Sanding advise please

[Tom Mullane]

I am working on a nice little cherry bowl and am about to use my power sander for the first time on this...
The question is...
What speed do I want my Jet 1236 at and how fast should I be running the sander.. it is a Sioux Slow Speed Variable... I am using 2" disks..
Thanks..

[Ray Dockrey]

Tom,

I run my lathe at 500 rpm and try to match the drill to the lathe. Sometimes I will speed the lathe up a little just trying to find the right spot. It is tricky. Get it wrong and you create more scratches then you remove. Get it right and it makes a beautiful finish. It is real tricky, at least it has been for me. But well worth the effort to learn. I power sand everything including troublesome pen blanks. Good Luck with your efforts.

[Jim Becker]

I run my lathe rather slow for power sanding to help avoid too much heat from friction...which will destroy the hook and loop "hooks" very nicely. it helps to have a reversable tool, too as some forms work better in different directions of the sander's rotaion.

[Ray Dockrey]

To be a little clearer on my part, the reason I use 500 rpm is that is as slow as my lathe will go. I sometimes forget that there are lathes they will go slower. If I had that option, I would go slower also. But I do real good at 500 rpm so I am happy.

[Steve Inniss]

Tom,
For power sanding your lathe should be run at 1/2 the rpm of the sander. I use a Milwaukee that runs at 850, thus the lathe at 420 or so. Of course there are times when you need to alter, but this is the standard. -Steve