesery) then drop down to 400 then buff.

 

[DarrylS]

the wheels will fit on a grinder I believe, they are around $35-$40 last time I checked. I usually just hand sand the bolsters, but if you are looking to keep the edges true and sharp (I usually round mine anyway-it feels better in my hand) I would use a block. go from 220 (use 150 first if neccesery) then drop down to 400 then buff.

...JB...Just remember that your rivet heads will be sanded flat also if ya do the bolsters and scales. The only way to keep the rounded heads is to replace 'em after sanding the scales and bolsters...and that will take some disassembly...

 

[muskrat man]

no need, just sand the bolsters, not the entire thing, done it a bunch of times.

 

[jb4570]

the wheels will fit on a grinder I believe, they are around $35-$40 last time I checked. I usually just hand sand the bolsters, but if you are looking to keep the edges true and sharp (I usually round mine anyway-it feels better in my hand) I would use a block. go from 220 (use 150 first if neccesery) then drop down to 400 then buff.

Ok here is the start of the project. As muskrat man said...sanded with 220 first, then 400. Should have sanded with the 400 a little more for a smother start for the buffer. Oh well next time. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get it to this point. Still needs a little more buffing. It will work for EDC .

Before:



After:



Still may get the 3M wheel; the blade art really bugs me. Just like goose and the off set medallion .

jb4570

 

[Messersmith]

Looks pretty good JB

 

[Joe Houser]

Buffing machines scare me senseless!! The ones we use are pretty powerfull, I wanna say they use a 1/2 horsepower motor? I had one grab the piece of compound I was useing and toss it back at my chest so hard it knocked the wind out of me and left a big bruise.
I was test buffing a 4" by 4" block of cherry wood and the wheel grabbed it. All I heard was a couple of clunks and the wood was gone! Never heard it land and don't know how it got past my body unless it flew over my shoulder.
Please be careful!
If you get the correct Scotch brite wheel, it will take out lite scratches and you can buff out the scratches it leaves.

 

[chickentrax]

If you get the correct Scotch brite wheel, it will take out lite scratches and you can buff out the scratches it leaves.

Joe -

I and a few others prefer the satin finish that Bucks come with. IIRC, you said that was done with the 3M Scotch Brite wheel. It kind of looks like a ground finish. Lines nice and straight; parallel; and no cross-hatching.

Which wheel produces that finish??? At $43 a wheel, I'd like to get the right one the first time (for a change)...

 

[DarrylS]

Joe -

I and a few others prefer the satin finish that Bucks come with. IIRC, you said that was done with the 3M Scotch Brite wheel. It kind of looks like a ground finish. Lines nice and straight; parallel; and no cross-hatching.

Which wheel produces that finish??? At $43 a wheel, I'd like to get the right one the first time (for a change)...

...I agree with Trax...I do prefer that satin finish. I've gotten close to it on a few but not close enough to make me happy...There are so many grades of
3M Scotch Brite wheels to chose from and buy out there that I don't think the wife and kid will be happy with dandelion greens and fat back for too much longer...

 

[chickentrax]

...I agree with Trax...I do prefer that satin finish.

That is nice, isn't it??? I especially like the abrupt blend line...I think that must be machine-done; I don't think a human being could hold the blade from jiggling in two axes while moving it in the third...this human can't...

 

[Buckaholic]

Ok, for me, the last time I used a buffer, I was riding it down the barracks hall at Ft. Polk, LA back in the 70's.

Given the above, is there a way to remove mirror finish on a blade and acheive the satin finish that I prefer?

Maybe I'll have to putt up to John's house. Seems like he's cleaned out his garage enough to get to the wheel.
Hmmm...if I go, I better take my 4x4 instead. Then I can "inspect" his knife display while he's working my blade

 

[chickentrax]

Given the above, is there a way to remove mirror finish on a blade and acheive the satin finish that I prefer?

Yes, that's what the 3M Scotch Brite wheel is for.

 

[Joe Houser]

I think the lines you are refering to ARE grind lines like CTrax said. The switch was made a while back to leave an "as ground" finish in the hollow of the blade on certain models. This was done on knives that someone thought would not be considered to be collectible but users. The reasoning being, why polish it up when the first cut will scratch the finish.
I believe we use quite a few diferent scotchbrite wheels such as 7S fine and others like that. We also use a grey wheel to help with the classic satin finish. We make the grey wheels in house and the abrasive on them is aluminum oxide if I remember correctly.

 

[muskrat man]

Ok here is the start of the project. As muskrat man said...sanded with 220 first, then 400. Should have sanded with the 400 a little more for a smother start for the buffer. Oh well next time. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get it to this point. Still needs a little more buffing. It will work for EDC .


jb4570

Looks good 2 me, though you really SHOULD send it to me for final inspection

 

[jb4570]

Looks good 2 me, though you really SHOULD send it to me for final inspection

Thanks MM,

Your instructions made me "GIT-R-DONE" as Larry would say. Still need to Buff a better finish on the bolsters. What type of buffing compound do you guys use...I only have the white stuff that is for Stainless steel.

I'll be getting a 7S 3M wheel and give it a whirl...can't look any worse than the current blade art . Thanks Joe H. for the wheel type.


jb4570

 

[muskrat man]

I use black then move to white for a high polish