Do You suffer----

[Dalboy]

Do You suffer with sanding scratch marks on your turning or even find it difficult to eradicate them. Well I did not but at the same time found it took an age to get rid of them, but still well worth the effort in the end.
Well now it takes no time at all except when doing detail work as that still needs to be done by hand.

 

[winemaker]

I have this problem all the time

 

[Silverbirch]

Well now it takes no time at all.

So how have you solved the problem?

Ian

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

powersanding was the solution in my case....what a difference!

 

[gregmcateer]

I'm not sure if I am missing a bit of the OP ?

If I'm not, then it seems just an observation that you're better at turning than me (and I suspect lots of others). If that is the case, then good on yer - I wish I had the time / skill / patience to get better quicker....

Oh well, I guess retirement can't come soon enough. (hammer)

 

[KimG]

I was fortunate enough to be able to get the Hope sanding kit, previous to that I was using a small drill with a 50mm pad, that worked pretty well, but this Hope system, once you get the hang of it is much more efficient and leaves no marks once you get down to the fine grits, it wasn't cheap but I consider it money well spent. It will save me time, as it is quicker at removing material, noise levels are less as is dust scatter, (more of it goes into the extractor now), abrasive, as it really doesn't take a lot to remove a fair bit. If you can afford it, get it, it's a tool every turner should aspire to own.

 

[Dalboy]

This might explain my first post.
Like KimG I also brought the Simon Hope Sanding kit and what a difference it makes to sanding I did look at it 2 years ago (Boy am I slow or what) and only got around to buying it last weekend.
I started with a piece of 120 grit on it and with just that grade only it left very little scratch marks by the time I had used the second grit the marks where as near as invisible to the naked eye.
All I can say is "why did I not get this earlier" I did look at the Robert Sorby one but was advised against it as it had bushes and not bearings

By the way I have nothing to do with Simon Hope and am just a happy turner

I'm not sure if I am missing a bit of the OP ?

If I'm not, then it seems just an observation that you're better at turning than me (and I suspect lots of others). If that is the case, then good on yer - I wish I had the time / skill / patience to get better quicker....

Oh well, I guess retirement can't come soon enough. (hammer)

I am just a mediocre(spelling) turner

 

[Grahamshed]

I will have to have a look at that Dalboy,

Incidentally, is your sig line meant to read the way it does ?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Yup...I went "hope" too and never regretted it. I reckon the next step for my finishing is some kind of simple buffing wheel that I can load with Carnuba. They really give a superb finish.

 

[gregmcateer]

Thanks for the info - is this a powered Hope system, or one of the spinny on a bearing type?
TIA
Greg

 

[Dalboy]

Incidentally, is your sig line meant to read the way it does ?

OOOPS Never noticed try now :lol: :lol:

Thanks for the info - is this a powered Hope system, or one of the spinny on a bearing type?
TIA
Greg

The one with bearings
http://www.hopewoodturning.co.uk/pro_sanders_16.html

Yup...I went "hope" too and never regretted it. I reckon the next step for my finishing is some kind of simple buffing wheel that I can load with Carnuba. They really give a superb finish.

That is on my to get list the one from Chestnut looks good if I had enough money at Detling I would have got one

.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Shame Dal, I was there too...could've had a cuppa. Next year eh?

 

[Dalboy]

I was fortunate enough to be able to get the Hope sanding kit, previous to that I was using a small drill with a 50mm pad, that worked pretty well, but this Hope system, once you get the hang of it is much more efficient and leaves no marks once you get down to the fine grits, it wasn't cheap but I consider it money well spent. It will save me time, as it is quicker at removing material, noise levels are less as is dust scatter, (more of it goes into the extractor now), abrasive, as it really doesn't take a lot to remove a fair bit. If you can afford it, get it, it's a tool every turner should aspire to own.

Did you also find that with the pad on the drill that you could not always get into smaller bowls or even wide necked hollow forms where as with the manual sanders articulated head allowed more flexibility.

 

[Dalboy]

Shame Dal, I was there too...could've had a cuppa. Next year eh?

Sound good. where you visiting or demonstrating

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Just ogling the marvellous stuff.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Premature finishing is a terrible affliction.......... but help is out there.

It sounds like one of "those" adverts on television.

I've noticed a difference as time goes on, that I can usually now start with a higher grit abrasive than previously. When I first started turning, my first abrasive was normally 40 grit. (yes it was that bad) Nowadays I'm generally reaching for 120 or 180 grit first hand.
I have considered investing in a power sanding system for bowl work, because of the limited time I have in the shed. If I can speed up the tedious snding, then I should have more turning time. In theory.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Don't even give it a 2nd thought Taz.....just get it I promise you wont have any regrets. Also, no need for an enormous outlay. I didn't buy the kit from Hope, just the arbor and secondary neoprene "saver" pads that fit between the arbor and the 50mm sanding disc. I just wack that in my regular 18v battery drill and go through the grits. I get the hook and loop sanding discs from Axy but they may well be cheaper elsewhere I've not checked. Part of that reason is they're very useful for tipping an order over the £50 mark for free delivery

Like you as I've progressed I get fewer tool marks before I commence sanding but the power sanding makes a MASSIVE difference to time taken to achieve a finish. The only downside is dust, a lot of dust so mask and extraction might need to be beefed up if you don't already take big precautions in that department. The dust is also the very worst kind ie voluminous, extremely fine, frequently of irritating to the lungs exotic hardwoods, fungal spores etc etc so really need to minimise the breathing of it. I always wear the 3M 7500 with P3 filters as well as having extraction on.

But the time saving and increased quality of finish makes a universe of difference. If you have £50 spare you could just jump straight to the rolls Royce solution and get the Hope kit with 6 arbors and quick change drill chuck etc. (I didn't get that myself but I had bought in dribs and drabs)

 

[CHJ]

I have, and have used friction driven sanders for several years now but have found that for best results and maximum life of abrasives using a small (Battery) drill driver with its slower speed gives far better control of cutting action and is still functional for rogue bits of grain with the piece stationary.

The friction drives are still in my arsenal and the angled heads come into their own at times for access reasons but the 85% pick up is the little drill. *

The biggest advantage to perceived surface finish using rotary sanding is that any scratches left in place are short and broken in direction. Scratches of the same magnitude that are present in a more or less continuous circumferential line are more easily computed by the eye/brain and become more visible.

Just like tool bruising or torn grain, if it was not visible as a continuous line it would probably be accepted as just another grain density variation by the eye/brain.

* If you have one that has outlived its batteries then consider running it off a small power pack.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

I use the trend airace at present and have my dust extraction such as it is running when sanding and always have the door propped open. I don't have a "professional" set up, it's a 1400W wet & dry vacuum cleaner hooked up to a tube behind the lathe bed. That said, I don't get a huge amount of airborne dust so it must do something.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I'm very similar in fact. I also keep as many doors open as weather and heat allows and my extractor is dedicated but hardly professional. Its one of those barrel types (RP in my case) that cost just over a ton a few years back. Its pretty good and has a fine filter bag inside. It is hooked up to the Axy heavy duty 4" wide-mouthed hose stand aimed at the bowl being sanded. Its just good enough to create a flow of air so it pulls much of the finer stuff out but it wont handle chips at all. There's no question it doesn't get it all as my lathe bed is always covered in a fine layer after I'm done. That's why I use the mask on top with the P3 filters.