Sanding

Sanding · 09-14-2009, 07:56 AM

How do you folks sand your scroll saw pieces - from portrait style to baskets, intarsia..... What type of sanding products/tools/paper.... do you use? I linked to the thread about the abranet products and discovered that they make the sanding sticks in 6, 8 and 10" in addition to the 12 3/4" and 16 1/2" kind I have. Do you use the scroll sanders (fit kind of like a blade in your saw?) Flapwheels (or is that flywheels?) or sanding mops (never tried those)? Belt sanders (wide or not), ROS?

I guess I am mostly intersted in sanding detailed fretwork.

wdkits1 · 09-14-2009, 08:18 AM

Hi Cathy
Dremal has a 1 1/4 flapper wheel that works pretty good for sanding small intricate pieces. I also use the 1/4" and 1/2" sanding drums and a 3x18" belt sander. Plus an assortment of sanding sticks and good old hand sanding using various sheet sand papers.

PChristy · 09-14-2009, 08:57 AM

Cathy, for the most part when I do my fretwork I sand the piece up to 220 grit before I cut the piece - if the piece is 1/4 stock and it is usually is a portrait I do not worry to much about the inside sanding - I usually use spirals on them anyway - After I get the portrait done I will take a plumbers torch to the back of it and burn the fuzzy's off(do this before any type of cleaning with combustible liquids-ex.MS) then if I need to I will lightly hand sand spot where need with the 220 - If I do any fret that is thicker -1/2-3/4 - then if they do need sanding I will use the blade sandpaper that hooks up to the scroll saw. With the bowls that I have made I will use a drum sander that goes into my drillpress after I have glued the pieces together to make the bowl

Sealeveler · 09-14-2009, 09:01 AM

I use icecream sticks and tongue depressor sticks with psa paper on them.Dremel with various bits but for names I use a Dremel in the drillpress with a cotterpin chucked in it with psa paper placed between the pins.Tony

cskipper · 09-14-2009, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by Sealeveler

I use icecream sticks and tongue depressor sticks with psa paper on them.Dremel with various bits but for names I use a Dremel in the drillpress with a cotterpin chucked in it with psa paper placed between the pins.Tony

You lost me there - what's a cotterpin?

Sealeveler · 09-14-2009, 11:00 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotter_pin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_pin

Sealeveler · 09-14-2009, 11:09 PM

I lower the Dremel far enough that the eye of the cotter pin is below the surface of the Dremel Drillpress table.Tony

cskipper · 09-14-2009, 11:16 PM

So I am waaaay over doing my sanding? When I do a piece of fretwork (that won't be framed), or ornaments, I sand all the cut edges so there are no "sharp" edges or rough spots that could catch a cloth if dusted. I know that when I sold the pieces to the gallery a couple of years ago that that was important. I know that I'll never get paid enough for a piece for that kind of time, but I'd rather have a room full of pieces I'm proud of than ones I've worked on and are okay. Is there an to sand the inside edges, especially with ornaments? I mean that I was tickled this a.m. to discover that they make smaller sanding sticks than the ones I use that take a 12 3/4" bands. In case you can't tell, I'm a little obsessive compulsive about this - help (please!)

PChristy · 09-14-2009, 11:25 PM

Cathy - with most of my ornaments I do not sand the inside cuts because the blades that I use usually does not leave a bad cut that needs to be sanded - I do sand and clean up both sides to make sure any fuzzy's are gone = With the things I do not frame I do make sure it does have a good smooth service = hand sand-the sanding belts that fit on the scroll saw etc. Most of the things that I do - I do frame behind glass with a black back ground = with the black back ground you have to make sure all the fuzzy's are gone or they will show up - don't feel bad that you want to sand it all - you do great work and I know that you want it to look its best - hang in there

ScottM · 09-15-2009, 07:14 AM

For 90% of my cutting I use a reverse tooth blade whic greatly reduces sanding. I now own a sand flee (bought used) that does great job on bigger stuff. For smaller pieces I use full sheets of sand paper that I clamp to a board and then "move the pieces over the sand paper.

I do not sand the inside cuts of fret work

Charles Lent · 09-15-2009, 11:38 AM

I use fine tooth blades to minimize the need to sand the scrolls as much as possible. If there are fuzzies on the cut edges I have a ROS with a soft pad on it and 220 sand paper that I use and I go over both sides of the piece while it is being held in place with a router mat. This removes the fuzzies very quickly and still leaves crisp edges (if you don't over sand). Irregularities in the scroll cuts are tough to fix. For these I have several sets of jeweler type files and popsicle sticks with sandpaper on them. The real trick with these is to learn not to make them when you are doing the cutting, so that this type of touchup isn't needed.

Charley

CarvedTones · 09-15-2009, 12:15 PM

Kind of a "me too" - I use reverse tooth blades because I like that rattling sound it makes when you don't hold your work down; really calms my nerves.

I sometimes go over the whole thing lightly with fine paper on a sanding block, but I don't even always do that. good blades leave pretty polished surfaces and rarely fuzz up much if any.

CaptnA · 09-16-2009, 09:11 AM

you sand your pieces???
I thought splinters added to the authentic hand made penache!

This is one reason I don't do a lot of intricate fretwork. Its frustrating and time intensive for me to get a piece where I think it ought to be.
One thing I've found that works pretty well for me - look for places that give away promotional fingernail files. Not the metal ones but the cardboard ones, usually with a logo on them. A fire department I know had hundreds of them left over after their open house/fire prevention week a year or two ago. I tried to make sure some of the left overs didn't go to waste. They are probably close to 120 grit on on side and 220 on the other and work well and last a long time. And I can wrap a finer grit paper around the file if I need.

cskipper · 09-17-2009, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by wdkits1

Hi Cathy
Dremal has a 1 1/4 flapper wheel that works pretty good for sanding small intricate pieces. I also use the 1/4" and 1/2" sanding drums and a 3x18" belt sander. Plus an assortment of sanding sticks and good old hand sanding using various sheet sand papers.

Can you adust the speed of your belt sander? One of the reasons I have avoided intarsia is that I can't figure out how to securely hold one of the many small pieces against a belt sander and not hurt myself. (yes, I am a clutz).

I am in a hurry this a.m., but remember that someone mentioned crisp edges for their ornaments. I use blades which leave a pretty smooth finish, and know that redesigning around oop's is a different issue. I really don't want crisp edges, I want soft edges, inside and outside cuts if it is a piece that someone will handle.

you sand your pieces???

CarvedTones · 09-17-2009, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by cskipper

Can you adust the speed of your belt sander? One of the reasons I have avoided intarsia is that I can't figure out how to securely hold one of the many small pieces against a belt sander and not hurt myself. (yes, I am a clutz).

I am in a hurry this a.m., but remember that someone mentioned crisp edges for their ornaments. I use blades which leave a pretty smooth finish, and know that redesigning around oop's is a different issue. I really don't want crisp edges, I want soft edges, inside and outside cuts if it is a piece that someone will handle.

you sand your pieces???

Cathy,

I have one of the flex drum sanders shown at the top of this page:
http://www.intarsia.com/Hardware.html
You can make your own using pipe insulation and sleeves for the hard drum sanders for drills, but I went ahead and spent the $35 plus $2 more for the 1/2" adapter so I could put it in my drill press, though right now it is on a washer motor.

Anyway, this smooths corners much better than a flat sanding belt and it sands contours. It's not very grabby as it is only touching a small area of your piece at any given time, but techniques is important - you must keep it moving and inspect often to make sure you are sanding evenly.

For rotary sanding detail, I really like bristle discs:
http://www.woodworkingshop.com/cgi-b...mSt=FO-BRISTLE
The instructions tell you to put 3 discs on the mandrel, but you can use only 1 or 2 to go more slowly in tight areas. Keep in mind that the 1" ones have an "impact speed" much higher than the 3/4" and the 3/4" has 400 grit available (it is pretty much polishing on hardwood). The 1" 80 grit is a carving tool disguised as a sander (DAMHIKT).