best way to sand these small boxes?

[Steve knight]

well they are hollow squares 3"x4"x1.75" deep and no bottom. I sanded the first 10 with my pc speedbloc but they are so light that they numb my hands sanding the,. plus I think it is slower then usual sanding them too. I sand them to 320 and they have to be as perfect as possible. I could do them on my inflatable drum sander with tight drums. I can get any grit I want for it. but I don't know how good it will look for final finishing as I have never sanded past 120 on it. I could do the bulk of it on it then finish the last with the speedbloc.
but I have only used the speedbloc or big sanders for 8 years now.

so one fellow recommended a random orbit held upside down over my downdraft table. I would think a 6" would be better for this. any idea's on how to go about this and if this would be the way to go?

[Brian Kent]

Steve, I used a 6" x 48" belt sander for about a dozen small boxes last Christmas. I could use up to a 220 grit on the belt sander, then swith over to the Bealls buffing system. It gave a great surface and I could control the pressure and not hurt the boxes.

[Steve knight]

I am pretty good with a belt sander but I don't know if I would want to do these on mine. they have to be perfect and consistent. the sides are only 1/4" thick they have to be very square.
I could easily do them on the drum sander it gives lots of control and I can get any grit. but they would need more work afterwards.
I was just going to buff the wood but the gloss is not even between woods. some woods buff to a great gloss and some don't.
these are high end audio components and they have to be perfect.

[Phil Thien]

Delta or Porter Cable used to make a stationary ROS sander, where the sanding surface was upwards (like a record turntable). Something like that woulda probably worked great, as you could just hold the box against the surface with one hand. But I don't know if they make them any more.

[Doug Shepard]

I think I'd second the stationary belt sander with a 220g belt (or finer if you can find one). I've done some small boxes that way just a tiny bit bigger than your's and it worked well. I clamped a large block of wood to the small table and squared it to the belt platen. Then kept the box edges against that block and kept a light tough as I moved it into the belt. I think my boxes were around 5/16" thick and there wasn't any issue as far as taking off too much meat. I wouldn't dream of trying this with a hand-held belt sander though.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

dbbl sticky some paper to your table saw top and stroke the boxes across it.

That's how I used to get my guitar bodies dead flat before attaching the tops and backs.

[John D Watson]

I agree with Cliff. If you work thru the grits properly it will only take a few strokes on each with such small items. Alot less dust flying around too.

[Steven Wilson]

That small I would do it by hand. Mount the paper on something (table saw is a good idea) and have at it; better control and nearly as fast.

[David Tiell]

I gotta agree with Cliff and John. Mount some sandpaper on some glass or other flat surface and do it by hand. Small boxes like that with 1/4 thick walls should take no time at all.

[Steve knight]

never thought of lapping them. it is something I can try right away. I wonder if my 24x36 surface plate would work? (G) I have lapped enough things over the years I should be pretty expert.

[Perry Holbrook]

Steve, I make and ship several dozens of small boxes each month. I use an edge sander, a 1/2 sheet finish sander turned upside down on a down draft table and a flap wheel, flutter or mac mop mounted on a mandrel for all my sanding. The only hand sanding is a light rub between lacquer coats (which I'll be doing by machine as soon as I can design something).

I know you're not in high production, but thought I'd give you a few ideas.

Perry

[Josiah Bartlett]

That small I would do it by hand. Mount the paper on something (table saw is a good idea) and have at it; better control and nearly as fast.

Mount one of those dial-an-angle dado blades on your saw and turn it on, and it will vibrate so bad you will have yourself a giant random orbit sander.

[Steve knight]

Steve, I make and ship several dozens of small boxes each month. I use an edge sander, a 1/2 sheet finish sander turned upside down on a down draft table and a flap wheel, flutter or mac mop mounted on a mandrel for all my sanding. The only hand sanding is a light rub between lacquer coats (which I'll be doing by machine as soon as I can design something).

I know you're not in high production, but thought I'd give you a few ideas.

Perry
I was thinking my edge sander is pretty aggressive as it has a 2400 rpm motor and really rips stock. but if I was careful and made a jig that keeps everything square and only used 220 grit it may work pretty well.
I plan on doing 50 next week if I am lucky.