spidle sanding

[Karda]

Hi I know I shouldn't but I am having trouble sanding spindles. After I get them finished with oil i discover deep scratches kina criss ceosing the spindle no consistant with sanding scratches any idea what I am doing wrong. they come out with hand sanding but the utube turners don't sand much .

 

[trc65]

Hi I know I shouldn't but I am having trouble sanding spindles. After I get them finished with oil i discover deep scratches kina criss ceosing the spindle no consistant with sanding scratches any idea what I am doing wrong. they come out with hand sanding but the utube turners don't sand much .

YouTube turners also rarely show closeups so you could see scratches.

Two things that I do. One, blow off your piece between grits and use a bright light to inspect for deeper scratches. Don't skip grits either. Second thing I do is after every grit used while it is spinning, I will hand sand with the same grit and the lathe off, along the grain. Doesn't take much, a few quick passes all around.

 

[Karda]

ido the hand sanding with the lathe off but it usually take quite a while, the scratches are deep like there was some hard grit on the sand paper but it happens all the time for a long timenmaybe before that but i didn't notice

 

[trc65]

ido the hand sanding with the lathe off but it usually take quite a while, the scratches are deep like there was some hard grit on the sand paper but it happens all the time for a long timenmaybe before that but i didn't notice

Try blowing off the piece between grits to make sure that grits from coarse sandpaper aren't embedding themselves in the piece.

Another thought. If you are using a sanding pad attachment for a drill, watch the edges of the sandpaper/pad. At one point I discovered I was scratching more than sanding with the edge of the paper and uncovered edge of the pad.

 

[Karda]

I don't have a compresser, I do wipe of the spindle with a rag between grits, I don't use power on spindles, maybe I should thanks

 

[daniscool]

ido the hand sanding with the lathe off but it usually take quite a while, the scratches are deep like there was some hard grit on the sand paper but it happens all the time for a long timenmaybe before that but i didn't notice

Sometimes the sandpaper is the problem. In normal sandpaper the grits can come loose. Try abranet or other mesh sanding abrasives.

 

[Phil.H]

You could also be starting out with to aggressive a paper. I noticed my spindle work was better when I switched from 80 grit up to 150 to start.

 

[Nature Man]

I seem to do a lot of hand sanding with the grain to finish off a piece, to clean up the cross-grain scratches encountered while still on the lathe. I also will wet the surface of the piece, often more than once, to raise the grain, thus to end up with a smoother finish. Chuck

 

[Karda]

thanks for your ideas, I know I will need to do some hsaand sanding but these scratches are hard to get out, harder than the previous grit scratches. I tray starting at a higher grit.But I not that good so there is always some little spot that I need 80 for when the rest is 120 thanks
Mike

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

Depending on the depth, those crisscross could be which ever tool you are finish turning your spindle with. Try finishing a single sample spindle with a large bowl gouge to keep the face as flat as possible. If the scratches disappear, it is you lathe tool.

 

[duncsuss]

What does the first piece of sandpaper you use look like before and after sanding? And what make is it?

If it's never been used before and after sanding has lumps stuck to it, you're probably pressing too hard. The lumps act as much coarser grit and create deep scratches in the wood. Keep a light touch, hold the sandpaper in your hand and you'll feel if it starts to get hot you are using too much pressure.

 

[Karda]

ok thanks

 

[Mr. Peet]

Sanding tells me seasoned wood. Dad told me many things when I first started. He had me burnish the wood (sand) with the same shavings I just made from the wood. This would reveal scratches clearly. Sometimes he had me run a #2 pencil along the tool rest as light as possible against to wood while still spinning. The pencil shade intensity told me a lot, the smoother wood was darker. It also skipped scratches. Then I moved up to the next paper level and sanded them pencil lines away.

 

[Karda]

Thanks I'll try that

 

[Lou Currier]

When sanding you don't want to use a lot of pressure. Let the paper do the cutting. If you feel that your fingers are getting hot, then you are using too much pressure. Same thing with sanding horizontally, very light pressure and clean between grits.

 

[Lou Currier]

I also use a light very close to the piece and can see scratches easier and can work them out. Also make sure to keep the paper moving and don't hold it one place. One thing I see people do is cut a strip of paper and then wrap it around the spindle holding the 2 ends. When you do this, you have no control over the sanding because your fingers can't signal that the paper is getting hot and tends to put in deep scratches due to too much pressure being applied that you end up chasing forever.

 

[Lou Currier]

Here is an article that I just wrote for our club newsletter on this topic.

 

[Karda]

thanks I'll try no being so heavy handed next time i do use a lot of pressurethanks

 

[JR Parks]

@Karda Mike try one of these mini blowers. All kind of uses and will help you between grits. But the best is blowing sawdust & turning chips out the breast pockets of my T-shirt which would never get clean. And the rest of you so you don’t get yelled at when you get sawdust all over the house. Jim

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