When to switch from sandpaper to 3M polishing paper?

I

IrishSteel

Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
88
I'm just about done with my first knife and am just getting ready to put the edge on. I took the blade to a mirror finish, but I think my grit progression could use some work. I gave my blade a mirror finish but the blade has a very slight wavy texture to it (if you look at it from 6in away), shines like mad but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be wavy or not. I went from grits 80>120>220 Heat treat 220 > 3M green polishing paper and up all the way through the white polishing paper. I went from 220 straight to the polishing paper because supposedly the green paper is equivalent to 400 grit; but after seeing both how long it took to get the 220 scratches out and the wavy texture I'm thinking that I should have gone up some more grits in the plain 'ol sand paper before moving to the polishing paper. After the scratches were removed with the green polishing paper moving up the grits went surprisingly quick.

If anyone has experience using the 3M polishing paper: At what point do you switch from sandpaper to the polishing paper? Do you really need to take the finish up past 1000grit in sandpaper before switching (as Stacy recommends in his tutorial)?
 
I have yet to use them on a blade itself simply because I tend to like a hand rubbed finish around 800 or 1000. I've used them on handles and on some "jewelry" pieces I've made. I've only ever switched to them after 1000 grit sandpaper. Personally I don't see the green as being an equivalent to 400 grit sandpaper. I may be wrong but I view them as a polishing cloth not something to sand with, more like buffing by hand.
 
Fletch is right. The papers are polishing papers. The green will restore a surface to get it ready to polish, but really isn't made for steel removal. I use regular wet-or-dry paper to 800-1000 or higher, and then go back to the green polish paper.

If the surface was sanded by holding the sandpaper in your hand, and not on a hard sanding block, your surface will be wavy. It takes a hard and flat surface to make a flat sanded surface. The polishing papers can be hand held, as they don't remove much metal. ( but I often tape them to my flat surface plate)
 
Last edited:
Ok, I'll load up on some higher grit sandpaper and hope for the best on future knives. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top