polishing/buffing

R

rprocter

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i have just acquired a 2 spindle buffer, with 2 new muslin buffing wheels, a block of diamond tripoli (600 grit) and a cylinder of yellow rouge. i want to clean up an ever growing stack (~40 so far) of older knives. i have never tried this before so any pointers on the subtleties of mastering polishing/buffing would be appreciated. also, can i buff handles after cleaning with paint thinner, and if so what handle materials should NOT undergo this ? ivory, stag, bone, wood, celluloid ? thanks, i'm relatively new to serious knife collecting, but i am a keener. roland
 
More vintage knives have been ruined by guys with new buffers than you would imagine. Use your head.
Bill
 
Bill, do you mean buff knives by rubbing them on my head ? sounds weird, but i'll try it. thanks for the tip.
 
That's the safest way to buff them. You won't screw them up.
Practice on junk knives, and be very careful. Buffers are dangerous!
Bill
www.billdeshivs.com
 
I suggest finding someone to give you a demo face to face........perhaps a local jeweler or watchmaker.:cool: Barring that possibility, check around for a video.....it's really not something best learned on one's own if you can avoid it. Many dangers are involved not only to the operator's health, but also to the object being buffed. I polished jewelry in a couple of shops several years ago in OH and TX for probably around 4 years total and IMHO, anyone who doesn't HIGHLY respect a buffer is a FOOL!:eek:
Best of luck and keep your head down, your visor/goggles clean and your dust mask in place!:thumbup:
 
Get a GOOD leather apron or something thick to protect your stomach. Wear a mask and a face sheild. Buffers can throw a blade so hard it will stick in the floor or ceiling. The muslin sometimes get stuck in small gaps or wraps a pin and it gets thrown. Study up on buffer safety and you will keep all your fingers. Good luck.
 
thanks for the safety tips. i had no idea that a buffer can be so dangerous. i will get the equipment you suggested.
 
Always hold the item from the top, so if it does get grabbed it doesn't remove your fingers.
 
Best of luck rproctor.

Though having read your replies so far I think I'd leave it to the professionals!
 
I wouldn't worry too much about harming the knives. If you have 40 or so.... that are in need of attention, this is evidence that they're not collector's items :D

Go easy on pressure and adjust as your progress indicates. As someone already said, jewelers are experts at buffing and at suggesting rouge.

If you buff wood or open-pored scales, the rouge can get inside the pores and possibly discolor the scales. I know red rouge will leave some traces. I haven;t any experience with much more than wood, and I really don;t see a need to buff it. Sandpaper of varying grades might be better. If you have wooden or other scales that have a high gloss, you might be looking at a phenolic or epoxy exterior. Maybe you might buff those, I don;t know. Try your cheapest beaters first.

I'm not sure I would clean the scales with paint thinner. Are they THAT bad? Paint thinner can be harsh on finishes though it shouldn;t hurt epoxy, G10, Micarta (epoxy), etc. But some knife handles might be finished with other finishes that paint thinner could soften and destroy. I'd try some Simple Green, 409, warm water and soap wid a toofbrush, etc. Like buffing, give it more pressure (caustic cleaning agents) as you progress.
 
They sell compound that won't stain things, look into what types you have. Now about being safe, I've had a knife gouge out a .25" chunk of concrete in the floor before having it bury itself in a solid wood workbench, I now keep a piece of chainmail I made from clothes hangers behind the buffer to catch things so they won't ricochet. Have fun and stay safe.
 
zpaulg said:
Best of luck rproctor.

Though having read your replies so far I think I'd leave it to the professionals!
Click to expand...

what professionals ? as part of my enjoyment of knives, i want to bring many of these decent but used knives back to a more attractive and optimal state.
the paint thinner suggestion comes from numerous posters in another forum here. idea is to remove sweat/grease/blood/etc that may coat and slightly penetrate handles, as a first step, instead of using soap and water. i have no idea why my replies lead you to think that i would not be able to learn this skill. we all gotta start somewhere.
 
p.s. i have a nice moose hide that's been lying around for a number of years.
glad i never cut it up, because i'm going to start by making myself a leather apron. i wouldn't have thought it necessary, so i really appreciate being told that. roland
 
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