For the first blades I'm going to polish, I want only a satin finish. What polishing compound will give me that?
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For the first blades I'm going to polish, I want only a satin finish. What polishing compound will give me that?
None of the polishing compounds will leave you a satin finish on the steel, they are made to polish the steel. A satin finish is more or less a rough finish IMO. I have left some blades with a "brushed steel" look that some may call a satin finish with my dremel and "finishing abrasive buffs", dremel part number 512 or 512E. If you choose to attempt this, please keep the rotation of the buffer away from the edge and watch the heat or you will ruin your razor and even worse, hurt yourself.
I've also gotten a type of satin finish out of my tumbler and walnut media.
Hope this helps,
Scott
Thanks for your reply, Shooter. I am well aware of the hazards of using a buffer, but it never hurts to have reminders. I tried a tumbler, but in my opinion it just didn't work for me. However, I may have started with the wrong media. I started with RCBS Formula 1, rather than straight walnut. Nevertheless, I'm going to put the blade back in for a while and see what happens.
I played a little with trying to get satin finishes, but never really liked how it came out. You could go up through 600 greaseless with the wheel spine to edge and just polish that up a bit without trying to actually remove the scratches.
Or some guys have said they're getting good satin finishes off scotch brite pads.
I have had good luck with scothbrite. It works better if you get it shiny/polished first then dull back down to a satin finish.
Charlie
Butch (loyd Harner) has got some excellent satins on his blades, as far as I can tell from photos.
Perhaps he would like to share how??
Just mail it to a newbie restorer with a buffer and request a mirror finish.
Problem solved.
If you go to the watch tool suppliers they have foam blocks containing grit and they are designed to produced satin and brushed finishes on 316L stainless and Titanium so they should work for razors too.
Thanks, everyone.
I've had some luck with a 220 grit wet dry paper. You need some sort of sanding block (I use the big fat round one in the A column from this page). The trick seems to be to move up and down the blade from bevel to spine with consistent pressure while moving ever so slowly from heel to toe. This gives a reasonably uniform look.
I then hit it with a reasonably high grit paper, like 800 or 1000. The direction of the sanding is still from bevel to spine. This knocks off the high points of the 220 scratches, but doesn't knock too much off to make the metal shiny.
I'm not suggesting this is a replacement for a machine finish satin, but it looks reasonably good. As long as you move from heel to toe slowly enough that you have vertical scratch lines. Curvy ones are a no-no.
:gl:
If you happen to drink wine, or know someone who does, a wine cork is a pretty good diameter for use as a razor sanding block.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fdennis
I have gotten satin finish from the car rubbing compound "red container" and walnut
Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
I must be drinking the wrong stuff, everything I buy has that fancy twist off cap.
Kelly, there are other wines besides Thunderbird, Mad Dog 20-20 and Night Train. :beer2:Quote:
Originally Posted by nun2sharp
for mmy belt finishes i use a scotch bright belt lightly loaded with compound (i used to use gator belts then light buff )
for hand sanded finish i liek 600 grit then a light buff but you got to get all the sanding strokes jsut right to make it look goood
1200 and a bit of wd40 lettign the paper load a bit can make a great finish as well
hope that helps
edit to add making a set of leather backed sanding blocks in the right rad. as the wheels that the blade were ground on (least get it close) will also be a big help on the hand sanded finish
Thanks again. I called a seller of polishing equipment (to order buffing wheels for my new buffer) and he recommended 320 grit greaseless compound--which he didn't sell.) I have ordered 400 greaseless from Midway (gun stuff). Should be here any day. I have tried sanding. 600 grit looks the best to me, but it's really hard to get uniforn lines. I'm going to keep experimenting. The look I'm trying to duplicate is the look of a blade with the factory grind marks (fine, shallow, uniform).
Yea you ought to expand your horizons and try the high end stuff like Ripple and Muscatel.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Ouch. that hurt so good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
For Greaseless only, nothing else
The 320 gives a finish I call a "Working Finish" much like the original factory finishes
The 600 gives a nice "Satin Finish"
Following the 600 with a polishing compound and a bit of work will give a "Softened Satin Finish" makes it sorta glow :D
Keep in mind the work that you do before the final finish determines the overall final look....
when i think satin this is what i think
http://www.harnerknives.com/wp-conte...dsc01602sm.jpg
Butch: I like the finish on your knife. Maybe that's what I'll try for rather than a duplicate of a factory ground finish, which is more coarse--except I think I'll sand the blade perpendicular to the edge. So much to think about and to decide! Like wood, metal is easier to take off, than it is to put back.
How very cruel - but I like it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian