# Polishing buffalo horn (ferrule) - how?



## Matus (Dec 12, 2016)

I have just finished my first WA handle with black buffalo horn ferrule. While the is easy to drill or grind, I found it basically impossible to give it a nice glossy finish. I went from #180 up #2000 and it still looked like I just finished with #240. I then followed up to #8000 witha meshgrid pads and got some slight improvement, but the horn still hat something that looked like parallel scratches. I would be inclided to belive that these are unremoved scratches from low grit sanding paper, but they look too homogeneous for that (i.e. no clean polished patches in-between). give the finished ferrule a rub with board butter improved the result as it also removed sime fine wood dust from the handle, but the result is still far from how a well made traditional WA Japanese horn ferrule looks like.

I am wondering what did I do wrong here. I dit not buff the handle because I do not have a buffer (yet).

I would appreciate you insights and advice. Thank you in advance.


----------



## Hattorichop (Dec 12, 2016)

The progression i use is this.
100
150
220
400
600
800
1200 micro mesh 
4000 micro mesh
6000 micro mesh
8000 micro mesh

In the end you get nice shinny horn:biggrin:


----------



## Matus (Dec 12, 2016)

That sounds about right. I must have done a mistake somewhere earlier in the sanding process. I guess I will need to get a piece of a horn again and make a sanding test run.


----------



## Dave Martell (Dec 12, 2016)

You can stop at 2000x and buff with white compound for shine but you may still have some light scratches if you look close enough but the Japanese ferrules always do too. If you want near perfection follow Hattorichop's advice above and finish with Micromesh or some really super fine paper and either stop there or buff.


----------



## jessf (Dec 12, 2016)

Does fine steel wool help? I've only worked with antler which is really just bone without growth rings where as horn is keratin and it might have a grain to it. How do people polish their nails? Is there a direction or does it matter?


----------



## Matus (Dec 12, 2016)

Thanks Dave. I did try that (without the buffer). What I did not like too much about meshgrids is that they take off the edges in un uncontrolled manner. Indeed - I do not want 'sharp' edges on a finished handle, but with meshgrids the rounding will depend how long one uses the lower grits and if I find the need to go back from higher grit I may round the edges too much. At least I do not have a technique how to do that in a more controlled way.

Jess, my experience with steel wool is that it scratches certain materials like brass, or takes off-the glossy finish of wood lacquared with shellack. I would guess it would leave matte finish on a horn too. I have not tried it yet though.


----------



## jessf (Dec 12, 2016)

I use 000 or 0000 extra fine for finishing. Anything less and it does dull materials for sure.

In eithercase, might you be sanding the horn in the wrong direction? I have yet to use horn.


----------



## Matus (Dec 12, 2016)

Good point Jessf. I am still using my first 'roll' of the wool steel and I am not 100% sure which grade it is. I have however a few more rolls that go from '0' to '0000' I guess I need to check and compare them.

I am definitely sanding the horn in the direction it grew. I bought just a 35 mm long disc for testing. I do not have more at the moment. I will probably stick to african blackwood for dark//black bolsters for the simplicity. But I am not turning my back on the horn


----------



## jessf (Dec 12, 2016)

Post pics


----------



## Matus (Dec 12, 2016)

jessf said:


> Post pics


I sure will, they are in the 'Lightroom image processing pipeline'


----------



## Hattorichop (Dec 12, 2016)

I go through the sanding progression on a granite plate. I wouldn't call the edges of the octagon handle a 'sharp' edge but more of a crisp edge which I prefer than a slightly rounded edge. I feel the crisp edge adds a higher level of finish then the rounded edge. The rounded edge kind of seems lazy to me.


----------



## Matus (Dec 13, 2016)

So, here are a few photos of the freshly finished handle. I have to admit that after cleaning and oiling the handle it looks better than it did in the workshop.

In this shot I have used reflection from a chain of LEDs to make the scratches stand out:






This is how it looks 'normally'










The whole handle (with a better color balance):


----------



## preizzo (Dec 13, 2016)

Looks cool matus, good job!


----------



## jessf (Dec 13, 2016)

Interesting as the scrathes dont continue on into the wood and yet they are flush. Might you be sanding weaker material out and emphasizing the grain? Like sandblasting old timbers, the softer wood errodes before the harder grain and the end result is a pronounced grain.


----------



## _PixelNinja (Dec 13, 2016)

For what it's worth I would be happy with that level of finish on the horn. Great work overall on that handle IMO.


----------



## Matus (Dec 13, 2016)

Thank you 

I think Jessf nailed it. I just went (why I only came up with this idea now remains a mystery) and compared side to side the horn ferrule on my Kochi with my new handle - and they look pretty much the same. It really probably is the micro-structure of the horn where, as with most natural materials, some parts are harder than others - 'grain of the horn' so to say. On both the scratches are more-less parallel to the handle, but not perfectly aligned. Also - none of them shows the 'J' traces that the back-and-forth movement during polishing would have left (like when sanding a blade).

So I guess the handle is good after all


----------



## jessf (Dec 13, 2016)

You can see the lines continue past the edge on each facet. If it was sanding marks, the scratches would end and start new on each facet.


----------



## cheflivengood (Dec 13, 2016)

super glue the surface and high grit sand it, then buff it.....see what happens  (im not sure what happens)


----------



## jessf (Dec 13, 2016)

Might do the same as my coral. Buffs out with a decent shine. I think texture at the ferrule is advantageous, especially if it's come by naturally. Don't like ending, change the storey.


----------



## apicius9 (Dec 13, 2016)

Not much to add. FWIW, I usually go up to 1200 grit on a granite plate which is important and finish with steel wool 0000. The advantage of steel wool is that it actually cuts more than it sands which makes it nice and smooth - but still matte. Since I like my edges a bit more rounded, that is the optimal last step. I then apply a finish, including on the horn, rub down with steel wool, repeat a few times. At that point any microgrooves will be filled with the hardened finish. Then I buff with white compound, polish with a clean buffer disc. Usually, at that point you have to take a loupe to it to see any scratches. 

Stefan


----------



## pkjames (Dec 14, 2016)

cheflivengood said:


> super glue the surface and high grit sand it, then buff it.....see what happens  (im not sure what happens)



It is a very common practice in pen turning, the thing is, you probably have to add about 20 layers of ca glue with sanding in between to make it thick enough, else you risk in patches of glue being buffed off leaving a very nasty finish. It is almost like applying a clear lacquer to the handle, you get super glossy finish.


----------



## cheflivengood (Dec 14, 2016)

pkjames said:


> It is a very common practice in pen turning, the thing is, you probably have to add about 20 layers of ca glue with sanding in between to make it thick enough, else you risk in patches of glue being buffed off leaving a very nasty finish. It is almost like applying a clear lacquer to the handle, you get super glossy finish.



thats what I figured, or maybe read one time.


----------



## DTedquist (Dec 14, 2016)

I have had good success with 3M tri-m-ite Imperial Polishing Paper. I bought it as an assortment pack with grit from 400 to 8000 grit (30 to 1 micron).


----------

