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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 05-28-2013, 10:00 PM
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Hunter10139 Hunter10139 is offline
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Northern Alabama
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Working on #2 Need some tips

Hey guys.

Here's number two. I just finished getting almost all the deep file cuts out of the blade and handle by hand sanding with 80 grit sandpaper. I know its a small handle and short blade but it was the extra metal I had after finishing my first knife and I couldn't stand to just throw it away.

So I have a couple questions though.

1. Is 600 grit too high to polish pre-heat treat? I thought the smaller grooves would make it easier to polish after hardening and also would prevent as much build up from my quenching oil.

2. Can higher grit sandpaper provide a mirror polish?

3. How can I make a more defined bevel? Is more filing required?

Any other tips or pieces of advice you have for me are very welcome. I appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks
Hunter
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  #2  
Old 05-29-2013, 06:52 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Alot of us stop around 320 grit prior to heattreatment. I sometimes go to 400 depending on the blade. You still have a micro layer of decarb to remove after HT, so plan on more sanding.
Get all the file cuts out with the 80 before you go up to the next grit, same with all consecutive grits.
Normally with well performed drawfiling you can start with 220 grit right out.
If you use a solid nonflexible backing for your sand paper you can keep your bevels clean and defined with a little practice, but you will do best with a good solid rest for your blade....clamped tight no movement. Use some form of cutting fluid with your sand paper, especially when you get up in the 300 range of grits. Windex, cutting oil, synthetic oil, etc. try them all until you find the one that suits you.


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  #3  
Old 05-29-2013, 07:22 AM
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WynnKnives WynnKnives is offline
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1-Lately I've been taking my blades up to 400 then start at 400 after HT, but there's a huge clause here. I use HT foil and an oven with an plate/air quench, so my blades come out virtually as clean as they went in.

2-Sanding upwards of 2000 grit will provide a close to mirror polish, but in order to get a mirror polish you have to do just that, polish it, with a buffing compound and wheel.

3-To have nice clean bevel and plunge lines its best and easiest to start out with clean lines, basically it comes down to lots of practice and being very very careful and accurate with your filing/grinding. Even with a nice belt grinder it comes down to the maker having good control. But once you take that metal away you can never go back to your old lines, you either end up with a messed up line or you move it.

From the picture it looks like you have a very convex type profile, especially seen on the handle of the knife where you can see the freshly filed metal along the edges and no metal taken from the middle.

Like Carl said the best way to achieve good flat lines is to have very good backing and clamping of the blade that way all you have to control is the file and not worry about the blade moving and flexing.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:10 AM
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Hunter10139 Hunter10139 is offline
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Ok well I'll probaby only step it up to 400 then pre-heat treat. Also, I'll look into getting a cheap buffing wheel. Do ya'll use a specific buffing compound or is it just up to the individual? I know at work for some potted samples we use an alumina compound.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:53 AM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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Buffing compounds go through grades just like sanding belts do. Generally, you buff with one, then switch to a different compound to finish. Carbon steel uses different compounds than stainless, plastics use other compounds, and antler and bone can only use grease less compounds that don't contain aluminum. Each different compound needs it's own buffing wheel and there are different types of wheel for different uses. All in all, I would suggest you limit your buffing to handle materials only and stay away from buffing the blades. Buffing blades is a good way to get injured and the most you can get from it is a shiny blade that will show a mark from everything that touches it. In my opinion, a shiny carbon steel blade just screams 'Amateur!' since the first timers are almost the only people who put a mirror polish on a knife that is intended to be used. Put your time and effort into learning to make a good blade....


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  #6  
Old 05-29-2013, 09:55 PM
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Hunter10139 Hunter10139 is offline
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I have to agree with you Ray. I just had it in my head I needed to get a polish for some reason. Also, thanks for the advice Carl. I used a product called Blue Lube with the 320 grit sandpaper on my knife and it produced a really nice satin finish, in my opinion, for this grit. I think I'm gonna leave it there until I do the heat treat. I cant wait to see what happens when I up the grit after the heat treat!

Thanks,
Hunter
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