All About Pocket Knives

I thought it would be useful to hear from those of you who are more experienced with buffers - but more specifically, what type of compounds do you use with what kind of wheels, for what kind of materials?

If there is interest, this could be a good tutorial. I'll offer to format the thread after the info is gathered.

Maybe the "how to" can be formated like this:

Situations:
A. Initial Buffing to remove deep scratches or to rapidly remove material.
B. Interim buffing to clean up or to produce a non-mirror finish.
C. Final polishing to a mirror finish.
D. Other

Types of Materials:
1. Steel (carbon or SS)
2. Brass
3. Nickel Silver
4. Bone
5. Horn or Antler
6. Light color wood (stabilized or not)
7. Dark color wood (stabilized or not)
8. Resins (micarta, G10, carbon fiber)
9. Other

Then the Tutorial could list the combinations (maybe a matrix or table could be created):

B-5 = loose muslin wheel with white compound.
A-1 = sewn muslin wheel with green Tripoli compound

What do you think - any interest?

Jaye

IM intrested in knowing how to do this

Geez, fellers -

I'm not sure I'm smart enough to understand matrix or tables, or B-5, etc...

There's more than a couple of ways to skin a hog, tho'. Experience is definitely the best teacher.

Some basic guidelines would be:
Sisal wheels
Sewn muslin wheels
Loose muslin wheels
If you're rich, get some felt wheels...

Black, Green, White and Red Rouge compounds

NEVER try to use different compounds on the same wheel.

The coarser the compound, the more scratches you can remove. Just like sandpaper, move from the coarsest to the finest.

I never buff wood, until the finish is on it. ( I've never used stabilized wood, tho'). The compound fills the pores, and makes the wood unhappy.

I never use anything coarser than white on non-ferrous metal. If the scratches are deeper than that, use wet/dry sandpaper. You wanna keep the lines, edges, corners nice and neat - buffing will round off your sharp lines.

Never, ever wear gloves while buffing. Safety goggles are nice, but when they get dirty, or fogged over, shut down the process, and clean 'em. Vision is utmost - you can NOT buff, by feel.

I guess D-9 = Send it to Muskrat Man, he needs the work ?

Above all, be careful !

Just trying to help,
JR

Yeah that is a huge undertaking, I prefer to address each as they come up. You will find as many opinions as there are knifemakers. What JR does may not be what makes me happy, What I do may not be what JR likes.

But I really enjoy stabilized wood. Some of the best Buckeye Burl, spalted maple, spalted mango, actually spalted anything would never be used. Some of the woods I send off to be stabilized could NEVER be used, some I could dig my thumbnail into the wood 1/4 inch before stabilization.
You could not use palm for a handle, I really enjoy end cut or bias. You have to stablize palm, it's not wood, it's a grass!

Ringmaster wrote:
There's more than a couple of ways to skin a hog, tho'. Experience is definitely the best teacher.

Some basic guidelines would be:
Sisal wheels
Sewn muslin wheels
Loose muslin wheels
If you're rich, get some felt wheels...

Black, Green, White and Red Rouge compounds

NEVER try to use different compounds on the same wheel.

The coarser the compound, the more scratches you can remove. Just like sandpaper, move from the coarsest to the finest.

I never buff wood, until the finish is on it. ( I've never used stabilized wood, tho'). The compound fills the pores, and makes the wood unhappy.

I never use anything coarser than white on non-ferrous metal. If the scratches are deeper than that, use wet/dry sandpaper. You wanna keep the lines, edges, corners nice and neat - buffing will round off your sharp lines.

Never, ever wear gloves while buffing. Safety goggles are nice, but when they get dirty, or fogged over, shut down the process, and clean 'em. Vision is utmost - you can NOT buff, by feel.

Above all, be careful !

Just trying to help,
JR

I buy the wheels I use most by the dozen, I may buy 3 dozen wheels (3 types) on a major buy, not normally though, just enough to keep my stock up.

But then there is specialty wheels. I have some on hand, never touched some of the others.

Satin finishing wheels for the rich to
leather wheels
wax treated wheels
razor edge buffs
flap wheels and AO flap wheels
concentric sewn vs. spiral sewn
Scotch Brite General purpose or Deburring
Yellow cloth/sisal wheels
Cotton Flannel wheels
Use an arbor or spindle

Rouge, there are so many types out there that it would take several pages in a catalog if they were going to sell everything.

I do agree with most of what JR says, but I prefer stabilized woods. By all means wear a respirator when buffing, you're breathing a lot of very fine dust if you don't. I hate them but always wear them when grinding steel, buffing or cutting certain woods. I for one am allergic to walnut.

Also don't use a wheel that has been used buffing a ferrous metal on a non ferrous metal. Nothing like a piece of steel being stuck in a wheel scratching your almost done BRASS bolsters.

Best thing to do is buy books, knifemaker DVD's, and go to knifemaker websites, buy kits and just do it, it's the BEST way. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

Amen, Hukk !

I left out the part about the respirator, and I wish I hadn't.

Nothing against stablized woods - I just don't have any, and I've got so much natural wood stockpiled, I'll never use it all.

Guys, you need to understand - the buffer is not your friend, and it cannot, will not correct problems. Keep those lines crisp and sharp, and use the buffer only to put a shine on things.

I don't have any experience with the more expensive toys (wheels), but I'll be happy to share what knowledge I have, with each step.

Good post, Hukk.

JR