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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 02-15-2014, 04:10 PM
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WHS III WHS III is offline
 
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First knife - help with scratches

Hi,
I recently finished my first knife using a file and sand paper (that is it as my avitar) I had it wet sanded to a fairly good finish and attached the handle (Desert Ironwood). I then put the first edge on it using wet stones. While doing that I scrached the blade up on both sides then tried to fix it by going back to wet sanding with 600 grit. I got the bad scratches out but now it has the 600 grit scrathches dowm the blade plus scuffs where I put the sand paper down on the blade at the scales to draw back. I can't leave it like it is but I don't want to make it worse trying to fix it. I'm thinking about buying a slow speed bench grinder and replacing the hard wheels with buffing wheels. Would this work to get the scratches out? I'm guessing a 2x72 (KMG) grinder with some kind of soft belt would be the way to go but I don't have one of those. Any suggeations would be appreciated.

Bill
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Old 02-15-2014, 04:31 PM
jmccustomknives jmccustomknives is offline
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Hand sanding can get them out. You have to start with coarse grits and end with fine. I like to take mine to 1500-2000 grit. You don't want to wet sand them when you get past 1000 grit. It's a lot of work but the finish can be worth is.
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Old 02-15-2014, 04:51 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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About the buffer idea, no, you can't buff out significant scratches - especially not out of hardened steel. Its a nice knife but if it were me I'd do what I could to fix the finish but not worry much about it. You screwed up a little, we all do it, accept it and move on to the next one. One big mistake first time makers all make is to fall in love with that first knife. That usually means they won't take it out and really test it hard. If you don't do that with your early knives then you really don't know if you made a good knife or simply something shiny that resembles a knife. If you do decide to test it - as you should - then the few scratches on it now don't matter.

To avoid the problem on the next knife cover the blade with that heavy blue masking tape as soon as the blade is finished and don't take it off until the knife is completely finished and sharpened ....


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Old 02-15-2014, 04:54 PM
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WHS III WHS III is offline
 
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Becouse the scales are already on, I was thinking of buffing to get up next to the wood. I forgot to state that the blade is 1084 heat treated in my brake drum forge. It has all been a very interesting learning experience.
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Old 02-15-2014, 07:19 PM
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WHS III WHS III is offline
 
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What is the proper testing procedure?
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Old 02-15-2014, 08:43 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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If you try to buff the blade next to the scales you would be using a very aggressive compound if you were to have any real chance of removing significant scratches. That type of compound will cut your scales almost as fast as a saw blade, not to mention it will generate enough heat to mess with your epoxy. The time for that has passed, live and learn.

The proper testing procedure is to test your blades, i.e., your heat treat process, before you finish them into knives. Make a test blade but skip any super fine finish work, put a plain handle on it and sharpen it up. Then, use the living bejeezus out of it. Shave 2x4's until you have a pile of shavings the size of a house cat, slice lots of cardboard (the clay content is very hard on a knife edge) to see how it holds an edge. Use a wooden mallet or baton (a heavy stick) to hammer the blade through other pieces of wood lengthwise (with the grain). Slice hemp rope. Cut anything and everything that would qualify as abusing a knife because somebody will use your knife that way some day. Do all of this bare handed, no gloves. Why? Because if you get a blister your handle design needs work. After all this is done, put on a face sheild, lock the first inch or two of the blade in a vise between two pieces of hardwood, put a pipe over the handle, and slowly bend the blade until it snaps. Pay attention to how far it bent before it broke....tells you how tough your blade is. Examine the grain, should be very fine and light gray - if not your heat treat needs work.

If all that is good then proceed to make a knife with the exact same HT with the exact same steel and finish it with confidence that you have, in fact, made a knife and not simply something shiny that resembles a knife. When you change the type of steel or even get a new batch of the same steel this whole process starts over ....


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Old 02-15-2014, 10:03 PM
RHammer RHammer is offline
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Ray,

You might want to make that testing process a sticky for us newbies. Seems we all ask the same question.
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  #8  
Old 02-17-2014, 07:58 AM
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Hunter10139 Hunter10139 is offline
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Hey Bill I'd be interested in seeing pics of your brake drum forge. I've been wanting to build one myself


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Old 02-17-2014, 08:57 PM
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TexasJack TexasJack is offline
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The late Bob Engnath had a web page with tons of good info on it and it's still being maintained. Use this URL: http://www.engnath.com/manframe.htm and click on the bookmark on the left that says "Handsand". It may not help with this knife, but it will in the future.


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Old 02-18-2014, 02:01 AM
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GHEzell GHEzell is offline
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Something I do, not sure if anyone else does...
When the blade is ready to epoxy to the handle, I'll go ahead and sharpen the knife then... then I'll just slightly dull it. This way the bevels are set, ready to be brought back to sharp. Once the knife is finished, it takes about 45 seconds to bring it back to scary sharp. This helps me keep down the sharpening mishaps...


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  #11  
Old 02-18-2014, 05:14 AM
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Hunter, I have PM you.

GHEzell, that's a good idea.
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  #12  
Old 02-18-2014, 02:23 PM
A.Callahan A.Callahan is offline
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Excellent feedback in this thread! Thanks to the OP and to all who've replied!!!
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2x72, art, back, bee, blade, build, edge, file, forge, grinder, hand, handle, heat treat, hunter, ironwood, knife, knives, made, make, problem, sand, scales, steel, wheels, wood


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