Can anyone point me to easy-to-understand (i.e., non-technical)
information about tumble polishing steel? All the tumbling links on
Google are about lapidary and jewelry applications. I'd like to try it
on a knife blade or two. The price of wet & dry sandpaper has gone
through the roof and I've just about run out of elbow grease to go with
it.

I remember building my own rock tumbler when I was a boy. Used it for
several years before I discovered girls. So I know a little about it.
But I've never tried it on steel or other metal.

I have lots of questions. What media do I use? Can I expect
high-quality results with a shop-built small batch machine.? Will
tumbling destroy crisp lines on a knife blade (I'm aware that the edge
will have to be retouched)? Tumbling times? Anything else to be aware
of?

Steel under consideration includes heat-treated carbon and stainless
steels, D-2, ATS-34, S30V, 5160, etc. Probably finished down to
220-grit or so before going into the tumbler.

Any info at all will be helpful in deciding whether or not I want to
try this.

-Frank

--
Here's some of my work:
http://www.franksknives.com/

Frank,
Tumblers work fine for all small parts in all sorts of material. They will
soften all edges. However, they are noisy. You can also use vibrators. They
are more quiet and very often more effective. This is especially true if the
parts count is low. I do not recommend either for knife making. You should
invest in polishing belt sanders. they do a better job faster. Patina type
finishes are best acheived with bead blasting after sanding. Polishing
should be done on proper buffing wheels with polishing cakes, using a
different wheel for each grit. I guess it's like everything else, use the
right equipment and tools for the job, this is no exception. No free lunch.
Steve

"Frank Warner" wrote in message
. ..
Can anyone point me to easy-to-understand (i.e., non-technical)
information about tumble polishing steel? All the tumbling links on
Google are about lapidary and jewelry applications. I'd like to try it
on a knife blade or two. The price of wet & dry sandpaper has gone
through the roof and I've just about run out of elbow grease to go with
it.

I remember building my own rock tumbler when I was a boy. Used it for
several years before I discovered girls. So I know a little about it.
But I've never tried it on steel or other metal.

I have lots of questions. What media do I use? Can I expect
high-quality results with a shop-built small batch machine.? Will
tumbling destroy crisp lines on a knife blade (I'm aware that the edge
will have to be retouched)? Tumbling times? Anything else to be aware
of?

Steel under consideration includes heat-treated carbon and stainless
steels, D-2, ATS-34, S30V, 5160, etc. Probably finished down to
220-grit or so before going into the tumbler.

Any info at all will be helpful in deciding whether or not I want to
try this.

-Frank

--
Here's some of my work:
http://www.franksknives.com/