putting on the final finish...

S

SkaerE

Joined
Sep 9, 2001
Messages
428
im not interested in mirror polishes, some folks like em im sure...they just arent for me.

i want either a satin finish or a bead blasted one.

how do i "satin" finish a knife? ive heard of people using scotchbrite belts, what are those? what "grit" do i get?

when you bead blast a blade, do you have to tape the edge or do you put the final edge on after bead blasting?

thanks again fellas
 
tru-grit has scotch brite belts. i like the medium and corse. i finish to a norax x100 and then use the scotch belts for a great satin brush finish.
 
a cork belt will also give a good looking satin finish.
They are available in different grits. Pops knife supply
has about the best price I have found. Either one will last
a long time. A fine scotch bright will produce about a 320-
400 finish.
 
striper 28

QUESTION: When you say "Hand Sand" what do you mean?, step by step?..I would like to try and hand sand my knives one time, but I dont understand the steps, Do you mean use wet/dry paper? what grit?

Do you hand sand in a circle or do you sand it in the same direction?

Also,If I have a big brass guard like of a Fowler blade, how do you hand sand and protect the brass, or do you hand sand the brass at the same time to match?

I also would like to know how a sharpened edge is treated with this non-mirror type finish?

I also have a bead blaster,,,and I have always questioned how and when I would use it to make a nice knife finish?
 
DaQo'tah
Bruce Evans has a really good tutorial on hand sanding or handrubbing a blade on his site.
Basically all you do is use wet dry sandpaper (other will work, but not as well) and start out with some just a little bit finer than the last belt you used to grind. Sand in one direction, lengthwise or crosswise to the blade. Most people prefer lengthwise.
Sand out all the scratches from grinding and then switch to a finer grit paper and sand out all the previous scratches. Keep going finer until you get the finish you want.

I usually start out and finish the blade, then tape it up with masking tape, and do the final shaping and finishing on the gaurd. Then I tape the gaurd up also, and finish the handle.
You have to get all the joints matched up first, otherwise it will be uneven where the scales meet the gaurd etc.
If you tape things up this way, you don't have to worry as much about messing up the finish on your gaurd or blade while you finish the handle. You do the handle last so that you can get all the brass/steel filings sanded out of it.
 
DaQo'tah

The most important part of hand sanding is to get a good block to wrap the sandpaper around. I used a block of paper micarta that I found in the workshop at work. It had good, flat surfaces. The corners were not rounded and did not have "burrs". Follow the tutorial, alternating directions. It does not take that long. I think that I have spent about 1 1/2 hours sanding from 120 grit to 600 grit on my latest. That put a satin finish on the blade and the handle (5 1/2 inch overall X 1 1/4 wide). I ripped the sandpaper into strips that were as wide as my block. I advanced the paper by about 3/4 inch once it stopped cutting well. The worn sandpaper takes a lot more effort to use than the fresh and the sandpaper does not cost much anyways. On my last knife (my first), I got it to a near mirror finish by working my wasy up to 2000 grit sandpaper. I got my sandpaper from a place that sold supplies to the car bodyshops (I was in small-town New Zealand so no Lowes or Home Depot). Enjoy the work-out. My wife appreciated that I had put some sweat into the knives that I have been making for her ;) . Hope this helps.
 
when you bead blast a blade, do you have to tape the edge or do you put the final edge on after bead blasting?
 
I bead blast the blade, and then put the final edge on the blade.
I assume that is how most people do it.
Kyle Fuglesten
 
You sharpen last. If you try to tape the edge and bead blast the finish won't cover the entire blade.
 
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