Thread: 2000 grit sandpaper scratches

Question regarding hand-sanding and polishing. I have used a progression of 220-2000 grit sandpaper on a re-storation project and I can't get the blade shiney. The 2000 grit sandpaper leaves scratches on the surface that I can't get off. I am sure they are not scratches from a lower grit, I even tried using the 2000 grit sandpaper on a shiney Zeepk to make sure. The sandpaper did the same thing to the Zeepk, left it cloudy with some scratches. I've tried sanding wet, tried sanding softly, and used MAAS afterwards. Another poster said that the 2000 grit sandpaper should leave your blade mirror shiney- not even close. Any advice?

(FYI: Harbor Freight has a pack of red and white rouge for $3).

IIRC, The Topher - who has done some amazing mirror finishing - does a progression from 220 up through 3200 (1200+ in MicroMesh) and then proceeds to use three or four polishes. EnglishCustomPolishes.com is the site which he recommended to me.

HTH.

I go up to 3000 grit with my sanding and it doesn't
leave scratches. I also use white and green jeweler's
rouge for a final polish.

John

I don't know who told you that but in my experience 2000 grit sandpaper absolutely does not leave a mirror finish. You will have to go a lot higher with mesh pad or polish to get a mirror finish. If you think about it, a 4K Norton will leave scratches in the spine, so wouldn't it make sense that a lower grit of sandpaper would too?

Depends on the definition of "mirror finish". If you sand through 2000, it will give a mirror shine when next to an object (i.e. you can see the object in the razor's reflection) but it will not be crystal clear with no scratches. To get to the level of a bathroom mirror type thing with no marks on the blade whatsoever you need to do what Chris does with his fancy rouges for a few more hours. You can get a brilliantly shiny blade with 2000 and MAAS... at least I do, but it is still far from perfect. You definitely need buffing compounds and wheels to get to the finish you are talking about.

OK, so I guess I have to go to a higher grit or use compounds in order to get I higher shine. Please advise which would be the most effective and most cost effective. I can get Rouge cheap, like I said earlier Red and White 2-pack for $3. Or I can get micro-mesh, a 9-pach for $20, grits: 1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 3500, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 12,000.

(source: http://www.woodcraft.com/search/sear...icro-mesh This is a great place that does online orders and has lots of locations.)

So what do you suggest? Cheaper compounds (I already have MAAS, so I need something that's going to cut away the scratches-suggestions?) or get the micro-mesh, or both?

Compound Report:

I wanted to see if the white and red compounds could remove the scratches left by 2000 grit sandpaper. The white is more coarse, so I used it first. It did a good job of removing any sign of the 2000 grit sandpaper on the bottom half of the razor (from the mid-point of the razor to the edge), but because of the hollow of the razor, the top half of the razr (the area of the razor just beneath the spine to the middle of the razor) didn't get as much contact/pressure/friction as the bottom half, so there is still some sign of the 2000 grit sandpaper in this area. I tried holding the razor vertically against the wheel, but I don't know how much it helped. Then I used the red rouge.

The final result of using a progression of sandpaper through 2000 grit and then white end red compound is that it left the razor very good, almost perfect, except the top half of the razor still has slightly visible signs of the 2000 grit sandpaper-which are only visible in right light at the right angle.

I think that maybe a tripoli compound might help with the imperfection just described, and I am pretty sure micro-mesh would solve it, but the razor is almost perfect, you wouldn't even notice unless you really inspected it, and I don't feel like getting all OCD about it at this time.

Originally Posted by Genco_Glider

... I don't feel like getting all OCD about it at this time.

This is the nature of metal polishing. It's either perfect or it's not.