what is your favorite polishing media/technique?

[homeshow]

Lots of good stuff on here but. I want to know your favorite techniques for getting those pesky scratches off. I use a buffing wheel. Well I use 3 buffing wheels with 3 different grit. Washing all of the old grit off before using the next wheel. I keep them in seperate Tupperware containers. I have never tried steel wool. Anyone here a steel wool fan?

[jmccustomknives]

Idk, I've never managed to get all those pesky scratches off. lol.  The closest I've got I spent hours hand sanding.  Never had much for a high polish anyway, when you use it scratches happen. :blink:  

[Loneforge]

I have been using an A16 belt(1200grit) then hand sanding with 1200 paper wet with oil. Then buffing wheel and hand polish with Mothers Mag polish. I can get pretty near mirror with this method. I hope this helps a bit!

 

Cheers, Darren

[Rich Hale]

In the knife making section there is a link to help you nicely finish knives,,,if you wish.

[Frosty]

Father was a rock hound and did a LOT of polishing, out in the shop I have one of his boxes of compounds. Typically it took some 8-12 steps in grits as I recall depending on what he was polishing. It wasn't my thing so my memory could well be off and modern compounds could certainly make a difference.

 

Okay, lapidary work isn't the same thing but the principle is the same. Shape the piece, define the shape and reduce scratches in steps, changing abrasive direction constantly till you get to the final polishing compounds from 2,000mesh on down to ridiculous fine.

 

All of that applies here in the technique, not the polishing compounds or media being polished. Do the gross shaping. Then start reducing the blemishes while refining the shape using gradually finer techniques and tools. Change direction of abrasives as often as practical if possible. cross cutting is what Dad called it, it keeps grits from imbedding in old stria and galling them deeper. that can make it impossible to remove all the stria. (scratches) Oh yeah, the finer the compound the less the pressure!  Given time and patience you finally get to the point there isn't a compound that will cut finer and you're done.

 

Steel wool is good for a "brushed" finish and can be used to reduce some gross defects before moving onto better methods. The problem with steel wool is it follows contours so isn't really a way to refine the surface. This can be just what you need though so it's a situational thing.

 

Just so you know, I'm not a blade guy but I do take a buff to . . . something on occasion.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[windancer]

One idea passed on to me was from Bill C, who bought some blackboard chalk erasers [the old school kind] and bonded them to a thin piece of metal. The metal was bent on the top to slip over the platen. This gives just a touch of flex to the belt. When you get to the finer grits this is a huge help with those few pesky scratches that won't come out :)

This does NOT yield a perfectly flat grind but can save hours with the wet/dry sandpaper.

This works especially well with Damascus en route to the acid etch.

Dave

[mind taker]

I own a good bit of katana's and picked up a lot of japanese katana polishing techniques witch I like to use.

it's quicker then you make think and works grate if your blade or knife is well made.

I work from 80 to 1200 grit. I use some stones but mostly paper on a wooden block.

[Robert Yates]

Any one wish to tell me why my post is gone ? it was relevant to the thread and I did not violate and rules . I explained the use of the Trizact belts Number A5 as per here :http://usaknifemaker.com/abrasives-c-94/abrasive-belts-c-94-42/3m-trizact-cf-cloth-belt-2-x-72-x-weight.html

 

Sam