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My first polish, and the one i'm doing next

BePrepared

BePrepared

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
4,441
my first attempt ever

i didn't want to go FULL mirror on this one, but I got it a somewhere between mirror and satin

below it is tomorrows polish


2503ss5.jpg
 
Thats damn good man! I also agree with you about polishing, I like a mid satin polish too. Hope everything works out man.
 
That came out really good man. How do you like that knife? I cant wait to see the 7 once you shine her up.
 
i absolutely LOVE the boomslang... it chops like a loggers axe...

i hacked a few limbs earlier with it and my Kukri machete

it outchops the kukri by a large margin

i also think it would make one hell of a fighting weapon. it's lightning fast
 
based upon everything i have seen so far, i can recommend it completely

of course, i haven't really tortured it yet but i'm planning to soon
 
boomslang reminds me of something ... mmm ... oh yeah, the BK6 ;)
 
I am seriously considering taking my current sander back and getting a 3x21 belt sander

the one i have now doesn't make linear sanding marks.. they're very small squiggles... this is still slightly visible even after polishing

i'm thinking a belt sander might give me a better quality polish

unfortunately, i don't seem to be able to find anything higher than 400 grit in belts around here... the only 1000+ grit is flat sheets :(
 
I get squiggles from the platen, if you're not careful. You can fix that by getting an extended platen or otherwise providing a bit more backing.

May I suggest you check out Supergrit for more belts.

How's the 7 coming?
 
the 7 is tonight's project... but i might put it off if i decide to order a new sander.

I want it to be PERFECT and the gear i have now isn't quite up to the task

I wish i could use my worksharp, but it convexes everything it touches, so it's no good for this kind of work

I don't want to do it by hand, because one slip would cost me a finger.... the BK7 is scary sharp

oh, and what's a platen? :)
 
Platen is the plate behind the belt that provides a hard surface for you to press against.

If I might make a suggestion, I would seriously recommend that you buy a really good sander, and if you have the dough, you might even go for a knifemaking 2x72 belt grinder.

The reason I say that is that I get the feeling you're heading towards amateur knifemaking, cause you sound like me a year ago, and seriously, you'd love it. Imagine making your own rendition of a killa zilla, for instance...

Anyways, you want a good sander, not a cheapo Harbor Freight, variable speed if you can get it, at least 1 HP. You want good tracking (so the belt doesn't wobble all over the place), and you want to be able to switch belts quickly and easily. I'm saving up for a good 2x72 myself. Anyone want to buy some airsoft guns to help me get there :P? (Kidding--mostly).
 
lol... right now, i just spent a LOT of money on some new guns....

i am pretty sure i've actually hit my budget hard enough that i can't actually afford to buy the Zilla i was looking at

i'm playing with a bunch of budget equipment right now... if i could find a good, compact belt sander under 150-200 i could buy immediately

otherwise, i'll have to buy something cheap, and save for a good one.

for the moment, the only sanders i own are a B&D hand sander, and my little worksharp...it's hard to get a good linear finish with the hand sander, and squiggles make me sad

if you can recommend a decent sander under 200 it would be appreciated

the ones i think you're referring to are over 450 and i like being married :P
 
True, the 2x72's are a LOT over 450. Hence why I don't own one yet. I like being married too.

I'm using a little Rikon 1x30, which works pretty well for now. Got that for under 150. Was seriously worth it over the crap harbor freight one. I do still use my 4x36 that I got from Harbor Freight though, but I need to get a better quality one of those too at some point. It's pretty useful, actually.
 
Yes and yes. I have both of those. The bottom one works for wood, but it's pretty bad for steel. I'm thinking about picking up a Ryobi 4x36 though. I also have the harbor freight 1x30, and it's incredibly bad.
 
well it turns out the guy was selling a 2/3 hp craftsman 4"x36" belt/disc sander

so it has 2x the HP i was expecting.... better deal than expected.

now i have to order some new belts for it, and my BK7 polishing project will begin
 
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