Recommendation? Need Micarta Sanding Help

Outdoor Gear Dad

Outdoor Gear Dad

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Jun 1, 2019
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Hello all. Just started getting into knife making. When I am sanding micarta to make it polished and smooth, it gets dirty. Almost like the grit from the sand paper is staining it. Certain parts of the micarta get nice and glossy but other parts look scuffed and dirty.

Is it the sandpaper I am using? Please help a brother out! Thanks a ton!
 
Outdoor Gear Dad said:
Hello all. Just started getting into knife making. When I am sanding micarta to make it polished and smooth, it gets dirty. Almost like the grit from the sand paper is staining it. Certain parts of the micarta get nice and glossy but other parts look scuffed and dirty.

Is it the sandpaper I am using? Please help a brother out! Thanks a ton!
Click to expand...
Most likely it's high and low spots that need to be sanded out.
So probably just need more elbow grease or back to the slack belt.


I start at 120grit to get em all smoothed out. The harbour freight sandpaper does fall apart easy, the rhynowet is some very nice stuff. Could be the Micarta as well, I bought some homemade stuff and it wasn't pressed very tight so it kept delaminating, so rather than fill with Epoxy I just ground it off and put some tried and true Norplex brand Micarta on there. (Acutually they own the name "Micarta")
 
Micarta will stain so if you are using wd40 or something as a lubricant it will impregnate the micarta. I sand it dry. The higher you go the less it will absorb. Usually 600g starts to get glossy in appearance.
 
Just curious but what type of micarta (phenolic) are you using? Is it paper, linen, canvas, and is the color black, natural, cream/ivory etc.?

And as Deadboxhero already mentioned, I you haven't already I'd recommend getting some Redline Rhynowet in all the grits you want, it's a great paper, especially when it comes to the cost/quality ratio. You can find it here at the top section of the page: https://www.supergrit.com/products/RedlineRedFlexSheets

I'd recommend getting (at least) a grit progression such as 120 grit, 220, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 (and higher if you choose). Those are the steps I personally take, although if I want to go higher than 1000 grit I'll go to 1500 and 2000, as I haven't found the need for 1200 or any of the other grits in between the listed progression for that matter.
I tend to go through more sheets of 120 and 400 than the others, so it may help to get some extra of those, but especially the 120. I usually don't need it, but I've found having some of the 80 grit around can come in handy at times, mainly for my disc grinder or surface plate for flattening scales and squaring handle blocks, but you can most likely get by without it as long as you don't leave any really deep scratches off the grinder.


~Paul
My Youtube Channel
... (Some older vids of some of the older knives I made)
 
Bill had one of the biggest tips for knifemaking - Change you paper often. Don't try to squeeze every last grit out of it.

Between grits, after you are done sanding, or anytime it starts looking dirty - wash the handle off with soap and water and wipe off well. Let it dry a bit before resuming.. If I am in a hurry to go to the next step, I wash it off with denatured alcohol.

Wipe the handle off with denatured alcohol every now and then to remove the swarf. Better to get it OFF the handle than to rub it IN the handle.

The sandpaper type is important. Use a good grade paper made for sanding wood ( aluminum oxide) … not metal paper like silicon carbide . Wet sanding papers used with water and a few drops of dish soap are a good idea, as Bill suggested.

Let the paper do the work. Don't bear down in order to get the sanding to go faster. Also, don't try and make a fine grit do what a coarse grit should have done. Get all shaping done at 100-120 grit before moving up to 220 and 400. All the finer grits should do is smooth down the scratches from the previous grit. Make sure ALL previous scratches are gone before going up to the next finer grit.

Micarta is a versatile creature. It can be matte finished of polished. If going for a polish or semi-polish, sand to 1000 grit. Hand buff with a soft cloth and a tiny bit of light wax. Power buffing should be done lightly with an almost dry ( very little polish on it)wheel. Many like to spray an oil (WD-450) on the handle to make it look shiny quickly, but I personally do not like that idea.
 
I hate buying sand paper, but I hate cheap sand paper even more.

I go with Norton Black Ice. Trugrit sells assorted packs 50 sheets fine 200-800 grit and Fine with the higher grits.

Black Ice is light years better the hardware store paper.
 
AVigil said:
I hate buying sand paper, but I hate cheap sand paper even more.

I go with Norton Black Ice. Trugrit sells assorted packs 50 sheets fine 200-800 grit and Fine with the higher grits.

Black Ice is light years better the hardware store paper.
Click to expand...

i have some of this to try, but everyone talks about the rhyno stuff -_- might have boofed. Wonder how they compare.
 
DustinY said:
i have some of this to try, but everyone talks about the rhyno stuff -_- might have boofed. Wonder how they compare.
Click to expand...

Pretty equal in performance. Black Ice seems to last a bit longer for me.
 
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