What Brands of Emery?

[David Loukides]

Hi Guys,
What are some GOOD brands of Emery paper you use to satin finish a blade by hand????
I have used a Scotch Brite Belt as a finial finish, but I am looking to get rid of some belt sanding marks.

 

[fitzo]

Dave, I don't know if this will answer your question or not:

"Emery" is mostly aluminum oxide. Norton aluminum oxide is good. I use it all the time in 1" shop rolls and make my sanding blocks to fit. I buy it from the monthly sales catalogs from MSC Industrial. Enco may have it too.

When it comes to sheets, though, I use all silicon carbide, more popularly known as "Wet or Dry" paper. I use only 3M or Norton. they both cut well and hold up well to lubricated sanding. I buy it by the box of 50-100 sheets. Supergrit in PA usually has some good prices. i bought a paper cutter many years ago and use it to cut the paper into 1" strips or whatever as needed.

Another benefit of buying name brand paper is that the grit is well "classified", meaning the range of grit on the paper is very well controlled and narrow. No "stray" larger grit particles. Cheap paper isn't always so well made.

Hope that helps.

 

[Rob!]

Another vote for Norton TufBak Silicon Carbide.

Rob!

 

[David Loukides]

Thanks Guys ,
Do you use it with water or oil???

 

[fitzo]

I use it mostly dry, sometimes with a little WD40, Dave. Other folks use Windex or various light oils. Nothing wrong with water, either. Just make sure and oil non-stainless blades when you stop.

BTW, the best advice I can give for handsanding is the same I give regarding belts: use them like they are free. As soon the abrasive loads or doesn't cut well, toss it. Don't bother trying to squeek a last little bit out of it.

 

[Jared Stenoien]

BTW, the best advice I can give for handsanding is the same I give regarding belts: use them like they are free. As soon the abrasive loads or doesn't cut well, toss it. Don't bother trying to squeek a last little bit out of it.

That can be extremely painful for some steels...I've been working for a few months on mirror polishing a knife of S90v, I got it down to 600 grit and tried to buff, got carbide tearout that looked like 30 grit scratches and have been working my way back up to 800 this time. The problem is that all those vanadium carbides eat sandpaper for breakfast and no matter what I do I can only get a couple strokes out of the sandpaper before it strips. I keep running out of sandpaper! The sandpaper that has held up the best is some klingspor 120 grit j-weight belting I picked up, easily lasts 5 times as long as the silicon carbide paper.

 

[TekSec]

Thanks Guys ,
Do you use it with water or oil???

I actually use water with some Simple Green mixed in, about 7/8 water to SG. It lubes and cleans the paper out. Just mix a small container and dip your paper and block when it starts to load up, usually after 10 strokes or so. I bought some Klinspor paper last time, but think I'm going to switch to something else when that runs out. I don't seem to get as much life out of it as I had expected.

 

[ritzblitz]

I like wetsanding. It works well for me. Doesn't seem to leave as many "crows feet."

I use this old Norton silicon carbide wet/dry paper from my grandfather. Works good enough. Better than new 3M that I've tried.