Finishing Handle Material

[Lerch]

hi all

I been working on a new knife and i am wanting to change up things from the way i have been texturing my grips. So far what i have be doing is using a 5/8th wheel on my bader grinder HD arm and making many small fairly deep bevels do give the handle lots of grip and a very rough appearance.

like this

what i am wanting to do is make a smoother more rounded appearance that would allow me to buff and polish it to a really nice smooth appearance. I dont have a picture but it is the finish i have seen on many micarta gripped blades, just a very smooth rounded polished handle.

my question is how do you do this? do you just use a real deft touch on the grinding wheels and then buff it or are you hand sanding it with sand paper which is kind of what i was thinking?

thanks
steve

 

[JDW]

What I would do on a handle like that, is continue on up in grit, to at least 400 on your bader and small wheel, then clamp the knife in a vice, and get some strips of paper or use worn J-flex belts cut in narrow strips in 600 or 800 grit, what ever grit you want to finish at, and give it a good shoe shine motion across the handle while traveling up and down the length of the handle, that should round out the sharp corners, then buff her out.

What grit did you use to this point? One tip that may help in the future, is to cut your grooves in with a 320 or 400 grit, that will eliminate those deep coarse scratches, and it is easier for me to use fine belts on a small wheel from the start, than progress upto a fine belt, when you get the shape you want, you are done with the small wheel, less chance for mistakes.
I like the look of what you have done with that, would give a good grip, and when rounded out should feel ok also.

Hope this helps. Dale

 

[UncleBillyKnives]

Here is how I do my with out the polish. I use a 1 inch wheel. When you grind, you and up with peaks and valleys. At the end of the peaks, I grind a divit to take the Sharp point off. When it is how I like, I hit it with a slack belt to round it off and knock down any Sharp areas. I have not tried it, but if you go slow, you should be able to get a nice polish on it.