A little about sanding technique?

[Ron Stadler]

When sanding a bowl, I see people using a power drill for the inside using a sanding disk, but has anyone here ever used the disk on a hand held sander that is powered by the spinning bowl. Just wondered if these work equally as well, also have a question on how everyone is sanding the outside of their bowls, are they just using sanding paper with your hand and the bowl spinning on the lathe or are you using one of the above stated techniques as well.:)

[Al Wasser]

In my view, the answer is: all the above. I power sand when I can and mostly on the coarse grits, sand by hand held paper with the lathe on and sometimes sand by hand with the lathe off. You will develop your own routine as you go along, but remember to sand at lower speeds to avoid heat buildup that can cause cracking in some woods

[John Keeton]

Ron, there have been several posts regarding the Sorby Sandmaster, and similar devices. Comments vary, but when I researched this, I decided for less money, I could get a power sander. Though, more recently, I rarely power sand.

[Scott Hackler]

Ron I power sand any vessel that I can get away with it, but I know what your talking about. I think that it would work just fine and would be a suppliment for sticking your hand inside a vessel. Only problem I see might be not knowing when to stop because of heat build-up.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ron - I started off sanding by hand but tired of fighting sanding marks even though I kept the sandpaper moving. Upgraded to one of those inertia sanders and had a lot of trouble sanding where I wanted - when I wanted. The sandpaper disk has to be held at an angle to the work before it will spin and I found it frustrating to constantly have the disk stop on me because the angle wasn't quite right. Course, every time it stopped - it left sanding marks! Eventually - the bronze bushing in the unit wore out and I threw it aside.

Next upgrade - I picked up the cheapest variable speed 3/8" drill I could find and using 2" sanding disks from Vince - couldn't be happier!

Also - if it's on the lathe - it is a lot easier to sand than by hand after-the-fact! Try it - it can be a lot of fun! :rolleyes:

[Neil Strong]

Used one of those inertia sanders for a while but progressively migrated to power sanders. I find I get more control with power sanders. But, there are some top turners down here, like Brendan Stemp (http://brendanstemp.com.au/index.php), who like and use inertia sanders.

[Doug Wolf]

Ron,
I have a couple of cheap Black & Decker 5" random orbital sanders that I have used for 2 or 3 years sanding the outside of bowls, etc. by using the spinning bowl to rotate the disk. I just change the speed of the lathe and the angle of the disk to increase or decrease the speed. The sanders still work when I plug them in so I guess I haven't damaged them but they were less than $20 each anyway. I just assumed everyone sanded the outside this way. Its superfast if the curves of the outside will allow the 5" disc to be used. I've also used a 2" and 3" inertia disc sander but the paper dosen't last as long as the 5".

[Harry Robinette]

I use the inertia sander all the time and love it,I've been using one about 10 years now,I also power sand and hand sand.the best thing I can tell you and anyone is to
go to BILL NEDDOW woodturner This man has forgot more about sanding then most of us well ever know.I've see him at the Cincinnati symposium Turning 2007/2009
he had people talking allot about sanding.He does a thing about high speed sanding which I've also been doing. Check him out.
Harry

[Reed Gray]

Power sand at slow lathe speeds, and slow drill speeds. Most efficient way I have found. I never considered inertial sanders as you can't work on problem spots. You do have to learn how to do it. Good light is as important as good eye sight (that means some of need to get good glasses).

robo hippy

[Ron Stadler]

Thanks for all the information guys, I think I'm gonna try the power sanding method. I have one just haven't been using it, the one thing I noticed when I did use it is that it loaded up so quickly about 1/4" in from the edge about a 1/4" wide band around the disk. It's usually dark and shiny and renders the pad almost useless so quickly, I just saw a sandpaper cleaning stick the other day that supposedly cleans paper and disks by rubbing it over it, anyone have any experience with one of these and do they work and how long do they last if they do?

Thanks guys and I'll take a look at Bill Neddow site, Harry, thanks.

[Jim Burr]

The cleaning stick works great and they lasy a very long time

[Prashun Patel]

I bought a cheap Neiko 3/8" right angle sander from AMZN for $35. Great buy.
I've gone thru a couple mandrels; so it's worth it to a) buy many, b) buy good ones, c) make yr own.

The paper does load up quickly. But if you sand completely dry, and pause often to blow/brush out the dust, and sand at a lower speed, and don't push hard (let the paper do the work) you can minimize the build up.

I tend to sand thru all my grits with the lathe on, then wipe with ms, note any problem areas, let it dry thoroughly, then focus on the missed spots.

I'm no expert, though, so take all this with a grain of aluminum oxide - er - salt.

[Scott Hackler]

I dont notice a build up on my sanding disks and I sand at Mach 5 lathe speed and full throttle on the drill/sander. I wonder.. were/are you power sanding wet wood? Heat build up will burnish your sand paper. I usually sand across the peice one direction, pause for a couple seconds and repeat... to minimize heat buildup. This works for me. Also Prashun makes some good points to not push hard and let the paper do its work. Blowing the paper out once in a while, with the air hose, is a must. As is blowing off the project before moving to the next grit.

[Reed Gray]

If your disc is loading up very quickly, it could be a couple of things.

One is some woods have a lot of oil and/or pitch in them. These will load up your disc instantly. No really good way to get around using a lot of discs on these woods.

Another is pushing too hard. This adds heat to the process, which can actually glaze the wood over, and cause burned in spots/rings on your discs. Since you say your mandrils are getting to be useless very quickly, this is the most likely culprit. You do not need pressure to sand, and light pressure, as in no more than the weight of your drill max, actually cuts better than high pressure.

The rubber eraser sticks do help a bit in that they will remove some surface dust. Remember that abrasives are cutting tools, and they can't be resharpened, so if it gets dull, toss it away. A good quote from Steve Antonucci over on Woodcentral is "Use sandpaper like my 4 year old uses toilet paper."

I would recommend getting a good mandril, and then getting interface pads. You can wear out and replace the cheap pads, and keep the mandril forever.

Do look up VincesWoodNWonders. If you talk to him directly, you will learn more about sanding and abrasives than you ever thought there was to know. I do prefer his blue discs to any I have tried.

robo hippy

[GLENN THOMAS]

Guess I'll jump in on this one too. Once I got a good handle on shear cuts with a bowl gouge I usually have a good surface right off the tool. When I sand I usually take the bowls off the lathe and sand by hand with the grain. I figure I dont sand against the grain on flat work then why do it with bowls. Scratches and tool marks are really quick and easy to remove this way. Don't ask me about the insides though because I still have trouble with a clean surface straight from the tool and for that I use a drill and a pad.

[Neil Strong]

I just saw a sandpaper cleaning stick the other day that supposedly cleans paper and disks by rubbing it over it, anyone have any experience with one of these and do they work and how long do they last if they do?



If you are talking about the raw rubber ones, yes they work well and will last for years if you don't let them dry out. To keep mine from drying out I put it in an air tight container when not in use. I don't bother cleaning my disks unless I'm working on resinous woods in which case the abrasive loads up constantly. When needed I clamp the rubber near the lathe and apply the spinning disk to it and return to sanding in a continuous motion.

[Ron Stadler]

Thanks again guys, I will try an let the sand paper do the work, and possibly Scott the wood may not be totally dry yet, it was elm that I was working on lately and it had been roughed out and sitting since July, so 5 months or so. I usually weigh my pieces and date them and it didn't seem to be changing weight much anymore, but maybe I jumped the gun:D. That's my problem with all my work, I get anxious and can't wait to get it done, I really have done this a lot with putting on finish and not waiting for it to dry before I put on the next coat, Ah another topic. Anyway thanks for all the tips guys, I'm taking notes.:)