newbladesmith Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I've searched the threads and can't find an answer to my question. I've started to make knives from rr spikes, but i can't figure out how to put the nice mirror or even satiny finish on the twisted handle that i have seen in pictures and on youtube. i was wondering if anyone could tell me how to accomplish this. I was thinking about possibly putting them into a rock tumbler and see how that works. any advice would be hugely appreciated. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Pickle overnight in vinegar to remove stubborn scale and then brush on a wire wheel puts a nice finish on steel. Not sure if its the look you are after though. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Put the 1/2" contact wheel on your bader and clean up the inside of the twists is one way; but spending a lot of effort on an inferior knife steel seems a waste to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbladesmith Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 thanks. but i was still woundering if the tumbler idea would work. besides that the only power tools i have access too are a power drill and an angle grinder. i'm doing the rest the severely old fasion way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hole in the ground and a couple of animals skinned out in a tube? (I assume that severely old fashioned would be before the romans?) I mainly do Y1K stuff with a couple centruries slop to either side when I go old fashioned, smelting iron from ore in a short stack bloomery Anyway if you do not have power tools there is a limit to what you can do without massive ammounts of time. Clean the twists with round files then take dowels wrapped with SiC paper and start cleaning up what the files left. When you get to around 400 grit you can then buff with a sisal buff and black coumpound and get a shiny surface. Start by soaking in vinegar to remove the scale as that eats files and abrasives. (and rinse afterwards of course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Give the tumbler a try. I'd pickle first. Worst that will happen is you will waste about a day. Best is that you would be quite pleased with the results. You can get a knotted cup wire wheel for about $20 for your angle grinder if you want different results. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oups two profiles Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 I would suggest that you soak it in vinager and then use a wirebrush wheel on your angle grinder. The finish that you from a wirebrush is very interesting and I believe it might actually look better than a mirror polish would on a rail road spike. Sure you could use a round file and then sand paper, but I think that you might be better off working on good steel. I am not sure that a rock tumber would work, see the way a rock tumber works is it takes off all of the high spots from the stones. I would think that you would only get a polish on the very ousides of the knife and you would also lose your nice sharp twists. Plus it takes several weeks for a rock tumber to work on a stone. Good luck on what ever you decide, and don't forget to show us your results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 A tumbler can remove the oxide layer and will work the whole piece depending on what you are using for the medium---I've been saving all my scraped nuts and bolts, screws and cut-offs for when I get my tumbler built to use as the "medium". They do tend to soften crisp lines though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 A tumbler will give a nice matt finish, this can be brought up to a higher 'shiny' finish with a wire wheel on an angle grinder, (wear protective gear !) For a polished finish you could use buffing mops with different grades of compound, in your electric drill or polish by hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbladesmith Posted November 26, 2009 Author Share Posted November 26, 2009 I'll definatly try the wire brush. when i say old fashion i don't mean it in the way it sounds. i just worded it poorly. i have almost no money to put toward my bladesmithing so i have to improvise. instead of the hole in the ground and the animal skin i use an old charcoal BBQ grill and the exhaust from an old stand up vacume cleaner. i'm working on making tongs but for now i use a pair of channel locks. so yeah, old fashioned is the wrong word. my brothers son calls it a "ghetto" set up. thanks for all the advice and please keep it coming. i learn from trying and from listening to the people on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeddly Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Vinegar? Really? Learn something new every day. I was just thinking about how to get that crap off my precious. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Make sure your vinegar is in a vented container with a filter of some type to prevent aerosol, or work outside entirely. An old towel and a loosely fit lid work well. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat pete Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 viniger is great for removing scale...couple of days and the mill scale goes away too .... makes a gooey mess but you just rinse it off....it will rust like in a couple of minutes after you get it out of the vinegar...so go right to work on it....cup wire wheel is the best after that...rr spikes are good for practice and to make other stuff outta....kinda novel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Waldon Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I've never heard about vinegar before either. So, you just leave it in vinegar overnight or for a few days and the scale goes away? That just feels way too easy. I've had to struggle SO hard to get scale off with sandpaper... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Try it. You'll like it. Cover your container with towel though, if it bubbles too much you get aerosol and it hurts. I was coughing for an hour once. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefera4m Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 The easiest way I've found is to use 4" polishing wheels on my 4" Makita Grinder. They work like a charm and will product a almost mirror finish in a relatively short time. I found them at Harbor Freight for $9 on sale, regularly $12.99 Go here.HF Polishing Wheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Vinegar works great, speed depends on the temperature and as mentioned you then rinse it off under running water, dry and oil! (Skip the oiling if you will go directly to sanding,filing, grinding, etc. I have a 5 gallon bucket I use for de-rusting or de-scaling. When it stops working I use it to discourage the weeds around the shop and buy more cheap vinegar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aikenvb Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 There is a book titled (The $50.00 Knife Shop) by Wayne Goddard. That book give a lot of information for a low buck start out knife making shop. While the rr spikes are a good try the book points out other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkerironworks84 Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Sweet advice about the vinegar! I'll have to try that. I've been making some scrolled wall hooks and I've had a hell of a time getting the scale off of 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 If you want a nice finish on a twist, don't twist it and then try to finish/polish it. Do a great deal of the work while it's still straight, then take a nice sunrise heat and twist it. Pickle in vinegar and finish the polishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medieval Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 I was wondering if/when someone would mention polishing BEFORE twisting......... Much easier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffy forge Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I use a wire weel on my bench grinder to clean up the scale and anything else on the twist, after that i take it to the buffer with a medium shine/clean compound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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