Sanding Blanks/Sanding Bushings!!

[Randy_]

I have managed to ruin a blank or two by being a little careless with my sandpaper during the sanding process. I would imagine there are one or two others out there who have had the same problem? Now that I have a few pens under my belt, it is not an issue for me any more; but new turners are always coming along and needing help.

Occurred to me last night that a plastic disk about 1" in diameter cut out the top of a Cool Whip container and with a hole in it about the diameter of the tube of the kit you are turning and inserted between the blank and the bushing might eliminate the problem. What do you think? Anybody ever tried such a thing??

 

[leehljp]

I have been thinking about this also. Actually, I would like two, one the diameter of the bushing and the other like you said. That way, I could see the size the blank is supposed to be exactly, and the other to keep me from going over onto the bushing when sanding. I haven't tried it but have contemplated it the past couple of weeks.

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

I remove the bushings after turning. So far I have only done 7mm pens. When I go to a larger diameter tube I will be giving your idea a try []

 

[GBusardo]

Scott, What do u use to hold the blanks on the mandrel if you remove the bushings after turning? Am I brain dead this morning?
Gary

 

[Draken]

He's only done 7mm pens, where the bushings butt up against the tube, not inserted into them.

Cheers,
Draken

 

[Johnathan]

Let us know how it works. That's the great thing about IAP, everyone is trying something different to bring to the table.

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

Originally posted by GBusardo
<br />Scott, What do u use to hold the blanks on the mandrel if you remove the bushings after turning? Am I brain dead this morning?
Gary

I cut a 7mm slimline pen tube into thirds that I use as spacers. []

 

[GBusardo]

See!! I was brain dead! Great idea, Thanks
Gary

 

[KP]

As folks here go, I'm pretty much a dead novice (I've only made maybe 20 pens), but what I do to hold blanks in place on the mandrel without bushings is make little tapered spacers. I take a small stick of wood, drill a mandrel size hole (I have two sets of these, one for the regular mandrel, the other for Berea B size), mount on mandrel, turn. I leave one end of each spacer larger than the outer diameter of the turned pen blank, then taper it towards the other end of the spacer so that it'll jam into the tube. It works pretty well, and I use these tapered spacers to decrease bushing sanding (I usually start my sanding with the bushings still in place, then remove them after I'm happy with the blank diameters). They're also great for applying finish, keeps the bushings clean.

Hope this helps someone.

Ken

 

[redfishsc]

Um, this may be naivete at work but how do you ruin a blank with sandpaper-- that a plastic washer between the blank and bushing would solve? I'm not quite following ya on this.....

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />Um, this may be naivete at work but how do you ruin a blank with sandpaper-- that a plastic washer between the blank and bushing would solve? I'm not quite following ya on this.....

When you touch the bushing with the sandpaper it takes off some of the metal. The metal gets dragged onto the wooden blank and becomes embedded. This gives light colored blanks a "dirty" look. If you shield the blank by putting a plastic washer between the blank and the bushing you eliminate touching the bushing with the sandpaper. Clean sandpaper = clean blank.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yesterday, I had my first real (noticeable) problem with dragging color from the bushings onto the almost finished pen. I made two Barons from holly, first time I had worked with holly. My finished pens were OK but I'm not real happy. Dark material was dragged into the grain and even several attempts to clean with denatured alcohol failed as did resandings. From here on, I'll do something similar to suggestions posted here, probably use spare 7mm and small washers to replace the bushings on final sanding.