sanding preferences

[Atlas Knife Company]

Please help me. I have been using a random orbit 6" pneumatic sander to sand the blades. Currently I am at 400 grit wet sanding. Can someone give me their opinion on sanding technique other than "sand until shiny"?

specifically, should I use random orbit or straight line sanding, wet or dry. Grit levels and tips when to switch to the next grit would be helpful. It buffed nicely at 220 grit, but I had shiny swirl marks so I got some 400 and 600 grit.

Also, how would you do a satin finish?

 

[Atlas Knife Company]

Oh, I should say thank you in advance for any help given. This is my 4th knife attempt, the first in 10 years.

 

[Hengelo_77]

Hand sand, ricasso to point, long, straight moves.
Lift off the snadingblock with the sanding paper replace at the ricasso and one smooth move to the point.

Check out the makers part of this forum. You'll find more and better info there

 

[Atlas Knife Company]

Wet sand, I would presume? I'll go look in the makers subforum.

 

[Atlas Knife Company]

Unless a mod can move this post, I will repost in Makers forum, now that I found it.

 

[Hengelo_77]

My best advice would be to buy a book on knife making. It will give you tonns of information and ideas.
get it from amazon or ebay. Including shipment it will cost you less then $30.-
It will save you a lot of mistakes and setbacks.

 

[Hengelo_77]

Wet the paper with a small amout of oil