What's a good way to finish ivory paper Micarta

KnifeHead

KnifeHead

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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I have this little 3 finger Wharncliffe blade I am finishing up and decided to put ivory paper Micarta on it. I was going to just sand it/buff it till I liked the finish but noticed that it easily gets discolored from the pin and thong tube(N/S)

What are some of the ways you folks have finished this handle material?


Edited to add blade specs: 6.5" OAL, .125" A2, Rc 61.5, 10" hollow ground. This is the blade that inspired my thread, "Where do your mistakes go?". I went back after that and chased the swedges till they gave up :)
 

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You mean the stain/discoloration doesn't wipe off with a bit of WD40 or something like that? It actually absorbs into the handle material? Or are you speaking of crap trapped in scratches? If so, keep going finer. They do tend to look like crap up to a certain grit.

Interesting. The old Westinghouse stuff always came clean with a little cleaner. Polished to a brilliant shine, too. I always ended with white compound. Different resin nowadays, perhaps.

Nice piece, Kerry!
 
This at this stage is down to about a worn 220 grit belt so I have a ways to go yet. I did wipe it with WD40 but didn't strain myself doing it :) I probably could have gotten it cleaner but since I have more to sand on it..blah blah blah. But I have the basic idea, nothing special but sand till yur happy with it eh?

Thanks for the kudos
 
Yeah, 220 will tend to leave ivory paper stuff looking sorta nasty. You're collecting dirt in the gutters, so to speak. Keep working.
 
Now a day's most ivory paper i've seen,or have used is alot more pourous then the old westing house micarta.your best bet is to sand it up to 2000,then buff with white rouge.if your still getting smuging and marks you can give it a scrub down with a toothbrush and dish soap...sound stupid?it really does work!:)

oh by the way Kerry..Nice grind!!
 
balibalistic said:
Now a day's most ivory paper i've seen,or have used is alot more pourous then the old westing house micarta.your best bet is to sand it up to 2000,then buff with white rouge.if your still getting smuging and marks you can give it a scrub down with a toothbrush and dish soap...sound stupid?it really does work!:)

oh by the way Kerry..Nice grind!!
Click to expand...

Thanks. The toothbrush and dish soap sounds stupidly simple. :D, thanks for that too.
 
I've used some a few years ago from TKS that was porus and no mater what I did stained up. Then I tried some from Sheffield's and it worked beutifuly, sanded to 600 grit and buffed and any discoloration wiped off even without the wd40. It seemed a lot harder than the TKS stuff too. I just about won't use it though as any little scratch or scuff will trap dirt and look like crap. Sure is pretty though.
 
I'm going to 2nd Bali's suggestion about the toothbrush Kerry. But instead of dishsoap try some crest :D , seriously. Get the paper up to at least 600 grit finish, 1000 + is even better. Got pink ?? Pink compound that is ;) , buff with pink prior to the toothbrushing. here is a link to a good thread that mirrors your problem Kerry http://usualsuspect.net/forums/showthread.php?t=140602 I have come to really like the way Ivory Paper Micarta looks when finished, once you figure out how to work with it :), it really is nice stuff. BTW, nice blade Kerry.......I like it !! :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the info and encouraging comments.

I have it sanded down to 1500 now and did some light buffing with a clean loose cotten wheel. Looks pretty good so far and will try some cleaning tricks on it tonight.

I will edit the top post to include some spec info about the blade for those that are interested.
 
Great Kerry,i'd love to see it!

Your grinds are really looking excellent..ever consider making a bali :D
 
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