Beall Modification

I reckon you would fill the grain with abrasive and wood dust in a nice slurry and have the devil's own job trying to get it out.

I can't imagine that being a good solution, either. The polishing compounds (powdered) that they use for lapidary work are very fine and would stay in the grain of the wood.

This would be even more apparent in areas that have the things we woodturners like such as occlusions, swirly grain, etc.

I don't know how you could wash out the particles of polish.

Robert

I think you'd just end up with a mess in the bowl bottom and a job cleaning the buff or wheel.. Much easier to throw the bowl back on the lathe in a vac chuck or jumbo jaws and sand it, or even hand sand the sucker..

I find that on bowls, the inside is the easiest part to sand.. using either a 2" or 3" holder and H&L sanding disks..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Hello Bob,

You've heard the negative comments and I agree with them 100 percent. Another solution to the problem you describe is GUINEVERE a tool made in Sweden and imported by Arthur Aveling at King Arthur's Tools. Their web site is: I believe. We purchased one of these last year. It is just the thing to do sanding of bowls, etc. while you hold them in your hand. I don't remember the price. It is not a cheap tool, but it does do the job very nicely.

Mildred and I first saw it demonstrated on the Norwegian Woodturning Cruise in 2004. The carver who was using it made fine crafted spoons and scoops all done with this sander. There it was called the Kirjes Inflatable Sander. More Woodturning carried a story on this system in the March-April 2007 issue. Arthur renamed it Guinevere when he started importing it last year.

It is just the thing for sanding a piece that is off the lathe and can't be remounted. It does what you want to do.

Fred Holder

Try the standard solutions first. I don't think you need an expensive setup like Fred mentioned. I'm using the same flex shaft on an old washing machine motor for considerably under the price. Have to say the inflatable drum with the sandpaper condom is not for normal use, since it's both expensive and fragile. I use it for goblets and other places too narrow to work a flex edge into.

This Mac Mop idea works great for bowls. Expensive, but lasts a long time. I got a "Big Buffer" JET double-ender for some of my other work and found the pneumatic drum to be great for outsides and the mop for out or in.

search on "mac mops." If you want to test the waters gradually, try search on "contour sanding" which will have sanding mops, sanding stars or even mini mops which will touch up decorations or carving with almost no contour degrade. While you're ordering, get a bargain box.

It looks like the domed inflatable is just the ticket. I ordered just the inflatable dome, one set of coarse sanders, and the cloth covers. I'd bet I can make the sanding domes and the cloth buffing covers relatively easily and more cheaply once I get the pattern. Looks like it can be used in any chucked device (handheld drill, flex-shaft, mounted chuck.