Sanding Timsavers

[fookgub]

I'm sanding a pair of bodies right now in preparation for finishing. I usually use an orbital on the top and mostly hand sanding on the sides. Sometimes I'll use a detail sander on the sides, too. It's pretty slow and boring work, though, and I'm worndering if they are any ways to speed it up. I was thinking a 1" belt sander could help on the sides, especially around the horns, but it might just make things worse by leaving little ridges and things. Any ideas?

[VanKirk]

An oscillating spindle sander has taken the place of my adhesive-backed sandpaper stuck to a coffee cup.

[Racer X]

I sometimes use sanding sponges around the edges and contours. Helps me get into the nooks and whatnot. On my first refin, the body I had bought, online, the edges were all out of whack from the previous owner. I ended up building them back up, with a good poly filler, and taking my time, ever so gently with sanding sponges, mostly, I got them re-contoured, properly. Looking at it, now, you'd never know.

For the front and rear faces, I usually adhere sandpaper with double-back tape, to a sheet of plate glass that I have (used to be a glass chess board), and, instead fo drawing the sandpaper across the body, using a handle mounted in the neck pocket, I draw the body across the sandpaper. Worked like a charm.

I use sandpaper and dowels for the flat faces inside the horn areas. Time consuming, but effective.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Racer X

[Rick500]

This last time around, I used a strip of sandpaper double-sided taped to a roll of blue masking tape. Perfect amount of give from the roll of tape, but I wish I had an oscillating sander.

[ryanb]

Sanding timesavers ... (couldn't resist)

http://www.timesaversinc.com/wseries.php?series=1

[Acousticraft]

I made up steel sanding bobbins to go in the drill press. I have two 2" with different grits and a 1" to get into tight curves. I glue on the paper with contact adhesive and when it needs replacing I soak it for a while in mineral turpintine and it comes right off easily and cleanly.

They work great for edge sanding around the horn areas. For the open edges I have my belt sander mounted on its side to sand those areas. For the faces this time, I took my bodies to a cabinet maker and he put them thru his thickness sanders and for $5-00 each it saved a lot of work and made a perfect job.

[prs man]

therer is a lot of different ways of sanding.

I use a oscillating spindle sander and a lot of hand sanding.

I spend a amount of time sanding before any finish is sprayed.

[mdw3332]

I have a 16/32 thickness sander which is wonderful for getting bodies flat. I just bought the $109 Harbor Freight oscillating sander and, so far, I've been very happy with it. I just didn't like the idea of using sanding drums with my drill press. But in the end, I still end up doing a fair amount by hand - especially around the horns and edges.

[fookgub]

So you guys with OSS's use them for prep-sanding, too? I have a drum sander that I use in my drill press, but it's only for rough work. Besides that I use sandpaper stuck to round things, sanding sponges, and sometimes just the bare paper. It's a slow way to work, though, and it gives me lots of time to wish I had a faster way to do it.

No one has tried using a 1" belt sander on the sides? I was checking one out at Harbor Freight today, but it didn't look very promising.

[Racer X]

I made up steel sanding bobbins to go in the drill press. I have two 2" with different grits and a 1" to get into tight curves. I glue on the paper with contact adhesive and when it needs replacing I soak it for a while in mineral turpintine and it comes right off easily and cleanly.

They work great for edge sanding around the horn areas. For the open edges I have my belt sander mounted on its side to sand those areas. For the faces this time, I took my bodies to a cabinet maker and he put them thru his thickness sanders and for $5-00 each it saved a lot of work and made a perfect job.

Man, for $5 each, that's a really good idea. I'll have to locate a local cab maker, and remember that, for next time. Thanks.

[Woodenspoke]

So you guys with OSS's use them for prep-sanding, too? I have a drum sander that I use in my drill press, but it's only for rough work. Besides that I use sandpaper stuck to round things, sanding sponges, and sometimes just the bare paper. It's a slow way to work, though, and it gives me lots of time to wish I had a faster way to do it.

No one has tried using a 1" belt sander on the sides? I was checking one out at Harbor Freight today, but it didn't look very promising.

With a 1" belt sander you are sanding in only one direction and will leave marks which will also have to be sanded out. The table is small and may not give you enough support for the body The OSS is the way to go. Its not final sanding but it can be close. If you are not using a binding they you generally have to use hand sanding to do your radius edge work which is hard to do with any machine out there. I had a PC profile sander and finally sold it because it didn't help speed up the process.

I hate sanding and rely on a Delta thickness drum sander for the initial body sanding, an OSS for the sides, then with a good RO hand sander I do as much as possible without using my hands. There is no way really to get the perfect sanding system. You could also look at sanding MOPs for the drill press but they are expensive and hard to control in some situations.

[Mattia]

The oscillation of the oscillating sander is what makes them reasonably good for finish-esque sanding; none of the deep, parallel grooves you get with regular sanding drums.

I personally like my orbital. Wish it was a better one, though. And wish I could find the time to build my thickness sander (or that thickness sanders didn't cost 1.5 x what they do in the US....)

[Guest RavenT]

Best tool for the job always keeping a 90° edge follow the link to see it http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_...408474396672970

[Ben]

Stone-effect paint

[Prostheta]

Buying a cleaning stick for your abrasives....clogging up the sleeve on my bobbin sander slows my work down hugely plus cross contamination is a pain if you don't clean it :-D

[ToddW]

Learn to use a cabinet scaper. (Hopefully better than me )

[dugg]

Double up on that cabinet scraper! One of my favorite tools. Trouble is, learning how to sharpen one from a written tutorial is just about impossible. A faster better way to sand? Sure. Drawknife and spokeshave.

[Guest RavenT]

You can say that you’re going back to the old days before sand paper. They actually work fine. But is you are going to double up them get them here. A 6 Pc Scraper Set for $6.99 http://www.allinonewood.com/?page=shop/fly...f73e458bd347fd3. They are fast on delivery.

[fookgub]

Wow, revived almost exactly a year later. Since I started this thread, I bought a better random orbit sander and an OSS. The OSS has become one of my favorite tools, and is absolutely indispensable to me now. I've also gotten a little bit wiser about sanding techniques in general, so I'm spending a little less time sanding than before. One of my friends just got a Performax 22/44, and that thing is just awesome. I ran a body though it a couple weeks ago after I accidentally sanded a 1/16" low spot into it, and the drum sander flattened it right out.

I also have a set of cabinet scrapers now, but, as Dugg mentions, I have not been able to sharpen them properly. I think part of the problem is that I haven't invested in a decent burnisher yet, but I'm going to try to get that figured out before I shape my next neck.

[John Abbett]

Wow, revived almost exactly a year later. Since I started this thread, I bought a better random orbit sander and an OSS. The OSS has become one of my favorite tools, and is absolutely indispensable to me now. I've also gotten a little bit wiser about sanding techniques in general, so I'm spending a little less time sanding than before. One of my friends just got a Performax 22/44, and that thing is just awesome. I ran a body though it a couple weeks ago after I accidentally sanded a 1/16" low spot into it, and the drum sander flattened it right out.

I also have a set of cabinet scrapers now, but, as Dugg mentions, I have not been able to sharpen them properly. I think part of the problem is that I haven't invested in a decent burnisher yet, but I'm going to try to get that figured out before I shape my next neck.

A burnisher is nice, but not critical. I used an old router bit shank 1/2" that I chipped the bit on. The shank it hardened steel, and every bit as strong as the burnisher you buy. The trick I've found it to get the edge of your scraper perfectly square before you try to put the edge on. If you have an edge that is not 90 degree's, or worse is not the same angle, you are going to get bad results. You want an edge that is very clean, before you put the burr on it. If you have a rough edge then put a burr on it, you will end up with a rough burr. I use a sharpening stone to polish the face, back and end of the blade. Once it's polished and square I put a burr on it. It doesn't take a large burr if it's done right.

It takes a little longer the first time, but they last a long time as long as you don't set them on anything metal. Lay them on your table saw and the edge is probably shot. It's delicate.

-J