For the new guys

[Rich Stewart]

For all you new guys out there i just conducted a little experiment. The more experienced turners will always tell you, "No kind or amount of finish will hide a bad tool job." It is true. I recently turned a little piece of a juniper cedar type wood from my backyard into round. It had some scratch marks from sandpaper in it. I put going on 12 coats of lacquer on it. It shines like a diamond in a goats butt now, but you can still see the scratch marks. Save yourselves some time and fix it up right before finishing.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yep Rich, them little buggers just shine like stars. I found out the hard way.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Glad you had a "SHORT" learning curve. Some never get the importance of preparation, prior to applying finish.

Each year, I attend, as a customer, a local Arts/Craft show. There is one turner there that hasn't a clue about finish. He does some neat things, but when you pick them, you are afraid of getting splinters. Needless to say, pieces he could get $75.00 to $100.00 go for $10 to $15. It is really a shame. Year before last, I gently, addressed the finish with him, but he wasn't interested.

Oh Well...................

That little lesson, well learned, is what makes customers oooooooooooh and aaaaaaaaah when they look at your work. (Well worth the extra work....in MHO)

Bruce

[John Hart]

Jim Ketron has a wonderful philosophy on sanding that he posted in another thread. I have decided to live by it and roll it around in my head each time I sand a piece:


Sanding is an art in itself! There are many methods of achieving the same result, some turnings take a long time some don't. Some woods sands easily and some take forever to get right. Also a lot depends on what type of finish you are wanting to achieve, and how much time you want to spend on a particular piece. Gallery type of finish or utility type finish? It took me a while to learn how to sand properly and to get a good finish on my work! I was not satisfied with my finishes for a while and got plenty of help from friends and forums but reading and doing are two different things, it takes time to develop your techniques just like turning does.

I'm a Sanding nut I have been known to spend hours sanding on one piece!
I try my best to have no sanding scratches in my work, The way I see it why spend time to cut the wood, cut it into turning blanks, seal it with Anchorseal, rough turn it, let it dry, finish turn it, and then not take the time to give it a proper finish to show off your hard work?

I use the Souix angle drill for power sanding, the 2" and 3" pro Velcro disk holders from Packard Woodworks. I use Rhynogrip hook and loop sandpaper I cut to size, I have these grits 80,120,240,320,400,600, I start on the highest grit that the finished turned piece will allow. I run my lathe around 300 rpm and the drill medium speed to fast and use light pressure with the sanding pad. Remember heat is your enemy while sanding light pressure is best and it will cut faster and wont burnish your tuning from the heat which is not good because it makes the wood hard and will take you longer on the next grit. Everyone has their own ideas about speed and technique but this is how I sand mine. when you pick the starting grit and if it's not cutting fast enough, drop down one grit and start over. I try my best to get all the tool marks and tearout with my first grit. IMO this is where a lot of people make mistakes buy moving up to the next grit before getting them all out this was my main problem while I was developing my sanding technique! If you have tool marks and tearout after the first grit you will either spend lots of time trying to fix them a few grits down, or when you get to your last grit and get it off the lathe and think you are finished and admiring your work and it sticks out like a sore thumb! but some times you will miss one and you can get it with the next grit, but its best to give it a good look over before switching to the next grit. Be sure to wipe the previous sanding dust and grit off good before going to the next grit it leaves the residue from the previous grit and if you don't get it out it will leave sanding scratches.
Have fun sanding
Jim

[Keith Burns]

Thanks for the reminder Rich. Beleive me whem I say "BEEN THERE DONE THAT". We all need to be reminded now and then.

[Rich Stewart]

I always remember Andy saying, "Use sandpaper like somebody else is buying it. And they're RICH!"
I now just tear off a piece just big enough for what I'm doing at the moment, use it once and throw it away. A while back I caught myself using half or quarter sheets and using them well past their useful life and having crappy finishes, wondering why.

[Andy Hoyt]

I dunno, Rich. That makes too much sense for something I'd say.

[Rich Stewart]

Uh......I thought you said it. You know what they say. The memory is the second thing to go.

[Jim Becker]

It shines like a diamond in a goats butt now...

Ykes...what a vision on a Monday morning! LOL!

(But you are correct...no amount of finish will completely cover up sanding "mistakes")

[Allan Johanson]

(But you are correct...no amount of finish will completely cover up sanding "mistakes")
How about 5 coats of paint? :D :D :D