Sanding Grit progression,,,

Grouser

Well-Known Member
So I'm also an avid woodworker so I understand progressing through the different grits of sandpaper to get a mirror finish. But now that I'm working with metal I find I don't have the patience to run through an entire list of grits. So I start with 36 grit and my question is what is the next belt I should grab? I've been going to 60 or 80 and then 120 and up. Moving up too fast? When do you stop using the 36 grit and start progressing to the finer ones? How close to the final size do you get before you switch up. Thanks
 
I usually go 60, 120, 220, then maybe an A45 and A30 gator belt. I'm still new so I don't grind bevels with a 36 grit.

That’s exactly what I do. For me, the knife is complete at 120 grit. Everything after that is about surface finish and to knock down time spent hand sanding.

I almost never use 36 grit anymore unless I’m starting with steel thicker than 1/8 (.125)

When to change grits: What is the deepest scratch you want to hand sand out? A 36 grit scratch on a hardened blade will take hours to sand out. A 60 grit scratch is not much better. What this means is I want to make sure that my 120 belt grinds down deep enough that I’m positive I’m past any 60 grit scratch. What does that mean? On a hunting knife, it means I plan to stop using 60 grit when my bevel is about the halfway point, whatever that halfway point is on this knife.

The better you get at grinding (perfectly flat bevels with no dips) the higher up you can push that line at 60 grit.

Just remember this: there is no such thing as sanding out a scratch. You have to sand away everything that isn’t the scratch, until you’re below the bottom of the scratch.
 
That’s exactly what I do. For me, the knife is complete at 120 grit. Everything after that is about surface finish and to knock down time spent hand sanding.

I almost never use 36 grit anymore unless I’m starting with steel thicker than 1/8 (.125)

When to change grits: What is the deepest scratch you want to hand sand out? A 36 grit scratch on a hardened blade will take hours to sand out. A 60 grit scratch is not much better. What this means is I want to make sure that my 120 belt grinds down deep enough that I’m positive I’m past any 60 grit scratch. What does that mean? On a hunting knife, it means I plan to stop using 60 grit when my bevel is about the halfway point, whatever that halfway point is on this knife.

The better you get at grinding (perfectly flat bevels with no dips) the higher up you can push that line at 60 grit.

Just remember this: there is no such thing as sanding out a scratch. You have to sand away everything that isn’t the scratch, until you’re below the bottom of the scratch.
Wise words my friend thank you
 
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