Use Comet for polishing/cleaning

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
After seeing the thread on toothpaste, I thought I'd share my 2 cents. I've used Comet powder several times on my Dhankuta and it works GREAT! I simply get the blade wet, sprinkle some powder on it, and use my fingers (carefully on the edge) to rub it into the steel. The COmet is mildly abrasive, so it removes wood sap and whatnot, and it seems to give it a heck of a gleam! That rough khuk looks like a million dollars after the Comet treatment, and I haven't seen any adverse reactions. You may want to start slow with polished blades, but otherwise this works great. Remember to use your Tuf-Cloth, olive oil, or whatever afterwards, though.

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
 
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Bon Ami if it is still being made is supposed to be "scratch proof"
I had a friend that would put 1 level teaspoon on the top center of each piston when he rebuilt an engine. When the engine first started it was broke in. His always started on the gitgo.
smile.gif
The Bon Ami had just enough fine abrasion to break in the rings and cylinder walls.
Some one else told me that some big cleaning firm uses it on all the windows and other glass surfaces they clean.
I haven't tried it myself.
I prefer the satin finish the Scotch Brite makes,of course the scabard polishes the blade back a little in places.


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.
 
I didn't mean to use Comet to actually polish a blade, I meant it is good to use for cleaning the blade and giving it a good shine. If you really want to polish it you will have to use actual abrasives...sorry about the confusion!

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
 
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Steve I don't think there was any confusion. I think Comet is pretty day-umed good stuff and I have used it myself on occasion. It does a pretty good job of polishing too.

We had a contract to make a plastic mold one time at a place I worked.The surfaces had to be "Mirror Finish"
This mold had about 24 cavities so it was a major job!!
Most people think if you can see your reflection like you can in most of the H.I.Kuhkuris that it is a mirror finish and it isn't.
A better description would be glass smooth.
Anyway we tried several different things to get this type of polish.
Rottenstone was just the beginning after the Comet and such.
It is pretty interesting as to the grit sizes of some materials.
If I remember rght the palm of your hand is the equivelent of 2,000 grit when rubbing a gunstock.


Uncle Bill I haven't tried ashes for polishng,but if they were sifted and screened well I bet they would work nicely.
I would be very careful in using hardwood ash as it can be very alkaline and strong enough to burn skin sometimes.Especially if a little water is dded. My bro and me sometimes use cold ashes from a hardwood fire mixed with a little water to start the "hair slipping" process on hides.
When the hair starts to slip the hides are washed well and muc of the hair is removed with a strong wter pressure.
Saves a lot of scraping.
I have come to the conclusion that the scraping is best thouh more time consuming and a lot of elbow grease.
Much care is needed around the edges to get the small stickley hair off,but think the overall quality of the skin is nicer and worth the extra work.
People who are buying "Brain Tanned" leather probablywouldn't though with the increase n price. Some Indin peple are getting thier moneys worth in labor and goods. Many are not though. I will tell you what it entails in gathering and preparing Honeysuckle for baskets someday.
That is still more than what the people of Nepal get for thier arts and crafts though.
That is just another reason I buy H.I. Kuhkuris. I think you said about 100 people benefit from H.I. and have a better standard of living??
That is more than worth the very fair prices you get for these working pieces of art.IMO.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.


[This message has been edited by Yvsa (edited 05 August 1999).]
 
Speaking of alkalinity of ashes...here in the Amana Colonies of eastern Iowa there is a cool historical farm that has a big receptacle for ashes and space for collecting vessels underneath. What the colonists used to do is load the ashes into the receptacle and when it rained they would put water collecting vessels (buckets or whatever) under the drain spout. As the water trickled through the ashes, it would aquire a basic pH.
They then took the fat off slaughtered animals and mixed it with the alkaline water making (drum roll, please) soap! Cool, huh? The soap was harsh by our standards, but it is soap nonetheless.

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
 
Some of the village kamis will use ashes to polish metal. I've never tried it myself.

Many of the village kamis have never seen or even heard of sandpaper. I sent some over years back and they called it "koksi" -- this was taken from the sound they heard when they used it.

Uncle Bill

 
What about Flitz, I've tried it on smaller knives and it does a good job of cleaning and polishing. It don't take much to go a long way.

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Jack Russell
 
Uncle Bill, Recon is right on about Flitz. It's a metal polish and fiberglass cleaner made in W. Germany & packaged/sold in the U.S. - very very mild abrasive paste, can actually be used very carefully on blued and plated finishes with light pressure to remove surface rust, polishes bare metal with vigorous rubbing to a very bright shine.It's a staple at gun shows & gunshops here in Texas. It's packaged in Wisconsin so I assume it's sold nationally.
Berk

[This message has been edited by Berkley (edited 11 August 1999).]
 
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Flitz is very good stuff!!
I used it on my 18" AK and Barbs as well before I deceided to make mine a satin finish.Hers is still polished and will maybe stay that way,depends on how much she uses it.

I used my nice shiny new Marbles Woodcraft to cut some turkey wings
that were starting to go.(long story I will spare you from.)
smile.gif

The 52100 blade turned INSTANTLY.
I have Never seen a blade turn that fast!!
A little dab of Flitz fixed it right up. The only bad thing was this was the first time I used it ad I followed the directions and used fine steel woll.Four ought (#0000) as a matter of fact and it scratched the blade some. No biggie since it is a using knife,but I learned quickly to use a soft cloth.

It takes wood sap off nicely too.
Just use a soft cloth and some elbow grease if you don't want a scratched blade.


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.
 
The manner in which I care for my knives is showing. I was too long with the village kamis, I guess. If it works that's the major consideration. What it looks like is secondary.

I know. I am inviting more flak so pour it on. This poor old man can take it!

Uncle Bill
 
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Hmmm.
I would imagine if you lived where there was more salt air or the humidity is greater you might use extra care Uncle.
As it is in Reno,you can just use a little WD-40 or a little Olive Oil and everything is fine.
I know of a least one little Ivory Handled model you would watch carefully for rust.
wink.gif


I was telling Barb about the Tuff Cloth and she told me to go a head and get one. I will someday probably,but I am not bothered overly with rusting problems either. I like the ida of the Olive Oil and like the "film" it leaves on the blades.I also like the way it slicks up a scabbard.

I used to know a guy that must have had an extreme amount of acid or something in his body.
Everyone of his "mic's" was covered with a film of rust.
No one including me would loan him precision tools.
The "Jo" blocks and precision pins in the shop all were rusty from him handleing them.
It seems like one of the guys told him he should take baking soda to help change his PH.I don't know if he ever did or that it would do any good.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.
 
Yvsa, you are right about Reno. Rust is not a problem here but this high desert is hell on handles. My ivory handled Salyan had endured for maybe 130 - 140 years with no cracks in the handle. Less than one year in Reno and a very nasty crack went down the entire side of the handle. Sometimes I think rust might be preferable.

Uncle Bill
 
Bill
Would a humidor ala cigar type work in your climate. These are cheap and might work.
Jim

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What? Another knife? Don't you have enough of those things already?
How many does one person need?
And just what are you going to do with this one that you can't do with the others?
What is the purpose of all these knives anyhow??

 
http://www.viteq.qc.ca/simi.htm

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cool, dry place.

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Effectively cleans and brilliantly polishes tool and die molds and extrusion dies
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Outstanding agent for purging plastic injection and molding equipment. A great time and cost saver.
A unique, non-toxic and non-corrosive compound
Provides lustrous finish for all fabricated products.
 
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I have heard good things about the Simichrome Doc,but I sure didn't know it was used in the tool & die shops.
I willhave to ask my bro-n-law if he knows about it.
I read somewhere that the White Lightening was first used on bicycle chains too.
Is it also as good as what has been said about it??
I may have to change my ways on a couple of items.

Uncle that's a dayum shame about your Ivory handled piece.I think I would prefer the rust too.
frown.gif


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.
 
Jim, I had an ivory expert tell me the same thing but it is too late. Good idea but too late.

Doc, thanks for tips. We have all sorts of options it seems.

Yvsa, the day I pulled that knife out from under the bed and saw that crack I couldn't believe it. Almost made me sick to my stomach and caused me to swear more than I had in a year.

Uncle Bill
 
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