Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2010 2:16:19 GMT
I just received my latest steal of a deal: a bushido 1065 katana for $38 shipped on ebay! Why so cheap, you ask? Well, it has some freckles... If I'm ever going to own nihonto, especially with the low-end stuff on ebay, I'm going to have to know how to deal with a bit of rust. Now I'm going to be nice to this blades' pretty decent polish and forgo the steel wool in favor of a brillo pad. My other tools are an uchiko powder ball, cotton cloth from an old t-shirt, and some WD-40. After just a few minutes work, it's looking better... but that rust is tough! I scrubbed away for another hour or so, on and off. It's amazing what you can do with just uchiko powder and a little persistence, as far as improving on an already decent polish. Ok, next is a pic of where the freckles were... check out the lamp and ceiling fan reflections... The rust is gone! but... now I have divots a few microns deep where the metal has been eaten away. Hard to see except in just the right light, but easy to see with the flash on... I think I'll let it rest with a nice coat of choji oil, and pick it up again later. I think I should start a thread called "crazy ebay deals"... I may have a couple more things to add to it in just a few days too. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2010 6:31:35 GMT
Hah nice this is the exact sword i remember thinking about bidding on, the first pic is familiar that's how I know. Glad someone picked it up that knew how to fix it, I would have struggled greatly.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2010 8:28:54 GMT
Well, this is my first attempt at polishing or removing rust from a sword, so I can't really say I know anything about it either! However, I've done some research and it looks like I'm kind of misusing the uchiko ball, since it isn't primarily a polishing device. I just wanted to work with something gentle to remove as little metal from the blade as possible and still get it clean. Next, I'm going to look for something called "micromesh" which is supposed to be like a 6000-grit sandpaper... see what I can do with that. Thanks for the comment.
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slav
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Katsujin No Ken
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Post by slav on Mar 9, 2010 16:45:00 GMT
Before going for abrasives, you should always try metal-polish first. Go buy some MetalGLO or Flitz, and just use it per the directions. This stuff is designed to remove rust and dirt without affecting the metal itself. Even car-polish will work in a pinch, until you can get your hands on one of the above products.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2010 16:58:43 GMT
Thanks guys you saved me some trila and ERROR with just a bit of entertaining research.
I find polishing and sharpening to be relaxing. I have not sharpened a katana yet, axes and knives I know.
Yes It is better to train on these cutters than our first nihonto, which I dream of some day.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2010 20:53:55 GMT
Thanks, Slav. Yeah, on second thought, I think I will try some MetalGLO before I do anything else to it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2010 3:54:08 GMT
OK, time to try something new: Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish. I'm not sure how it compares to MetalGLO but it was available and cheap, so we'll see how it does. It doesn't take long before an improvement in the overall polish is noticeable, but getting the little pockmarks off is taking some doing. See below; the remnants of the freckles can be seen in the lower left hand corner. They're starting to smooth out. Huge improvement in the polish in only about 15 or 20 minutes, and with very sparing use of Mother's. A bathroom light fixture reflection. The remains of the freckles can be seen next to the bulbs where they take on a grainy appearance. All in all I'm quite impressed with Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish. The hamon is pretty much gone on one side of the blade, but I don't particularly care. I'll probably polish it away on the other side too. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself.
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