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Post by kclee008 on Oct 16, 2023 14:43:12 GMT
Is there an easy way to try and get a satin finish from hand sanding or polishing for someone without polishing wheels or grinder belts? Alternatively, does the Ken Onion workshop have belt options to create or restore a satin finish?
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mrstabby
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 16, 2023 17:07:28 GMT
What do you mean by "easy way" exactly? Are you talking easy as in saving time or are you having specific trouble with it? Because when doing it by hand, it will take as long as it takes unfortunately. Soft backened sandpaper holders, sandpaper sponges, steel wool or scouring pads work. Unfortunately if you repair something there is no easy way to know what exact grit you need unless you know what the manufacturer uses. Also it probably always will look off, so you need to do the wole blade in my experience. I think the KO Worksharp isn't made for this. If you need it fast, buy attachments for a drill or rotary tool. I think they are called abrasive buffs, those work pretty good, but for me the rotary tools never leave a uniform enough satin finish.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Oct 16, 2023 17:26:42 GMT
I use grey Scotch Brites for what I think is a satin finish. My experiences with Worksharps are that I get a more mirrorlike finish where they "finish", but it's hard to get an even finish on a blade at all with them.
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Post by ehartkopf on Oct 16, 2023 18:31:55 GMT
My understanding is that for cutting performance, you want a mirror edge. Toothier edges typically perform well in a draw cut, but tatami cutting is a more direct "push cut" motion that is aided by a mirror polished edge.
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Post by kclee008 on Oct 17, 2023 0:18:49 GMT
What do you mean by "easy way" exactly? Are you talking easy as in saving time or are you having specific trouble with it? Because when doing it by hand, it will take as long as it takes unfortunately. Soft backened sandpaper holders, sandpaper sponges, steel wool or scouring pads work. Unfortunately if you repair something there is no easy way to know what exact grit you need unless you know what the manufacturer uses. Also it probably always will look off, so you need to do the wole blade in my experience. I think the KO Worksharp isn't made for this. If you need it fast, buy attachments for a drill or rotary tool. I think they are called abrasive buffs, those work pretty good, but for me the rotary tools never leave a uniform enough satin finish. By “easy” I mean I’m asking from an open stance of “I don’t know what I don’t know.” Having not even attempted to polish a blade after removing rust to get it back towards something like a satin finish, I have no reference for how it goes terms of how difficult (vs easy), simple (vs complex), or skilled (vs anyone can do with patience and persistence) this kind of work is for a beginner in this work. Yours and others gives me some insights on things to think about when I do sit down and try.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Oct 17, 2023 4:23:21 GMT
It's not complex or difficult, still some work of course. I did it after etching or blueing experiments. You can try it on a knife first.
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Post by takitam on Oct 17, 2023 9:23:43 GMT
You have to try it on something else first, just to experiment and learn from your mistakes. One easy pointer - polishing in one direction will leave a more even finish than polishing both ways.
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mrstabby
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 17, 2023 9:38:19 GMT
For me it's disposable cutter blades. They are carbon steel and if you destroy one, not much is lost. I try everything on those first, though they are much harder than swords, so not everything translates 1:1. Grinding or polishing will take less force and time on the softer sword, but you can estimate the finish.
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Post by kclee008 on Oct 17, 2023 10:34:31 GMT
Thanks everyone. Appreciate the advice!
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Alan Schiff
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Post by Alan Schiff on Oct 24, 2023 0:47:35 GMT
I generally use a soft sanding block with velcro attachment. The block itself is foam and more or less conforms to the shape of the blade, and the velcro allows you to use multiple grits of sandpaper while only needing one block. For a satin finish I'll go 80>120>180>240>320 grit, and then maybe scotch brite after that.
Clamp the blade to your workbench/table and sand parallel with the center of the blade. Be careful around the edges - you don't want to cut yourself. Moving in only 1 direction is good to start out. After some practice you may be able to move in both directions, but as Takitam said, it can be tricky getting an even finish that way, at least in lower grits.
Hope that helps, Alan
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