One recipe for bowl sanding ... beware, opinions follow!

[rsser]

Some comments on sanding ... opinions only, which may be of use to newbies. There's always more than one way of skinning a cat and the following is not offered as anything like the ONE WAY.

Reason for the post is that I hate sanding and this might be of use to others.

I have heard speak of guys who could hollow bowls without needing sanding, or needing to start at 80 grit, and I'll offer some views at the end about what I've learned about reducing the need for sanding.

Parameters:

1. Internal/external bowl sanding
2. Using a powered 2" velcro topped disc with foam backing.
3. Using a hand-held electric drill.

General:

1. I've used the Vicmarc version of the self-powered rotary sander and found it was too slow for me but did a nice job and is prob. a good place for beginners to start learning about sanding.

2. Use quality 'velcro' paper like SIA or Hermes.

3. You can make your own discs from such sheets by hotfooting it to your local muffler place and asking for a length (maybe 200mm) of 2" muffler pipe.

4. Sharpen the inside of one end with something like a cheap hand-held-drill grinding cone at an included angle of around 30 degrees.

5. This is your punch. The paper goes between the sharp end and a bit of MDF. A solid hammer and a series of blows around the perimeter of the other end completes the assault.

6. I rarely get a clean punch so finish off with scissors.

7. Starting off with coarse grits like 80 and 120 with this rig requires a deal of skill to avoid screwing up that flowing curve you spent hours achieving. So think about point 8 or do as I usually do and use a narrow strip of those grits (c. 25mm) on quality fabric paper on top of a matching piece of Scotchbrite and work up by hand. This let's your fingers do the talking and you feel the ridges that need extra effort.

Bear in mind that grits from 60 to 120 or 180 are actually shaping your bowl so remember to check for wall width, cracks opening up etc.

8. Power sanding esp at lower grits takes a good deal of timber off quickly. The idea is to orient the drill so its shaft is on the same plane as the equator of the bowl .. if nec. pushing in and compressing that foam backing so the pad conforms to the shape of the bowl (this is more an int. than an ext. thing). Resist the temptation just to use the edge of the pad.

You can experiment with the disc running with or against the bowl spin direction. I like against, but it takes more care.

9. Don't run your drill too fast. The abrasive then just skips over the wood.

10. Beware of heat build up, cos of 9 or because its a dense timber. That craps out your paper pronto. If there's surface resin it also puts plaque onto the wood surface at the higher grits which will last til the end and show up whatever you do. And in some timbers like Gidgee it will create cracks or checks.

11. Stop after each grit and brush out the dust from the bowl and from the paper disc you just used. Inspect the bowl. Mild scratches will go out at the next grit. Anything that shows really clearly means you need to back up at least one grit and possibly two and start again. (Brushing out gets rid of any loose grit that will cause trouble next step up, and will also reveal tear-out that your last grit or two missed. ... then usually start all over again).

12. If the tear-out is minor ... like a several thumb nail widths, you can try this: back up a grit or two, and with the bowl stopped gently stroke the affected area, ditto with the next grit, then inspect. If it's a small piece, do this with a 1" pad if you have it, or do it by hand with the grain. If you have an index lock, use it to hold the bowl while you stroke. Gently. Blend it above and below. You won't notice it once it's all done.

So up you go through the grits to whatever level you can stand. 1200 suits me. After 320/400 usually the paper starts to polish the timber and any indiscretions will show up like dog's b*lls. You can get to 1200 or 2500 or whatever your obsession is and get the same result, and have to ask yourself do I want to look at this in 12 months time and see the scratches or tear-out again? Cos sure as h*ll you'll remember it's there.

* This work is punishing on the abrasive and it doesn't last long, and when it stops cutting it causes you problems. Easily checked: stroke your finger tip over the centre of the disc, then the side. Clear difference? .. time to ditch it. (Or if you do a deal of work with the 1" pad, cut the centre out for it).

* Our hosts retail a range of quality discs that are much more convenient and long lasting than my sourcing and they go up to 1200 grit whereas the velcro sheets only go up to 400 and it's W&D by hand after then.

I've used a bunch of the Ubeaut discs. They're 75mm std but also available in 2" size if you ask.

* The pad will wear at the perimeter and that can be used to your advantage. The std 2" disc will overhang it by a smidgen and the unsupported ege can be used to lightly push into an angle, eg. the foot of a bowl, or round-over the rim of a bowl.

So after all that, how to reduce the need for sanding?

Ah, b*gger it. Time for a beer. Someone else can weigh in.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

11. Stop after each grit and brush out the dust from the bowl and from the paper disc you just used. Inspect the bowl. Mild scratches will go out at the next grit. Anything that shows really clearly means you need to back up at least one grit and possibly two and start again. (Brushing out gets rid of any loose grit that will cause trouble next step up, and will also reveal tear-out that your last grit or two missed. ... then usually start all over again).

I just thought the above bore repeating. It's IMPORTANT, people!


I've used a bunch of the Ubeaut discs. They're 75mm std but also available in 2" size if you ask.

Are they? Now that's good to know... :D


So after all that, how to reduce the need for sanding?

Sand until the majority of the surface is good. Then look at where it still needs work. Can it be covered up by judicious use of a texturing tool? If so, is it an appropriate spot for a bit of texturing? :innocent: No? Well, how about a little bit of fretwork? Just cut the @$%#! section out! Don't laugh! Some of my most Oohed and Aahed over pieces have had just such detail put in precisely because I grew frustrated trying to sand away tear-out. :-

I also hear that rough and "natural" finishes are coming into vogue. Woohoo! Something I can be an instant expert in... :thyel:

[DavidG]

I agree but I reverse the lathe between grits. (one fwd, next reverse)
Usually finish at 600 then use EEE.


Edit - I use compressed air to blow out the dust regularly and between grits.

[ticklingmedusa]

Great stuff from the three of you above me...
I keep a soft long handled paintbrush with my gouges and scrapers for brushouts between the grits. I agree that it makes a difference.
Skews comment about texture on a rough section is a great example of turning a flaw into a design opportunity:cool:
Great post Ern. I think I'll print this one and put it up near my sandpaper
box.
tm

[TTIT]

You pretty much covered it all Ern - very well too!
.........So up you go through the grits to whatever level you can stand. 1200 suits me. After 320/400 usually the paper starts to polish the timber and any indiscretions will show up like dog's b*lls. You can get to 1200 or 2500 or whatever your obsession is and get the same result, and have to ask yourself do I want to look at this in 12 months time and see the scratches or tear-out again? Cos sure as h*ll you'll remember it's there.
I find there are some woods that just don't improve past 600 or 800 like Camphor, Prickly acacia, Jacaranda etc so just I don't bother :shrug:. Having said that, my lovely desert acacias hardly need a finish if you go to a fine enough grit!:2tsup:



* Our hosts retail a range of quality discs that are much more convenient and long lasting than my sourcing and they go up to 1200 grit whereas the velcro sheets only go up to 400 and it's W&D by hand after then.

I've used a bunch of the Ubeaut discs. They're 75mm std but also available in 2" size if you ask.
Thanks for the heads up Ern - wasn't aware they even made it finer than 400!:U

[cedar n silky]

Thanks Ern, for starting that thread:2tsup: Sanding is a nessesary evil, I know, although I love using the skew, and that sanding free finish, when I'm corageous enough- (those "dig inns" scare the living cr_p out of me!):D
Oh and that sandpaper tree that is on TTIT's website is my next project (after the Longworth chuck, any how:B ) It's brilliant:2tsup: Thanks Vern- No more guesing "what gritt is that??":B
By the way Ern, I made some punches for my 25, 50, and 75mm sanding discs using various bits of gal pipe I had lying around, and welded heavy steel discs on top. I belt the cr_p out of them with a "lump hammer" and they cut very clean. I use an old hardwood round about 400 in diameter (on end grain), as a base.

[TTIT]

........ I made some punches for my 25, 50, and 75mm sanding discs using various bits of gal pipe I had lying around, and welded heavy steel discs on top. I belt the cr_p out of them with a "lump hammer" and they cut very clean. I use an old hardwood round about 400 in diameter (on end grain), as a base.That sounds like the ticket! I've been trying to work out a better way of cutting them out - scissors suck! Thanks Cedar:2tsup:

[Caveman]

:2tsup: Good one Ern - nice post and good comments from the others.

Not just useful advice for newbies, but good basic practise for all.

Being impatient is the worst culprit for me. I too hate sanding with a vengeance, so when the thought starts creeping in that I just want to get this @&%?$* sanding out the way - I'll pop out and make a cuppa.

One has to be real careful while power sanding to avoid excess heat build up and consequent fine checking that some wood is very susceptible to.
I make sure drill speed is on the lowest setting and also set my lathe speed to it's lowest (around 300rpm).

[Richard Findley]

Hi Guys,

Just a thought, any one tried wet sanding? This can reduce the amount of dust, helps reduce heat problems and helps to fill any small (I may mean tiny:q ) faults/cracks/rough patches!!:2tsup:

Use a finishing oil liberally around the bowl and sand. Check your disc regularly as they get clogged but use a small brass (NOT WIRE!!) brush to clean the disc and continue. The dust/oil forms a sort of slurry which helps to fill tiny faults. If you start getting dust simply apply more oil.

Hope this is of some help. Thought it might make sanding a little more bearable to those who don't like it!!:D

Cheers,

Richard

[OGYT]

Very informative post, Ern. Just left one thing out... didn't mention using the 60 Grit Gouge to prepare the surface for sanding. :D :rotfl:
Thanks, Mate! :brava:

[Sebastiaan56]

Thanks for this post Ern. I have looked at these disks at the show etc but never had the courage to try them. I finally bought some a MacJing this week but Im sure you gat what you pay for.....

Sebastiaan

[rsser]

Thanks for all the comments and extra tips and tricks folks. Filed away.

Richard, I did try wet sandingf with water on a piece of our Blackwood. Thanks for bringing it up. It had the advantages you mention but it also muddied up the figure noticeably. Only one species mind so not a fair trial.

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

Good thread.

I use Vic Wood's rotary sander with 3" disks the most now days.
I still do a fair bit of hand sanding & a little bit of power sanding but not much.

Couple of comments.
1. If you are having problems with heat cracks in a particular piece or type of timber, try using compressed air to cool it while you sand.
The air needs to be dry, if your compressor spits water, it won't be pretty.
Direct the air at the leading edge where the timber is just going under the sandpaper, wear a good dust mask & ear protection 'cos it is noisy.

2. You can make your own 3" disks by going to a fencing supply place & getting one of those round gal fence post tops. Drill a hole in the middle of it, mount it on a handle with a screw through the hole from the inside & sharpen the outside edge on the grinder. Leave the inside edge straight.
Place it on the sandpaper on a sheet of MDF & give it a couple of thumps around the edge. I don't hammer the handle (in breaks & doesn't work as well as going around the edge) & I find that it works best if you remove the handle after you have used it to hold the cutter for sharpening. This leaves a hole that you can use to push the cut disk out of the cutter with a long nail or bit of wire or an awl.

3. If the timber is oily or dampish & clogs the paper quickly, have a wire brush handy so you can give it a quick wipe to clear the clogging.

4. If you have a timber the has a hairy fibrous grain the won't cut properly when sanding, reverse the direction of sanding at least once for each grit. If it is a very hairy piece, stop the lathe wipe the piece with a wet cloth so that it is evenly damp & wait for it to dry. You can run the lathe with a fan on it or use compress air or a heat gun or all three.
When it is dry, the grain will have swollen & the fibres will be raised & set hard(er) & the first couple of seconds of sanded will rip them off.

5. I don't like wet sanding with water or oil, I have never had any success with it & I don't bother trying any longer.

6. I have one of Vic Wood's rotary sanders & the plastic handle near the bearing is a bit bulky & can hit the chuck when sanding the back of a bowl. I have carefully cut a bit away (like sharpening a pencil with a knife) to make it less bulky.

7. If you have persistent patch of grain, scratch, defect etc. stop the lathe & sand that spot by hand or lock the spindle & use a power sander on the spot. Be careful, you will make a depression but it will be less noticeable than the original defect, scratch, torn grain.

8. Don't persist with a worn or damaged disk, take it off & get a new piece or you risk damaging you piece. If it is just torn or creased, it can be set aside for hand sanding, if it is worn, blunt, clogged, then chuck it in the bit.

[Alastair]

Don't do too much power sanding, as generally don't find the need for it, and find doing the inside of bowls a pain. It also sprays the dust everywhere. Sometimes use it on the outside, as a quick initial option in the beginning to fair out, and clear bad tearout. All of comments above are valid.
One of the problems with very heavy sanding is that the "long grain" sands faster than the "cross grain". The latter is usually where your tearout is, so by the time you get rid of it, you can have "ovalled" your piece quite badly.
Some additional comments on hand sanding. I firmly believe that we mostly sand at too high a speed. We will have sped up the lathe to get the best finish on our finishing cuts, and then proceed to sanding. Paper gets as hot as, burns fingers, reach for the sanding pad........

I have found the best result by slowing back down, (sometimes 2 steps) for sanding. If the paper, (used single) gets too hot for your tender little fingers, it is too hot for the timber, and won't cut properly, and is likely to promote heat checking. Speed up again when polishing after finishing.

Work up through your grits with brushing out, backtracking as described above, (I go 100;180;240;320), and find this fine for the likes of camphor, q' maple, jacaranda. Finer hardwoods I will add 400. I use the stearate "no fil" papers (ex Bunnies) and change them regularly.

Bear in mind as well, that if your bowl has fine detail, eg sharp edges, hollows, transitions, the more sanding you do, the more likely you are to blur out the detail, even with the finer grades, no matter how careful you are.

Finally a question. On some of the softer, open timbers, I occasionally find that having sanded to a clear surface, when I add my finish, marks show up (like shadows or watermarks). I suspect this is due to bruising of the timber, perhaps by pressure from the heel of the gouge. Anyone else found this? Any other ideas?

regards

[rsser]

Alastair (and Cliff), thanks for all those extra tips.

As for bruising, could be. Maybe a spray of water before the last couple of grits could swell the grain. With soft timbers I've often found 'plaque' as I mentioned which I've assumed was a product of heat x resin but maybe your take is better.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Just as a matter of interest, has anyone tried using the Piric Blowfly sander for turning? (I think it's the Blowfly I'm talking about... 'tis the one that uses sanding belts in a flap sander, anyway.) Too large?

The small rotary sanders won't fit inside my goblets, so I've been making a pseudo flap-sander by slotting one end of a wooden dowel, folding about a 1" square of s/paper in half and slipping it into the slot.

Not pretty, but it works... except for the very bottom of the bowl. And it's either that or the good ol' finger backed sanding pad, with all it's knuckle cracking risks. :rolleyes:

[Cliff Rogers]

....the good ol' finger backed sanding pad, with all it's knuckle cracking risks. :rolleyes:

I've said before, a couple of times, for sanding inside with your fingers, slacken off the drive belt to a point where you can stop the lathe with one finger & sand with your left hand on the hand wheel so you can stop it dead in the time it takes to break a knuckle. :D
Oh & wear cotton gloves so you can find the finger when it does break off. :2tsup:

[rsser]

.. . and have an ice-box handy? ;-}

[DavidG]

.. . and have an ice-box handy? ;-}
Zip top plastic bags are good for carrying the bits....
Don't freeze them though. No Ice....

[rsser]

for the very bottom of the bowl. And it's either that or the good ol' finger backed sanding pad, with all it's knuckle cracking risks. :rolleyes:

Wot Cliff said ... or a 1" pad with 2" disc cut in sunflower pattern on a long shaft? (added: Cindy Drozda's fix. (Sorry, I was taught to add thankyou notes.))

[rsser]

David ... in case of the horrible ... tell us more

[Jim Carroll]

Skew you need the Kirjes sander. it has a bulb that you wrap sandpaper around then pump up to the desired size. This will do the sides and bottom of your goblets. There is a flexible shaft from a motor so et is easy to handle.

Only one catch is that they are about $550.00.:o

[rsser]

Sounds like a business opportunity Jim.

[dai sensei]

Good thread rsser.

On bowls I mainly use the power sander with the small, medium and large heads depending on surface. I also get most of my pads from Ubeaut or GPW. I also use the hand method when it's called for.

Skew - the Blowfly is far too big I think. However I've learnt for those hard to get to smaller inside sanding jobs (like inside pepper grinders, trinket boxes etc), use the smaller head, but then use a larger pad with slits cut in it. You'll find it sands the base and side all at the same time.

[Richard Findley]

Hi Guys,

A further note about wet sanding...

I have heard that it can blurr/smudge figure on timbers with lots of colour variation, patches of heart and sap wood and on spalted timber for example where there are dark lines. I guess if in doubt don't bother...
That said, I recently made a sycamore bowl which had fantastic colour and figure and wet sanding with oil did a really good job:2tsup: !

I would also mention that there are a number of high profile pro's on the Britsh circuit that are big fans, including the editor of the UK Woodturning Magazine!

Each to there own though:2tsup: ,

Cheers, Richard

[rsser]

Richard, the blackwood I tried water sanding in was pretty plain ... but the pro of reducing dust is enough for a test with oil. What kind do you use? And oil won't rust the exposed cast iron on the lathe.

Skew, this only works for straight sided forms but those sets of small rubber cylinder sanders with slip on abrasive tubes are the best thing since sliced bread.

[Richard Findley]

Hi Ern,

I use Chestnut Finishing Oil which is a sort of Danish oil. Its quite light so doesn't darken the timber much and can be built up to a nice sheen. Not sure if its sold in Oz but I'm sure there must be a similar product!

As for the sanding devices mentioned above, there is a product called a sanding ball which is basically a foam ball on a stick with velcro on it. you then stick on velcro backed abrasive stars (as previously mentioned) Good for natual edge stuff to keep those fingers clear:oo: !!

Cheers,

Richard

[rsser]

Thanks Richard. Think I've seen Chestnut oil here ... presumably it doesn't have a hardener that sets it off?

A ball of steel wool with some paper wrapped around it can also be useful.

The point made about loosing detail when sanding is an important one. I usually allow for a bit of loss when cutting grooves, fillets etc and then use hand-held paper to sand them.

[rsser]

Just spent a while at the lathe producing dust and remembered, for the benefit of newbies:

With either power or hand-held strip sanding, keep moving the paper or pad. This keeps stock removal (at 80/120 grit) more even and controllable. Also with all grits it keeps the heat down.

And with a powered pad, look at how pushing it moulds it to to an external curve. You can use this to remove minor ridges. Grooves however are best done by shear scraping.

And see the posts on dust control. Wood dust is carcinogenic. Best argument for Richard's wet sanding.

[robyn2839]

a good sander for a drill is to use the valve part of truck tubes and glue the velcro bit to it
works as good as the bought ones. bob

[cedar n silky]

Just a thought, especialy for inside goblets and the like or inside cylinders. Has anyone done up an engine and used a cylinder honing tool?
I have one which is basically 3 little wet stones that expand out centrifugaly (I think that is the correct term?)as the drill is operated, and automaticly adjusts to a range of bores. I guess the flap sander sort of does that too? Maybe replacing the wet stones with pads of sandpaper?:)

[hughie]

Just a thought, especialy for inside goblets and the like or inside cylinders. Has anyone done up an engine and used a cylinder honing tool?
I have one which is basically 3 little wet stones that expand out centrifugaly (I think that is the correct term?)as the drill is operated, and automaticly adjusts to a range of bores. I guess the flap sander sort of does that too? Maybe replacing the wet stones with pads of sandpaper?\



Cedar
Hmmm, now thats food for thought,an interesting idea

[TTIT]

Cedar you're a genius! :2tsup: A real ideas man! (should use that line in a movie!:B) I've got schematics and light bulbs runnin' round me head everywhere now! We'll have to collaborate on this one Hughie! Gawd - who hid that notepad - and me gidgee pen . ..... ......:doh:

[cedar n silky]

Cedar you're a genius! :2tsup: A real ideas man! (should use that line in a movie!:B) I've got schematics and light bulbs runnin' round me head everywhere now! We'll have to collaborate on this one Hughie! Gawd - who hid that notepad - and me gidgee pen . ..... ......:doh:
Now you got me blushing:B :B Here is a pic of a cylinder hone. It says on the package that this particular one goes from 2" to 7" which is a fair range, and it is only possibly a matter of replacing the stones with velcro backed sanding pads, possibly on a foam backing? There are other models starting from 3/4".

[rsser]

So you need a means of turning in the leading edge of each shoe (leg?) so it doesn't catch, and maybe along with the foam a means of readily bending each leg to suit the form .... ?

[TTIT]

So you need a means of turning in the leading edge of each shoe (leg?) so it doesn't catch, and maybe along with the foam a means of readily bending each leg to suit the form .... ?Way ahead of ya Ern!:; Laid awake for hours last night thinking this one through.
Just like the hone, the pads can be on pivots to follow the line of the form but will need to be dampened by a spring or something to stop them flipping. Wouldn't need velcro paper either - each flap could be held under a clip and allowed to roll around the pad in the direction of travel. Is this making sense to anyone??!!?? It looks right on the drawing board in me head!:U

[rsser]

Yep, I get it.

[Cliff Rogers]

..... Laid awake for hours last night thinking this one through. ....
You have GOT to get a hobby Vern. :D

[reeves]

Ern, i have been thinking about yr sanding questions and have noticed recenlty as i have been turning that sometimes i get a really nice polished surface off the chisel. This usually happens at high speed with the skew a little off sharp and depends on the hardness of the wood but it results in a polished finish with grain really bound.

In general I think its probably best to sand as little as you can get away with. Yr techniques original listed in this post are good and probably 'fairly' standard but it can result in more time spent sanding than turning.

Also depends on where the intended work is going, home or friends presents probably dont need the same level of finish as something going for sale to a gallery or whatever and ultimaltey its a judgement call on the job, some woods, shapes and eventual finishes need different approaches but if the turner is relying on sanding to eliminate poor chisel technique then its probably best to try and advance technique than reply of extensive sanding proceedures....

my 2 bits worth

have fun!

john

[rsser]

You have GOT to get a hobby Vern. :D

Hey, he's on a roll .... in bed!

..

John, yep, couldn't agree more.

Hence the subsequent thread on turning to reduce sanding.

Added: http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=51816

[hughie]

Just like the hone, the pads can be on pivots to follow the line of the form but will need to be dampened by a spring or something to stop them flipping. Wouldn't need velcro paper either - each flap could be held under a clip and allowed to roll around the pad in the direction of travel. Is this making sense to anyone??!!?? It looks right on the drawing board in me head!


Vern might still need some sort of soft backing to allow the paper to conform rather than impose its shape. Or alternately several different shapes/curves to meet a wider range of curves. Perhaps if it were possible to adapt the flexible curve stuff that used to be used in drawing curves in boat design etc. This would offer an infinite variety of possible curves, hmmm..... if soft enough it might conform automatically with the centrifugal force .

Yep a spring to hold in a central position would be a must. Also would perhaps need a couple of diameters to cater for larger bowls/vessels and down to goblets...mustnt forget Skew in all this..:U


Oops I think I dun stole d post...:C sori :U

[TTIT]

You have GOT to get a hobby Vern. :DWhat? - and give up a perfectly good obsession! :o

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Yep a spring to hold in a central position would be a must. Also would perhaps need a couple of diameters to cater for larger bowls/vessels and down to goblets...mustnt forget Skew in all this..:U

I'm just waiting to see if there's any real improvement on my basic "flap of sandpaper in a slotted dowel" idea... or whether it's just another gadget. :D

[soundman]

I've mentioned this before but it appropriate and it works well for me.
I've been working some softer woods of late that tear out across the end grain quite badly.
So I've been getting the item close to the shape I want, then I give the piece a generous coat of thinned shelac or two and let it dry.
I then do the finishing cuts or scrapes and eveything cuts very much cleaner.

this then forms the basis of a finishing process.

I give another coat of thin shelac and proceed with sanding, depending on how its comming up maybe a few more coats of shelac...sometimes thicker.

followed by a wax topping once I'm happy with the texture.

the shelac realy sorts out the endgrain problem and makes cuts and sanding soooo much crisper, if you overdo the shelac or don't let it dry or sand too hot the shelac will clog your paper badly.

cheers

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I do similar with 100% Tung Oil if I'll be using an oil finish. DO doesn't seem to penetrate as deeply, for all that it sets more quickly but I've used it with a modicum of success, too. :shrug:

[rsser]

Edit: re Soundman's post:

Yep, good call, tho can limit your finishing options (eg. oil).

Other things to try are nitrocellulose sanding sealer (ditto) or just plain water.

Re Skew's: ain't that stuff more exxy than single malt? And doesn't enough of the latter reduce your concern about tear-out? ... :)

But seriously, thinking back on it, and this links to the thread on turning to reduce sanding, I can only recall two tear-out problems that caused more trouble than normal sanding could deal with. One was interlocked Blackwood and showed the way there with scraper technique, and the other was interlocked Huon and that took water, forward and reverse sanding and a lot of hand sanding.

[TTIT]

I've been known to use sanding sealer to get around tearout in difficult timbers - if you've got enough meat left, the sealer can let you take a couple of fine cuts to fix the bad patches. As far as limiting finishing options go, I generally find that timbers that tearout badly soak up finish so greedily that the available options suit the conditions anyway.

I think I've just confused myself :B Bye!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Re Skew's: ain't that stuff more exxy than single malt? And doesn't enough of the latter reduce your concern about tear-out? ... :)

$adly, ye$. Which is why it's reserved for cantankerous pieces that need a good finish. For day-to-day turnings, I'm using Shellawax more'n'more. :-

As for the single malt, well... it works out more expensive than the Tung, as the Tung's a once only job, whereas with even the most liberal application of single malt the problem's still there the following day. And the day after and the day after and...

(DAMHIKT :rolleyes: It is the more enjoyable method, though!)

[rsser]

... long-time after follow-up:

wonder why this thread stopped here ... lol.

[petersemple]

I've only made and sanded one bowl so I'm hardly an expert. The outside was mostly sanded with a ROS (variable speed) after getting bored with normal sanding paper. I did the inside with my cordless drill and a sanding spindle in the chuck, mostly because it was a small bowl and th drill + chuck + sanding pad wouldn't have fitted. You can really only use the end of the spindle doing it this way, so it wears out quickly. Works nice and fast though. I must admit that sanding this bowl really surprised me. Having done all spindles before, this was the first time the speed of the lathe didn't transfer into nice quick sanding speeds with normal paper. Anyone know why that is?

Peter