Getting metal smooth and/or shiny

[caedmon]

Ok, I'm at about 80% on a couple different metal working projects (including an Axe I owe Ringulf). I am stopped at the point were I need to get grinding and filing marks out so that I can decorate.

I've used belt & bench sanders but they either take away way to much metal, or don't seem to do anything. It seems that I just need to spend a LOT of time sanding these pieces down with progressively finer sandpaper. But before I consign myself to that, is there a better way?

[Eledhwen]

I do all of mine by hand. I usually start out with heavy grit and work down to jewelers' rouge, but it takes a lot of patience and time.

I do not know of any power ways to do it since I do not use power tools if I can avoid them. Successively finer grit sanding, steel wool, and jewelers' rouge for buffing. Works for me, but it is time intensive so not a good method for anyone doing production work.

Eledhwen

[caedmon]

I do all of mine by hand. I usually start out with heavy grit and work down to jewelers' rouge, but it takes a lot of patience and time.

I do not know of any power ways to do it since I do not use power tools if I can avoid them. Successively finer grit sanding, steel wool, and jewelers' rouge for buffing. Works for me, but it is time intensive so not a good method for anyone doing production work.

Eledhwen

I'm not doing any production work. I just dread this stage and have let multiple projects stop here. Now I need to push through.

I also know that if I don't ask, I can spend ages buffing away with the wrong material and cause frustration & delay.

[Avery P.]

I use a variety of sanding discs and buffing wheels. First you'll need a 4 1/2" angle grinder. If you don't have one it's a greeeaat investment! Though I suspect you already have one.

After I do the rough grind with a heavy disc, I go to sanding flap discs. A pack like this would be a good place to start.


http://www.lowes.com/pd_24217-47120-SGY ... facetInfo=

Or these, but you'd need to get the plastic base from lowes or elsewhere.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-501C-4-1-2-x ... 3cd4d7652a

You can get the flap disc up to 120 grit at Lowes or HOme Depot. The down side is that they aren't very good to do small stuff or tight corners. The wire brushes, on the other hand, do pretty good.

Now, for buffing, there are these;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-x-1-2-arbor-S ... 5649f2f4ac

As been said, you can use jewelers rouge, but I'd suggest using a rougher buffing paste first.

If you'd like, I can take get together some links or just take pics of what I use. Either way, there's no need to kill your hands and fingers going it by hand until you have to, lol.

[Ringulf]

Sounds like a tutorial that I would be rivited too, what do you guys think?

[Eledhwen]

Sounds like a great tutorial for those who use and like power tools.

I prefer doing it all by hand, but I'm strange as we all know, even among smiths.

Eledhwen

[caedmon]

Sounds like a great tutorial for those who use and like power tools.

I prefer doing it all by hand, but I'm strange as we all know, even among smiths.

Eledhwen

Ok, so two tutorials then..

[Eärendur]

What I would do would depend somewhat on the project at hand - i.e., for armor I would spend a good amount of time planishing before any grinding. I've actually had good success with a belt grinder - I hate grinding, so the faster it gets done the better, IMO. I use a 2 hp grinder I built; as long as I choose my grit correctly it comes out pretty good.

On the other hand, I could see where ranger-ish things might be better off done by hand, or some other method.

[Eledhwen]

I actually enjoy the time it takes to polish by hand. In armor, I planish fully. In blades, I hammer them as sharp and smooth as I can. Then I finish by hand. I often use the work as a good time to do discursive meditation. Very relaxing for me.

Eledhwen

[Eric C]

I find that once I get to the point that I need to start the rough finishing, I dread it. But somewhere in the project I get to a point where I can't wait to finish up each step to see just what I've got hidden under all of that roughness. Most of my finishing is done by hand. For that matter, I'm somewhat like Eledhwen but not so much, most of my work is done by hand (whereas all of hers is). I've gotten to a point in my knifemaking career that I don't really want to use or over-use power tools. One misstep with a power tool can ruin a piece when it is almost done. One misstep with a sanding block can be fixed. Overall, hand finishing is a practice in patience and has done wonders for me in life, in learning to be more patient and to push through to the finish.

[Eledhwen]

Indeed. I find it is beneficial in a lot of ways, health included. Calm, repetitive work, sometimes I sing or hum as I go. I tend to lose track of time when working with my hands. Certainly it has benefited my overall health; stress drains away, blood pressure drops....neither is a bad thing. I also don't overeat when working with my hands. I find I am reluctant to stop for snacking.

Eledhwen