Wet sanding

[Steve Walkom]

Can anyone point me in the right direction to get some info on wet sanding? I have seen it mentioned many times but never really explained. Do you use water, oil, or what? Any advice or personal experience greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[ubeaut]

G'day Steve - Wet sanding is a fun thing to do, especially on a hot day. It is mainly used on bowls made from green timber. It works really well on some timbers, brilliantly on other timbers, and not at all on a few.

You will need an ice-cream container about half full of water, wet & dry abrasive paper (good stuff not cheap junk) in grits from 180 (courser if your turning isn't so great) up to 1200, and a piece of rag (not synthetic).

The way I go about it is to place the ice-cream container with the water on the bed of the lathe directly under the bowl to be sanded. Tear your abrasive into strips about 60mm wide and fold each strip 4 times until you have a square of about 60mm and 4 layers thick. Put a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid into the water to act as a wetting agent then soak the rag and the abrasive in the water.

Turn the lathe on and bring the abrasive into contact with the bowl around half way between the top and the bottom (or about tool rest height). At the same time place the wet rag at the top of the bowl and allow it to dribble water onto the work so as to always keep the surface wet before it gets to the abrasive. Placing the rag on the surface also helps to pick up some of the sanding slurry and stop it from clogging the abrasive.

Sand through all the grits in this way right up to 800. You should be using at least... 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800.

If the paper bluntens turn it or open it out and present a new surface to the work. Don't keep working with blunt abrasive. From time to time clean off the rag and the abrasive in the water.

After you have finished with the 800 grit, get a clean dry piece of rag, roll it into a tight ball and apply pressure to the work with the lathe running. This will bring the moisture to the surface and eventually dry the surface through heat created by friction. Once the surface is dry you can sand with the 1200 grit but this time don't use water and turn the paper frequently.

If you have the right sort of timber and have done a good job with the sanding the piece should shine and show no visible sanding marks.

About now you can apply a coat of shellawax Cream to finish the whole thing off. If the timber is still green than a coat of Traditional wax will be needed a couple of monthe down the track to bring back the shine unless you want a satin finish, then you can just leave it with the Shellawax Cream and not worry about the wax.

Hope this helps.

This is explained more fully in the new version of my book 'A Polishers Handbook' which should be out sometime in the next month.

Cheers - Neil

SPECIAL NOTE Before you start the sanding it is a good idea to make sure that there is nothing that can be damaged by water spray near your lathe. Oh and don't stand in the line of fire or you will be drowned.

Have fun. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/biggrin.gif