Sanding in Record Time? Your Time?

[jhelminski]

What would you say your time per grit is when sanding a turned blank?

How long per MM grit?

What lathe speeds do you prefer?

I think I am spending too much time sanding!

 

[vick]

I go on my jet mini's lowest speed (600 or 800 I think). about 30 to 45 seconds on paper grits (220,320,400) about 15 to 20 seconds on micromest grits.

I used to go longer but do not see a difference when sanding wood. When micromeshing ca finish I take longer but it depends on how smooth it went on so hard to give a time.

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

For wood I probably spend around a minute on each step. That includes stopping the lathe and doing the hand sanding.

 

[Turnitall]

I don't judge my sanding in time spent per grit...
I judge it by getting the finish I want... sometimes I spend more time on one grit than another...

 

[alamocdc]

Longer than it takes me to turn it. I'm a perfectionaist.

About 5 to 7 seconds per MM grit.

I sand on whatever speed I was turning. Usually about 2000 rpm. I don't slow the lathe down to sand and have never had a problem... unless I started at too low a grit (anything <220 grit is too low).

I didn't know there was any such thing as too much time sanding... even though I like that part of ALL woodworking the least!

 

[Rifleman1776]

First grits at high speed, Klingspore gold 220 then 320, mebbe 30 seconds each. Then slow speed for MM, probably 5 to 10 seconds per grit. Stop about every other one to hand sand with grain, mebbe two minutes per. Then, depending on finish being used, go through last three or four MM grits after different finish layers applied and allowed to dry.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

How ever long each grit needs.

It's not something that can really be timed. Some woods sand quickly, others take longer.

I spend the longest time with the first grit and only long enough to remove any tool marks. After that, I spend considerably less time removing the the sanding marks from the previous grit. If I was forced to give a generic time I'd say it takes less than 5 minutes to completely sand a B2B pen.

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Geesh I'm slow. My first response echoes Rons, "How ever long each grit needs". I find it correlates to how sharp my tools are and how lazy I am being. I'd say I spend 5-10 minutes on the first round of sanding.

 

[wayneis]

Its never been a race to me, I quit when I feel its done and not before.

Wayne

 

[gerryr]

As long as it takes.

 

[Jerryconn]

I'm understanding that most of you slow the lathe down when you start using MM. I thought I read that you want the lathe running 2,000+ rpm? I have always sanded on my highest speed...is this the wrong way to be doing it??

 

[alamocdc]

Jerry, if it works for you it isn't wrong. []

 

[Charles]

I'll second that answer! Sometimes it will go quicker than others and then again you may look at a piece an see the tiniest imperfection and go right back and start the sanding all over again to get the best results.

 

[Randy_]

For new pencrafters, it might be better to start a slower speed. With higher speeds, particularly with a softer wood it will be easier to oversand and get the blanks too small. After one has developed a feel for sanding, moving up to a faster speed might be appropriate. But there is also the risk of heat problems. You can mess up MM if you get it too hot and can mss up a finish, too.

P.S. Jet mini min. RPMs = 500.

 

[Pipes]

I never much care how long it takes ! I have only done about 10 pens thou ! I have done piles a tampers for pipes I tend to take a LOT of coffee breaks thou between grits :O)))[]