Tips - Sanding Brass Tubes

[juteck]

Probably not a new idea, but I thought I'd share it anyways. When I have a lot of tubes to sand, I use a sanding drum and old sleeve on my drill press. You may have to move the table out of the way.

Put a tube on a screw driver, hold it against the spinning drum somewhere between 45- and 90-degrees, and let the tube spin on the screwdriver as the sanding drum "drives" it.I do about 1/2 the tube, then flip it over and do the other half, so I'm only working the top half and keeping the handle of the screwdriver away from the drum.

 

[76winger]

Seems like a great idea, and definitely faster than the way I do them by hand!

 

[Drstrangefart]

I like the idea. I've just taken to putting the bare tubes on my mandrel between out of service bushings, running the lathe full speed and attacking them with 150 grit. It seems to work out beautifully.

 

[Dorno]

I just done 20 pens by hand gee I wish I read this first :biggrin:

Cheers Ian

 

[Wood Butcher]

I've been stacking a bunch of them on a dowel rod and taping the ends of the dowelso they can't come of then sand in along strokes with 80 grit.
WB

 

[RHossack]

Since I mostly do between centers turning I also sand my tubes between centers ... fast and I get a nice cross-hatch on the tube.

 

[avbill]

I second the between centers ideas. fast easy

 

[Canadian_Kid]

I just use a round file with the tube sitting in a slightly opened vice. As I file I slowly rotate the tube with my thumb. I have found this works the best for me and specially my students (as sanding is always so popular with kids:biggrin.

 

[Minotbob]

I turn quite a few Jr. Gent's using the TBC bushings from Johnnycnc. I just quickly mount them in the lathe and hit them with some 150 grip sandpaper. Quick and easy.