STEP 17 - Hand Sand Bevel and Flat Of The Blade
Sanding our blades by hand involved using the right type of sandpaper to smooth our metal surfaces, remove imperfections, and prepare it for finishing. We learned it's crucial to select the appropriate sandpaper grit for the task, starting with coarser grits for material removal and progressing to finer grits for polishing. We also learned that proper technique, including even pressure and following the same grain, is important to avoid scratches and achieve a smooth finish.
- Profiling The Sanding Block To Mirror The Grinding Wheel
• Prepare our blades by cleaning all surfaces thoroughly to remove any dirt, rust, or dykem. To do this I used coarser grit sandpaper (60-grit) to remove these.
• Choose the right sandpaper for the job by using 120-180 grit for smoothing and gradually moving to finer grits like 220-400 for finishing.
• Sand in a grain-following direction by applying even pressure and sand in the direction of the metal's grain to minimize scratching.
• Use a sanding block to help maintain the proper contour which prevents the sandpaper from digging in, especially when sanding edges.
• Work in sections and hand sand the metal in overlapping sections, ensuring even coverage and smooth transitions.
• Use water or a lubricant (like Windex) to keep the metal cool, minimize dust, and improve the sanding process.
• Progress through each grit and change to the next finer grit when the previous grit's scratches are no longer visible.
• We are not after a highly polished finish so the use of very fine grits (e.g., 600-grit or higher) is not needed but we might want to consider using specialized metal polishing compounds.
My takeaways and tips for success are to avoid applying too much pressure which can create deep scratches and make the sanding process more difficult and keep the sandpaper and the metal surface clean to avoid clogging and ensure efficient sanding. I went to the men’s room and washed my blade with soap and water before changing to the next higher grit and the results were simply amazing.
- My Blade Hand Sanded To 220-Grit
Attaching handles to a knife blade is a crucial step in knifemaking, impacting both functionality and aesthetics. The process involves securing the covers that were prepared in Step 11 to the tang of the knife using both pins and epoxy.
Step 18A - Cut and bevel 1-end of 6 pins that are long enough to pass through both covers and the blade tang by 1/8” (0.125”).
Step 18B - Insert 2 pins at opposite end of one of the covers by hand or with a hammer if necessary so they are flush with the “x” side of the cover.
Step 18C - Prepare the 2-part 5-minute epoxy by using an amount approximately 1” in diameter and mixed by hand thoroughly.
Step 18D - Apply the mixed epoxy to the proper tang of the knife and the mating surface of the first cover ensuring thorough coverage.
Step 18E - Mate the tang of the knife and the first cover using the 2 pins that were inserted in Step 18B.
Step 18F - Prepare the 2-part 5-minute epoxy by using an amount approximately 1” in diameter and mixed by hand thoroughly.
Step 18G - Apply the mixed epoxy to the proper tang of the knife and the mating surface of the second cover ensuring thorough coverage.
Step 18H - Mate the tang of the knife and the second cover using the 2 pins that were inserted in Step 18B.
Step 18I - Insert the remaining 4 pins through the first cover, the tang of the knife and the second cover.
- Tapping Pins Into The Master Cover
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always recruiting John 
