on hack sawing...

whew! thats no fun! : my material came in and i started hacksawing, and hack sawing, and hack sawing, when finally i realized something was not right. So i went to the hardware store and did a little research, and came home with some new hack saw blades. What i learned is this, NEW blades, with 32 tpi(teeth per inch) will cut tool steel MUCH better than old worn out blades with 18 tpi. the sawing went mucho better after that. : : :

So thats where i stand now, i'm hackin and filin my way to a profile.... :cool:


getting a bit ahead of myself, but how do i finish the micarta handles? sand them to shape, but then what? seal them in some kind of a way? finish to a certain grit and leave them that way? I'm using the black canvas micarta......

TIA,
Ben

Micarta dosen't need (nor will it take) any type of sealer, ect. For a "rougher" texture, finish to a 220 grit, and for a finer, smoother finish, go to a 600. You can buff if you like, but it will make the material shiney and slick.
If you have access to a sand/bead blaster, and want a more "tactical" look and feel, tape off all the metal portions with masking tape and bead blast the micarta.

Thanks Ed, that bead blasting is a GREAT idea, would have never thought of it. going to have to play around with sand vs. beads and different grits as well, but i think that will be just perfecty the look i wanted. Also you just reminded me that someone once told me that bead blasting the blade makes it non-reflective.

Any other ideas out there freinds?
Thanks again,
Ben

No sealing whatsoever with Micarta. That's one of the beautiful things about it. It is 100% waterproof.

With respect to the finishing grit size, that's really up to you. Some people like a rougher finish for more grip, others prefer the look of a polished finish. The canvas Micarta you used will have more grip than the paper or linen based varieties, even at a finer finish.

On my field grade pieces, I generally hand-rub to a 400 grit finish. Some folks stop at 220, some bead blast.

If someone prefers a shiny finish, I'll take it to a 600 grit finish or higher and buff. It's one of the very few times I use a buffer. The one thing you will want to watch no matter what finish you choose is that Micarta can be discolored by power equipment (grinders and buffers) if you get it too hot. I imagine you will be doing this by hand, so there's not much to worry about.

#############

[ He comes back and says ... ]
Oh good grief! This used to happen to me all the time. While I was typing up my reply, you guys already got it all ironed out. - sorry -

just a note about hacksawing.....neer change blades in the midle of a job...if you put the new blade in an groove made by a worn blade it will stip the teeth right of.

LOL Terry,
they say great minds think alike....... : :

what do ya'll feel are the good points and bad points of bead blasting a blade to make it non-reflective?

and Anso, did not know that about hack saw blades, i'll keep that in mind in the future.

thanks

What is a good choice for a hacksaw blade? Are some brands better? I honestly have no idea how to go shopping for the right blade. So many choices.

Russ

my personal opinion, get a quality name brand blade, don't just buy the cheapest one you can find. as far as how many teeth per inch(TPI), it depends on what you will be doing with the blade, on the back of the package there is a chart telling you which blade TPI to use for different applications. I bought a high speed 32 TPI blade, and it has worked very well on metal.


Ben