Scratches

[jdm61]

This is especially for the newbies, because if the pro's haven't figured this one out, they need to go back to their day jobs because they will never have the time to make a living at this Where do you guys get the grinding scratches that pretty much refuse to go away in a reasonable (or unreasonable) amount of time hand sanding? For me, it is on the very tip, the flats right at the spine, and, of course, right up at the plunge cuts. Anybody any techniques for for getting rid of them before the next ice age comes along?

 

[David Schott]

palm sander, upside down in the vice. Draw the blade across it or push it right into the plunge!

 

[Will52100]

Palm sander, take it up to 600 grit and then start hand sanding at 400 grit. If after a couple of sheats still showing scratches I drop to 320 and go by hand up from there. On most carbon steels it goes pretty quick. I use WD 40 on the palm sander as lube, and Windex as lube for hand sanding.

 

[jdm61]

Ah.....maybe the lube is the trick. My palm sander didn't seem to do a whole lot. I use the Don Fogg trick, but with a brass bar for the initial sand.

 

[Will52100]

The lube definatly helps. I replaced the soft pad on my palm sander with a 1/2" thick mycarta pad and use 3M disk spray adhisive to attach the sand paper. I use a 1 1/4" x 1/8" bar of steel for initial sanding stick, just wrap the paper around it once, then when I get everything flat I have a wood sanding stick with some heavy leather taped to it to countour and blend the convex edge as I don't have a KMG. A blade holder also helps a lot, it's nothing more than an aluminum channel that I clamp the blade too with a bit of leather at the tip to fully suport the blade and not get in my way.

 

[jdm61]

The Windex trick seems to have helped on the big W2 bowie I am working on. Thanks for the info. Now to 400, 600 and beyond! I put my blade in my Moran vice with a bar of steel supporting them. Works pretty well.

 

[David Schott]

I also use a wide 2" piece of steel, and wrap it with sandpaper to simulate draw filing. I do all my hand finishing this way. For the plunge, I use a 1/8" brass rod wrapped in sandpaper to start it, then clean it up lengthwise with normal sanding. For me, the only hard part is the plunge area, but ive been playing with sweeping plunges rather than straigh plunges, and they are FAR easier to clean up, but far easier to wash out as well....its a double edged sword.