Sanding advise please

[OldWood]

I'm fairly new to turning and am making the Hand Stand from Mike Darlow's Fundamentals book.

I've successfully cut the the base for this as a 8" x 2" disc and the shape is a torus, a step, an ogee, a step and a cavetto. How do I sand up to the steps without taking the edge off them?

I foresee that I'm going to have a somewhat similar problem with the elements of the spindle which is an excuse for exploring the range of spindle turning shapes.

Many thanks
Rob

 

[George Foweraker]

Hi Rob.
That sounds like an awful lot of detail i think you are making hard work for yourself.
The secret is to get nice crisp detail from the tools and this will only come with lots of practise and patience.
Take care to sand up to but not over the edges.

Regards George

 

[OldWood]

George - thanks for replying. The base is like the base for a table top lamp and the whole unit is an exercise in spindle and face turning; it's not a case of too much detail as each element has been easy enough to turn and 3 elements over an 8" diameter disc is not that elaborate at all.

I'm perfectly satisfied that the tool work has been done adequately - cleanly, good curves and sharp detail, but unless I'm mistaken no work can be taken straight from the tool to a wax, etc. finish.

Or perhaps I am mistaken and the aim of all the finishes now on the market is to cover up the tool marks on the wood so avoiding sanding. The areas that I can sand have a finish far beyond anything that could be achieved with any cutting tool - and if you are suggesting that I should be able to produce an item without sanding, why is that there are so many sanding systems on the market ?

Rob

 

[Bodrighy]

I hand sand things like that by folding the abrasive so that it is stiff and can be used on the side up to the edges not over them. As soon as you go over th edges you will take away the sharpness. You will need to make sure, as George says, that you have good crisp edges to start with and that I'm afraid only comes with practice. Maybe try it on a piece of scrap first to find the easiest way to get them sharp[


pete

 

[George Foweraker]

Hi Rob.
I wonder why you asked the question because it seems to me you already know all the answers.

Regards George

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Rob,

I think it's been pretty well covered. You need to start with a sharp tool and good technique to get the best possible finish, then carefully sand, through the grits to achieve the best possible finish on the wood before applying your chosen polish.

A good quality abrasive which is flexible and can be folded and generally manipulated is a must, in a good range of grits. Always handy to have a little 80g (just in case :wink: ) but 120, 180, 240, 320 and 400 should do the job.

On spindle work you can always go back to fillets with a sharp chisel to crisp them up if needs be at the end but always best to sand with care and avoid rounding over if possible. Much more difficult to touch up on faceplate work though!

HTH

Richard