Sanding To Perfect Thickness

A

Andybrock

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Feb 5, 2017
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I’ve made a few slip joint folders now, but now I’m trying to improve the quality and get my knives up to the next level.
For instance today, I’ve been trying to hand sand the spring to even thickness along it’s length, also the tang so it’s the same thickness all over. While I can get it reasonably close I can’t get it perfect!
I haven’t got a surface grinder so it will be all hand sanding, is it possible to get perfect, equal thickness without a SG or an I trying to achieve the impossible?
Thanks
 
Do you have sandpaper on a flat plate?
It is best to move the workpiece like a figure 8, not back and forewards
 
The figure-eight sanding pattern is only part. Turn the piece 90° and sand in more figure eights. Turn 90° and do again, keep turning and figure eighting and it should end up even.

Measure often and mark the high spots or surfaces with a sharpie. When sanding, those places should have a tad more pressure on them from your fingers. Not too much, just enough to increase the removal a tad more towards that end/sode.
 
HA! See my post yesterday about surface grinders. I'm literally right in your spot. Mine are getting quite nice but i now strive for perfection and I just cannot maintain everything perfect over the number of different times I "clean up" the edges or match it to the blade, etc.

I've almost reserved myself to saying I have to sell a few knives and find/learn the surface grinder.

Flattening metal on a granite plate with paper by hand is now my most hated knifemaking activity.

I should re-state that....sanding metal flat is easy on each side. Sanding both sides flat and PERFECTLY parallel is not and seems required for that "one piece" spine look.
 
David Schott said:
HA! See my post yesterday about surface grinders. I'm literally right in your spot. Mine are getting quite nice but i now strive for perfection and I just cannot maintain everything perfect over the number of different times I "clean up" the edges or match it to the blade, etc.

I've almost reserved myself to saying I have to sell a few knives and find/learn the surface grinder.

Flattening metal on a granite plate with paper by hand is now my most hated knifemaking activity.

I should re-state that....sanding metal flat is easy on each side. Sanding both sides flat and PERFECTLY parallel is not and seems required for that "one piece" spine look.
Click to expand...
Sounds like we’re searching for the holy grail of slip joint making! I’ve seen some homemade mill fixtures on YT that look highly dangerous!
 
Buy surface ground steel. You can get CPM 154 already surface ground.

I have spent hours working on flatness with AEB-L and a disc grinder as well as a surface plate can get you there.
 
Andybrock said:
or an I trying to achieve the impossible?
Click to expand...
Not impossible, just not easy. (if it was, more of us would be making slip-joints).
Think about all the steam engines and other machines that were made throughout history with hand tools, chisels and files etc.
I remember reading that machinist apprentices at the turn of the century would spend six months filing and learning how to achieve this. Having the right tools and using correct techniques to check for flatness and parallel-ness helps too.
 
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