what grit sandpaper

Joined
Aug 26, 2002
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433
Howdy Guys,
Well I got another question.
I am making a handle out of diamondwood. So far I have sanded it with 120, 220 and 350 grits. I sanded with the 350 grit in opposite direction of the 220.But it doesnt seem like the handle is sanded enough to give me a nice scratch free finish when I am done.

Anyway, in order to get a nice finish on the diamondwood, What final grit should I go to.
I have sandpaper all the way up to 1500 grit. Should I go all the way up to 1500 or would I just be wasting my time.

I bought a buffing wheel for my grinder and have a red rouge and a white greasy buffing compound. I dont even know which one is "grittier" then the other. Can you guys take a guess ?

I also have some buffing compounds with a name that starts with the letter Z.I got it to use with my Dremel tool. I think its called Zam ?
I thought I would buff the diamondwood once I had the final sanding done to give me that nice shinny finish. But with what buffing compond is the question too ?

Thanks Jack
 
If you are going to buff it your 350 grit sanding should be enough, I would guess the white compound would be the finer grit compound, but I am not sure. I think in general, the red compounds are made for buffing nonferrous metals, like brass, and nickel, the white compounds are the ones that are usually recommended for handle materials. The last diamonwood handle I did I sanded to 400 grit, and used some 600 grit white compound to buff it, then some 1500 grit compound, and it took a very nice shine. Remember the buffing helps polish out the sanding marks, so a long as you don't have any old marks from rougher grits it would be a waist of time to sand anymore past 350 in my opinion.
Kyle Fuglesten
 
I usually go to 600 grit, then buff. White compound would be best.
Red is used for brass, etc.
Zam would work as a final polish. Don't use different coumpounds on the same wheel, get a wheel for each.
 
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