SANDING SPEEDS

[kooseman]

I have a Jet 141I belt driven mini lathe. Changing belts is not a major issue but I would like some advice on changing speeds during finishing. I turn at full speed and then reduce speed to around 800+ to complete all sanding steps. I then change to full speed for applying a finish. Do I need to change or modify speeds during sanding??
Also, when I complete sanding my wood blanks (150 - 12000 MM), I apply some EEE prior to Shellawax. Is this in fact necessary or does it actually reverse the sanding finish back down to a lower grit. My understanding is that EEE substitutes for certain grits of sandpaper.
Thanks for all the advice.

 

[NewLondon88]

As for the EEE, it will really depend on your technique. I can't find
an absolute 'grit size' listed anywhere, but lots of claims that it is
equivalent to sandpaper grits from 400 up to 30,000 depending on
who you talk to or what website you read. But EEE is rottenstone
(powdered limestone) and is usually graded F5, or about 800-1000
grit. But.. it breaks down into smaller grit as you use it.. so it's
hard to say. But if you're using is after 12,000 MM, you're taking
back the gloss you just worked on.

One thing to watch out for with EEE is that it contains wax, and
can inhibit finish adhesion. You mention using Shellawax and
EEE is meant to use with it, so that's fine. But if you use it as
a scratch remover under another finish, you'll need to find a way
to remove the EEE first.

It isn't easy to find out 'what grit' each product contains.. and they
don't all use the same grading system either. But there are plenty
of scratch removers out there. Not that many of them are finer grit
than the micromesh. Many use products like PlastX or Hut UltraGloss
for their final stage. But it depends on your blank prep/finish.

 

[TonyBal]

I guess the question I have for you is, how does the final product look? Are you getting the finish that you want? Your routine sounds logical to me. :biggrin: