Deep Sanding Question

[George Conklin]

What do you use for sanding deep into a vessel (and the sides) that is to far too reach the bottom and too narrow to get your safely get your fingers into?

Pictures or links would be helpful :).

[joe marra]

Photo would help.

[John K Jordan]

...too narrow to get your safely get your fingers into?

Many people don't sand what can't be reached and felt.

JKJ

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Many people don't sand what can't be reached and felt.


+1. I don't usually sand what I cannot reach.

BUT if you can see inside your vessel, and you really want to sand, you can sand the inside with a dowel, glue/duct tape on a rubber insulation sheet (mousepad) around the dowel, trim so you have a cylinder. I put 2 different "tops", a flat top and a domed top. Self stick sandpaper and you have a deep sanding tool. You could also use velcro and the velcro discs. No pics, sorry, I gave up sanding deep things. I really see no point. Just my $0.02. Easy to make and they are throw away items. It does make a difference in your vase or hollow form though, if you do care what the inside looks like. The flat top sander is the only way I have found to sand a corner at the bottom of a vessel. Put a sandpaper on the top and trim it flush. Then put the paper around the cylinder part.

[Roger Chandler]

I use curved hemostats with the sandpaper folded and clasped in them, also a 3/4" dowel with a slot cut in the end and slip a piece of sandpaper in it and tape it down so that most of the grit is exposed, those are for hollowforms, also I have some sanding balls of assorted grits I got from Peachtree woodworking. They mount in drill.

[Brian Kent]

I take one of those abrasive cleaning stick - 1.5 x 1.5 x 8" and wrap sandpaper around it.That's for a hole over 2". It gives enough pressure and enough shape conformity to be useful.

[Thomas Canfield]

I have also used some sandpaper flap wheels on an extension with a piece of 1/2" PVC over the extension to prevent damaging the entry hole. You can get the flap wheels in different diameters and grits. A small sanding pad holder and soft pad helps to do the bottom.

[robert baccus]

In a deep vase ect. sand what you can by the above methods and shoot a small bit of rattlecan black spray down the hole. Discourages those nosy critical types.

[Brice Rogers]

I like the several suggestions on the above posts. All are good suggestions.

On some hollowforms, I've taken some white PVC and cut it to a strip between 1/2" to perhaps 1.5" (depends on what I'm sanding) from a 5 gallon bucket. Then I double-back tape some sandpaper to it. That helps me reach further than I want or am able to stick my fingers. The pvc wants to stay straight, but it can be bent and it'll hold that shape for a while.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I use 1" and 2" sanding disc with a foam base mounted on the end of a 1/2" steel rod with hook and loop for inside the bottoms.

For the walls I use a 1/2" steel rods with Dremel flap sanders mounted in the end in that have been drilled. It is held in place with CA glue, when it is ready to change out I hit with the torch and pull it out.

[john taliaferro]

I tape the trigger on my belt sander and with the lathe turning 2 rpm's run the sander in and out with the cord .

[David Delo]

Here's a couple items I use to get deeper into the vases I've been doing. Spindle sander sleeve on a dowel rod, velcro ball and drill extension with either one of Vinces's 1" or 2" pads. Sorry the vase pic is out of focus but baby smooth all the way and including the bottom. Most of my stuff for this style is 10" to 13" deep and the drill extension seems to give the best results for this application.
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[George Conklin]

David,
That spindle sander and ball sander look like just what I need.

Is the ball sander home made or purchased?

How are you able to wrap the sand paper around the ball?

Thanks

[David Delo]

David,That spindle sander and ball sander look like just what I need. Is the ball sander home made or purchased? How are you able to wrap the sand paper around the ball?ThanksBought it from Craft Supplies. Just stick a disk on top of the ball and cut some slits with scissors and fold down on the velcro. The ball is 2" so you need that big of an opening. Works pretty well. You can make these sort of easily because this one is a little pricey at 50 bucks but I had a couple coupons I won at our chapter meeting so it was pretty cheap.

[Marvin Hasenak]

David,
That spindle sander and ball sander look like just what I need.

Is the ball sander home made or purchased?

How are you able to wrap the sand paper around the ball?

Thanks
Google David Reed Smith, he has a tutorial for a foam ball sander.

[Bill Jobe]

I may have overlooked someone else posting these, but here they are again.

https://goo.gl/images/KjYJOj

[robert baccus]

My favorite deep sanders consist of a 3/4" to 1" dowel at least 18" long. Use some old or cheap duct tape and make a suitable sized ball on the end. Take a 4-6" stickback round sandpaper and just center it on the end and turn all the flaps to your direction of turn. Cheap--make several as needed. These can be used a fairly high speed--BTW be sure to hold on with both hands. This is the only rule. Also I use a 12" long drill extension with a 2-3" factory pad and sandpaper disc. Simply hold the shaft closest to the vase in a paper towel(no rags here) to guide the sanding pad. Of course the other hand holds a corded drill or whatever.