Power Sanding?

[Al_Rivard]

Can we start a discussion on power sanding? I’m starting to figure out I’m spending way to much time sanding by hand. I tend to sand for days as I can’t stand to see even one sanding line no matter how fine.

Can you take a wild stab on how much time power sanding saves you?

Do you finish sand using a power sander?

What exactly are you guys are using, pneumatic, electric, or self-powered deals like the Sorby?

If you had to do it over again would you go with the same equipment or try something else?

What are you using to sand with i.e. what’s holding the sand paper?

Are you using 2” or 3” pads or both?

Where do you get your sanding pads and how long do they last?

What grits do you use the most?

Anything I didn’t ask?

Thanks!

[Dave Daniel]

Oh so many questions, so little time.

On a typical bowl, I spend less than 5 minutes running from 120 grit up through the polishing buffs (up to white diamond).

For finishing the interior of bowls, I use the 3" new wave disks mounted in one of two pneumatic die grinders (get them cheap at Lowes' - get both the 90 degree and straight die grinders). You can buy the disks online in packs of 50 for under $15.00 (search google for innerface new wave). One nice side bennie of using the pneumatic is it automatically helps clear some of the dust for the dc to pick up. One warning, though, don't run the die grinder at full speed - 20-30,000 rpm will blow apart the innerface holder if you're not careful, so keep the air pressure down to around 40-50 psi.

For the exterior, I slap on some ps sandpaper in my dewalt random orbit, or hand sand as needed. The exterior doesn't typically need too much work.

I start with 120, then 180, 220 and hand sand with 320 or 400, 0000/00000 steel wool, then the red rouge buff, and finally the white diamond buff. The buffs get mounted in a cordless drill.

As an aside, I keep all my sanding disks in small (6" x3") plastic bins mounted on pegboard adjacent to the lathe.

Once done with the finish sanding, I've got a polished wood surface that only needs one wet-sanded coat of tung oil followed with one or two additional coats for a low-gloss sheen. In many cases, I've skipped the finish altogether, as the polished wood is magnificent.

I'm interested, too, in what others are doing.

[Quartlow]

I use the cordless drill with a 2 inch pad for starters. starting with 80 or if i'm lucky 120 grit working up to 180, Then I switchoff to the 2 inch DA starting in at 180 and working up to 400.

Sandpaper comes from Steve over at Turningwood.com.
Great service good pricing, and his paper is tough, Plus it's marked with the grit on each and every piece. Have yet to have the loo p material seperate on one.

I must be doing something right My one and only mentor that I get to see in person, a veteran turner of 25 years tells me my finish and sanding is flawless

[dicklaxt]

I also power sand with battery powered drill motor as the counter rotation of the paper against lathe rotation nearly insures that you have no grit lines. I don't like the Sorby Sander as you must have it positioned just right with the pressure just right to get it to rotate. You can hand sand and nearly keep from getting the grit lines but you must keep the paper moving at all times.

dick

[kirby121]

Won't a dremel tool work? Nice & compact. You can buy small sanding pad attachments at HF, they already have the hook and loop set up and they have a 1/4" shaft, just right for the dremel tool. I havn't had time to try it yet.

I have heard that HF has the pneumatic die grinders for about $12.00

I saw an article somewhere that someone made his own power sanding pads. Get the small sanding pad attachments at HF, attach some 1" foam pad (like on swiming floatation toys) and then attach you hook and loop to it. Then sand away.

Here it is!! http://www.roundthewoods.com/sanding.shtml making your own sanding pads.

http://www.turningwood.com/sanding.htm Sanding Disks for Woodturning

http://www.industrialabrasives.com/0...139746744b9a71


I have heard that the Sioux 8000ES 3/8" Variable Speed Close-Quarters Drill is a great drill for sanding bowls. Amazon has it for $139.00.

[WoodMangler]

Okee doke.... here we go... :)

"Can you take a wild stab on how much time power sanding saves you?"

To date, I have saves 237 years... at least ;) ... at least, that is what it seems like anyhoo... It takes me about 10-15 minutes to sand a bowl... and that is a very leisurely pace... I aint in a hurry.

"Do you finish sand using a power sander?"

I sand from 80 or 120 (depending on how cooperative the wood was, if my technique with the gouge was "on" that day, the alignment of Mars to Uranus etc }> ) through 320, 400, 600, or 1200 grit, depending on the bowl... if I think it's a cool looking bowl, it gets sanded through 1200 grit...

"What exactly are you guys are using, pneumatic, electric, or self-powered deals like the Sorby?"

The Sorby is pretty much a waste of money IMHO... although I still use it once in a while on bowls I can't reach into too well.... I use the Sioux 3/8" angle drill... and it's a very nice tool, although the price tag made me gag a little... But it's worth every penny since I don't use air tools....

"If you had to do it over again would you go with the same equipment or try something else?"

I'd buy the Sioux immediately if I had to do it over again... really makes a difference IMHO.... and I wouldn't buy the Sorby... and I would buy all my discs from Steve since they do work better and last longer....

"What are you using to sand with i.e. what’s holding the sand paper?"

Velcro 2" sanding pad... and I have the 3" extension from Packards for getting into the deeper bowls....

I'm still kinda looking into making my own discs... punching them out of stock velcro backed sandpaper... but I can't find the article I read about that..... If it's a HUGE savings, I will try it... if it just saves a few pennies, I'll keep ordering from Steve Worster...

[kirby121]

Here it is!! The article

http://www.roundthewoods.com/sanding.shtml making your own sanding pads.

[WoodMangler]

OH... ya meant MarC... ;)

Thanks... that wasn't it, but it was very interesting... or did I miss where he made the actual sanding discs, not the pads?...

That looks like it beats the heck outta paying $10 for a sanding pad though... I'll be looking into that for sure....

OK... I gotta go read that again...

[Sonny Edmonds]

>Can we start a discussion on power sanding? I’m starting to
>figure out I’m spending way to much time sanding by hand. I
>tend to sand for days as I can’t stand to see even one
>sanding line no matter how fine.

Sounds like you have a personal problem there. There's always going to be some lines.
Think not? Get an electron microscope and go nutz.

>
>Can you take a wild stab on how much time power sanding
>saves you?

Like MarC, I'd say about 237 1/2 years, because I don't think I am quite as good as MarC is, yet.

>
>Do you finish sand using a power sander?

Are you nutz! NO!
What part of "Handcrafted By Sonny Edmonds" do you need explained, Al?
You have to at least do a final wipe by hand. The rest is up for grabs. Pick what is the easiest and fastest for you.

>
>What exactly are you guys are using, pneumatic, electric, or
>self-powered deals like the Sorby?

Pneumatics. Folks don't ask to borrow pneumatics. But unless you willing to get a big compressor, don't go there. I run a 7 HP, 80 gallon tank that is hard lined throughout the shop.

>
>If you had to do it over again would you go with the same
>equipment or try something else?

Same. I only kicked a Delta drum sander to the curb. Now I do my homework and buy quality equipment.

>
>What are you using to sand with i.e. what’s holding the sand
>paper?

Power-Lock disks. and on my ROS velcro.

>
>Are you using 2” or 3” pads or both?

Mostly 2" disks on a 1" mandrel. But have 1,2,3" available. The ROS is a 6" unit with a 5" pad on it. So the air motor has more "Umph" to run the pad.

>
>Where do you get your sanding pads and how long do they
>last?

Got a Power-Lock kit from Woodturners Catalog when I went to power sanding. Still working with it.
How long do they last? How big is the rings around Uranis? (MarC started it!) They last until I snap then off and throw them away.

>
>What grits do you use the most?

100, 180, 220, 320. Then I go to micro-mesh from 1500-3600 by hand control.
I have up to 12,000. But haven't had a need for it as yet.
Like Dave, I also have the Beall bowl buffs, and rouge, white, and pure carnuba wax.

>
>Anything I didn’t ask?

Yeah. Final finishing. There's a mirad of different things out there.
My best results are with up to 3600 grit and the pure carnuba applied and buffed 2-3 times. I'm getting very highly polished results and it is lasting very well.
(That's over a CA finish, then the wax applied.) Tim uses only pure carnuba wax, as CA doesn't work for him. It clouds. I don't have that phenomium bugging me, so I CA finsh.
So far it's working better than Mylands, Huts P.P.P., Shellawax, or Shellac.

>
>Thanks!

You're not welcome! :P
(Just kidding) :7


:D

[link:www.sonnyedmonds.com | Sonny Edmonds]
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
God Bless America !
One Nation Under God!
"I was raised around lead based paint.
It ain't an excuse, just a fact."

[Dave Daniel]

Yeah, I'm on the ball, it only took a couple of weeks to remeber to find the link for the die grinders I have. The first is an angle grinder that I use most of the time: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=35943

And the second is a straight grinder with an extension to dress deep bowls and vessels: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=39154

I have 2" velcro pad wheels that are permanently mounted in each unit and small storage bins on the pegboard behind the lathe with different grit sets.

Note that each of the grinders have safety releases on the actuator handle. I threw away an inexpensive grinder without one after I placed it down and it started dancing across the bench.