Thread: Shiny Obsession

Originally Posted by Kyle76

It's called OCD -- obsessive compulsive disorder. It's cheaper than RAD, and you even save on food!

Hey thanks for reminding me... I'm hungry... got to stop this.

What I don't understand is this: how the blade reflects "Craftsman" from the ruler, but the reflection is rightside up rather than upside down.

Originally Posted by Kyle76

What I don't understand is this: how the blade reflects "Craftsman" from the ruler, but the reflection is rightside up rather than upside down.

Excellent observation ! Paint Shop Pro or other graphic tools do wonders

But this isn't editing. Thats what my keepers look like when i get done with them. And also why alot of them aren't done.

Originally Posted by GeNn

Excellent observation ! Paint Shop Pro or other graphic tools do wonders

Originally Posted by Kyle76

What I don't understand is this: how the blade reflects "Craftsman" from the ruler, but the reflection is rightside up rather than upside down.

I was wondering when someone would notice that... and I almost didn’t post it fearing it would be called a hoax... well its NOT PrintShopPro or any photo editing software.

That’s how the pic came out... it took me some time for me to figure it out but here… I think is the explanation...

It’s the blades concave reflection at the precise angle the camera is at (up is down and down is up)... sort of how a prism binoculars works to "flip" the image right side up.

I tried it with another section of the ruler. Check out these 2 pix... You can see in the second photo, 2 reflections of “stainless steel” I just opened the razor slightly and the back of the scale moved the ruler away from the blade thus changing the angle of reflection of "stainless steel" to the camera.

Try it with a hollow ground razor you can see it without a camera.

Also in the second pic one reflection is off the blade section (up side down), and the other is off the concave section at the spline (right side up).

Originally Posted by The Topher

But this isn't editing. Thats what my keepers look like when i get done with them. And also why alot of them aren't done.

Holey mother of!!!... It may take me a few years to get mine lookin like that... I guess you don’t need a mirror to comb your hair.

I did this one quickly for someone else so it is not as mirror as I like. But you can still see me in it.

Also look around the gold on this one. I didn't like the factory finish so I did this by hand using English Custom Polish and fine paper.

Hey Smyth. Look at the tang. That part is inverted. I would say A+ on the polish. Is it all hand sanding up to 12000 grit or did you use a polish wheel at any point? What compounds? Dremel or large wheel? Felt or Cloth?

Originally Posted by The Topher

I did this one quickly for someone else so it is not as mirror as I like. But you can still see me in it.

Also look around the gold on this one. I didn't like the factory finish so I did this by hand using English Custom Polish and fine paper.

Hey Smyth. Look at the tang. That part is inverted. I would say A+ on the polish. Is it all hand sanding up to 12000 grit or did you use a polish wheel at any point? What compounds? Dremel or large wheel? Felt or Cloth?

All of the above, hand sand up to 2000 grit (from the auto shop), then get the blade to a point with cloth and metal polish by hand…
But after a few trips to the First Aid I decided I get the dremel with large felt wheel (just couldn’t control the standard small wheel) and some thick grinding compound found in my old man’s toolbox (he used to re-build engines). I think it’s used for polishing re-bored engines, I don’t know the name though but I think its aluminum oxide mixed with some kind of grease. Wiped some on the wheel, put on the goggles and start up the dremel. The compound is a bit thick though because the dremel would slow down with the slightest touch in the blade. Good thing though it wont overheat the blade. Took about 5 hours... still not sure i am done yet but its looking good.. need to invest in some better compounds.

Originally Posted by The Topher

I did this one quickly for someone else so it is not as mirror as I like. But you can still see me in it.

Also look around the gold on this one. I didn't like the factory finish so I did this by hand using English Custom Polish and fine paper.

Hey Smyth. Look at the tang. That part is inverted. I would say A+ on the polish. Is it all hand sanding up to 12000 grit or did you use a polish wheel at any point? What compounds? Dremel or large wheel? Felt or Cloth?

WoW!!!... I was right... you relay don't need a mirror to comb your hair. are you sure you didn't electro plate that? was the shine done by hand?

That one was done without sand paper on the front and 1500 to 3600 grit on the back then stainless buffing compound and chromium oxide then hand done with calcined aluminum oxide in the Showmans polish.

The front I started at Metal Restorer Polish and progressed to Showmans polish by hand with a rag on an eraser and qtips. That one is NOWHERE near as smooth as the first one. As I said it wasn't for me and I wasn't gonna charge a fortune for spending 5 hours bringing it to a perfect mirror. You can make yourself crazy doing that as we both know.

For better polishing compounds go here.

http://www.englishcustompolish.com/usca/abrasives.html