Sanding Options For Lasered 3" Designs 1/8 Wood ??

[Robert Bonenfant]

Edit: How to remove Laser Burn from the backside of the cutout

What is the best possible way to sand 1/8 wood cutouts. We have received several orders for custom designs made by a design company. Each order has been increase and now they placed an order for 5000 x 3" Cutouts (Simple Design, Cant post pictures because its their art work). We have been using basic palm sanders with 100 grit sand paper. As you can imagine it takes forever. I was thinking maybe a drum sander would be able to do the job correctly ?? Any ideals ??
My only thought is that a drum sander will remove the veneer. We tried our planer with no luck (Didn't think it would work).
Looking for Something that is more effective.

Wood Type : 1/8 Birch Plywood

[Mark Taylor2]

This is from the backside of the cutout? I'd try a drum sander with some very fine grit drums. You say the dimension are "5000 X 3"". Is that 5000 a dimension or the quantity. Many of the smaller drum sanders can handle a maximum of 5-6" wide. Some smaller. One of the best for those sizes is made by Jim Byrnes Machines in Florida.

Try for around 200-400 grit with a light touch on the drum to wood.

[Mark Sipes]

Are you sanding the sheets first prior to cutting or after? 100 grit sounds course. Surface or edges??

.

[Robert Bonenfant]

Yes the backside of the cutout has small amounts of smoke residue and laser burn (Its not Bad but has to be removed). We normally hit it with a palm sander really quick and they look fine. Our Current order is for 3"x3" Cutouts - The total order is for 5000 cutouts - I think I'm gonna give the drum sander a try and see if it will work. Im trying to cutout down on time spent on sanding the finished product.

The plywood we use is pre sanded and just the back surface gets sanded at the end.

[Ross Moshinsky]

This type of subject has been discussed. These are the various solutions.

1. Clearcoat/seal the wood first. This allows you to clean it up after with a rag and your choice of cleaning solution.
2. Transfer paper. This will protect the wood. Peal off the paper and you're good to go.
3. Sand it down after you're done. In your particular scenario, I'd look into making little tabs and then sand the whole sheet at once. After sanding you just take a little hobby knife cut the little tabs.

I may be forgetting 1-2 different solutions. Someone else will probably chime in with other options.

Personally, I'd probably clear the sheet. It will be the cheapest and lowest cost option while giving your customer a superior product. The only thing you have to watch with clear is sometimes it raises the grain. If that happens then I'd go with tabs and sanding with 220-320 grit paper.

[Mark Taylor2]

Ross probably has the best options then. Drum sanders usually need about 6-8 inches of length. Putting them on a sheet with tabs would work but... there's time involved for sanding.

[Mike Troncalli]

I would recommend against the drum sander. 1/8" is pretty thin and as Mark Taylor2 said, you really need about 6-8 inches in length for them to go through properly.. Also since the heat could produce a small amount of warping you would be taking more off than you want. I am in favor of Ross's suggestion of either the clear coat or transfer paper. I have used regular blue painters tape in the past and it has worked out quite well.

[Rich Harman]

You could also use a pin table or bed of nails to give some space under the wood - should eliminate the burns on the back.

[Glen Monaghan]

Yep, I'd be looking at raising the blank and ensuring there is air flow underneath so the smoke/resins that emerge on the underside get sucked away before sticking to the back of the pieces.

[Robert Bonenfant]

Thanks for all the help !!! Im gonna give the raising the wood a quick try today and see what happens. Also what type of transfer paper are you using ??? I bought three types from amazon and two wouldn't stick to the wood and the one that did stick was a thin plastic paper.

[Craig Matheny]

First make sure you have very strong suction I cut birch all day long for 4 years now and I never get smoke issues, regarding the burn makes on the back first clean your honey comb that is important but if you can raise the art off the table make a small under piece... for example if you are cutting 3" squares make a layout using 3 1/2" squares on one sheet and make the 3" squares exactly in the center of the other squares now set the sheet with the 3 1/2" squares down on the laser and put the sheet your going to cut on top of that sheet, this will keep your pattern off the grid but yet keep your full suction. If this is not clear let me know and I will make the two sheets in coral so you can get the idea.
Good luck

[Dan Hintz]

If you decide to stick with the palm sander, put the designs back into the sheets they wee cut from... use the sheet as a fixture. You know the holes are cut to the appropriate size, and you can run your sander across the entire sheets without trying to hold each one individually.

[Bert Kemp]

This is a great idea I'm going to try this on stuff I do thanks Craig.


First make sure you have very strong suction I cut birch all day long for 4 years now and I never get smoke issues, regarding the burn makes on the back first clean your honey comb that is important but if you can raise the art off the table make a small under piece... for example if you are cutting 3" squares make a layout using 3 1/2" squares on one sheet and make the 3" squares exactly in the center of the other squares now set the sheet with the 3 1/2" squares down on the laser and put the sheet your going to cut on top of that sheet, this will keep your pattern off the grid but yet keep your full suction. If this is not clear let me know and I will make the two sheets in coral so you can get the idea.
Good luck

[hugh bunker]

I use a Jet 10-20 drum sander wit 220 grit, it only requires 2.5 inch in length and has very fine adjustment. I build 100's of 1/8 BB boxes with engravings and it cleans up both sides very well.

[Bert Kemp]

Yea but running 5000 pieces thru a drum sander is a lot of work. Got to be an easier way. I was thinking some kind of vibrating tank or box with a media in it , you just throw the whole load or as many will fit vibrate a few mins and dump into a screen to sift out the media and your done.
I don't know of any such device but it couldn't be to hard to design and make one. Just an Idea.


I use a Jet 10-20 drum sander wit 220 grit, it only requires 2.5 inch in length and has very fine adjustment. I build 100's of 1/8 BB boxes with engravings and it cleans up both sides very well.