Ultimate Hand Finish for 5160

D

DAMNENG

Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Messages
633
I've been trying to improve my hand finish on 5160. The process I normally use on stainless blades only produces an acceptabel finish and not the presentation grade finish I'm looking for.

I belt finish to P800 then Hand sand using X220 Silicon Carbide wet/dry paper, then I go to P360 girt DC W/D dry, the P360 SC with WD40, then to X400 dry, then X400 SC with WD40. I then polish with Semichrome paste.

I am open to suggestions on how to improve the finish on 5160 if anyone is willing to share their experience.

Jim A.
 
Usually I take it to 800 w/d then back down to 600. This way you ensure all the heavier grit scratches are gone and you can get a nice even hand rubbed finish.

Chuck
 
Anything over 120 grit is for wussies :D

A finish I like is just a quick dip in ferric and scrub with comet. Makes a very fine, almost bead blasted finish that reflects a miriad of colors.

Repeat the dips and scrubs till you get what you like.
 
Mark Williams said:
Anything over 120 grit is for wussies :D

A finish I like is just a quick dip in ferric and scrub with comet. Makes a very fine, almost bead blasted finish that reflects a miriad of colors.

Repeat the dips and scrubs till you get what you like.
Click to expand...

That's a new one on me Mark. Do you scrub in a circular fashion or lengthwise along the blade like hand sanding?

Thanks,

-d
 
Scrub in a circular pattern. It looks especially nice on a fully hardened blade.

You can also learn a lot about the steel by doing this. Grain patterns are very obvious.
 
Mark Williams said:
Anything over 120 grit is for wussies :D

A finish I like is just a quick dip in ferric and scrub with comet. Makes a very fine, almost bead blasted finish that reflects a miriad of colors.

Repeat the dips and scrubs till you get what you like.
Click to expand...

Mark, you should try Bar Keepers Friend instead of Comet. The BKF even has oxalic acid in it.:thumbup:
 
Oxalic is pretty good stuff. I used to package it as rust remover when I worked in a chemical plant. Never thought of "etching" with it like you say but that sounds pretty cool. Let's see some pics please! :)
 
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