sanding your turnings

With the lathe in motion and using sanding disks, you can sand in any relative direction you care to by choosing which part of the disk touches the wood. You want to minimize pressure, of course, so you don't waste paper and burnish old sanding marks into the surface. My method is to use a supported sander, which saves me money, based on others' accounts of sandpaper use, possibly time, though original surface quality probably plays a role there, and a produces a surface with pores open enough to refract light, versus packed with dust and burnished.

The practice of sanding in reverse is something from flat work which was valid on face grain ( I've been turning for a couple years. For about a year and a half I

I don't use sanding disks. But I do have a reversing switch that helps. Have you tired burnishing with a handful of wood chips? This gives the turnings a very nice shine.

I used to use 2" sanding disk in a drill for almost everything, to remove toolmarks. Now I've improved my gouge and skew technique and don't need to do that anymore. I start hand sanding on the lathe (spin-sanding) at 320 grit, sometimes 220, finishing up at 1500 in less time than it used to take getting to 220. I'm bragging, but I'm also trying to help you envision a goal that's not too hard to attain by using very sharp tools, and using them correctly.

It also helps having good sandpaper. The stuff available at home supply centers and hardware stores is rarely good enough. I use Finkat brand up to 600 grit, then Norton Black Ice--purchased at an auto parts store--for the rest. Klingspore is also good. BTW, I don't have reverse on my lathe, but I've always thought it could improve the final surface.

Ken Grunke

For bowl work I *ONLY* powersand with 2, 3, or 5" discs. Personally, I wouldn't even CONSIDER handsanding them. I find the finish and speed of powersanding vastly superior and faster. Yet some folks like to handsand. Each of us have our own way of doing things.

For good prices on good quality sanding discs, try http:\\

Peter Teubel Milford, MA

wouldn't even CONSIDER handsanding them. I find the finish

to handsand. Each of us have our own way of doing

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I have tried power sanding but I have found that for my purposes hand sanding works the best for me. I feel that I have more control with sanding pressure and for me this leaves a better finish.

I have tried sanding without sanding disks using regular sand paper. I have never been able to get a good finish with that technique. I have been turning bowls for about 2 and a half years and am having to do less sanding now than when I first started. But I still need to sand. Some people need to sand more than others. Some bowls need to be sanded more than others. Some woods need to be sanded more than others. Richard Raffin (I've seen him on video start with 60 grit and do a lot of sanding on the lathe) does more sanding than David Ellsworth (I took his class and he says he usually starts with 220 grit off the lathe). All I know is I need to sand while the lathe is turning and the grit I start with directly depends on many other factors.

I use an electric drill with the lathe off on some of the end grain problems. I also many times use the drill with courser grits while the lathe is moving at 500 rpm or slower to get rid of tool marks. I recently started using a passive sander (the Sorby brand) for the finer grits. The finish is better and I don't wear out the electric drill so fast.

I started out spending about 30 cents a piece for velcro disks at places like Woodcraft and Packards etc. Way too much. So I found a supplier that sold them for 20 cents a piece