Sand paper

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fitzman163 said:
What is the best sandpaper to use???? I have a box from Wood Craft with 4 grits from 150, 240, 320, and 400.I end up with scratches I have a hard time removing. Any help?
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I think 400 would still be a pretty rough finish for a pen. I usually go up to
600 if I'm going to switch to MicroMesh, or up to 2000 if I'm just using
sandpaper. Depends on what I'm sanding..

Depending on your skill with cutting tools, you might be able to START at
400 grit and work up.
 
I bought a roll of the wood turners abrasive from Woodcraft in 600 grit and was very disappointed with how it scratches. I quit using it. I use either 3M premium (Sandblaster) or Norton premium (3x?) available at Home Depot up to 400 grit. Higher than that I use wet/dry at 600 and Micro mesh.
 
fitzman163 said:
What is the best sandpaper to use???? I have a box from Wood Craft with 4 grits from 150, 240, 320, and 400.I end up with scratches I have a hard time removing. Any help?
Click to expand...
I agree with Charlie, START at 400 and you'll notice a BIG difference. 400 and then MM to 12000 is what I use for wood prior to a CA finish.
 
400 is a good STARTING grit! Once in a while I'll use 320, but normally, 400 is the start. Make sure you sand side to side with each grit as JimB said, it will make a big difference. Get a set of the MicroMesh sheets (woodnwhimsies.com ... good people, good prices), the 1500 sheet is close to a 400 sandpaper and goes up to 12000, which is about like Charmin. I usually MM through 3200 to 4000 depending on the finish I will use, acrylics and antlers, all the way to 12000.
 
Try the 2" Hook and Loop Discs

I've been using a product from Industrial Abrasives that is a 2" disc that is fabric-backed, and called Hook and Loop Discs. I use the 400 and 600 grit.

Here's the link: https://commerce.riverweb.com:8003/01711.html

They are excellent for acrylic, as they hold up very well to wet sanding and can be reused many times. They are also good for wood, and can be "washed" in a washing machine to clean them for reuse.

I've also found 800 grit cloth-backed disks, and tried them. I find that 1500 and 1800 grit MM are actually coarser than the 800 grit discs. The 1500-1800-2400 grits in MM, when used after 400 and 600 grit discs, is a good sequence to take down both acrylic and wood to a level to start the polishing process from 2800-12k MM.

I've also used a batch of Klingspor (Gold) cloth-backed 1" rolls in 400, and 600grit (gray) that do a nice job. Unlike the hook and loop discs, it's use once then throw away.

I highly recommend using MicroMesh (MM) in your sanding regimen.

I am using a skew, and then always start with 400 grit.
 
fitzman163 said:
What is the best sandpaper to use???? I have a box from Wood Craft with 4 grits from 150, 240, 320, and 400.I end up with scratches I have a hard time removing. Any help?
Click to expand...
I agree with the others about STARTING at 320 or 400. Just because those 4 or 5 roll "turning sets" start at 150 grit doesn't mean you have to use it on your pens.

The way I see it, if your tool marks are so rough that it takes 150 grip to smooth them out, you need to work on your turning skills rather than worry about what brand of sandpaper to use!

When you finish with your cutting tool, before starting to sand, can you close your eyes and run your fingers along the pen body and feel a pretty smooth finish at that point? You should!
 
Thanks for all the info. I use the micro mesh with acrylics and corian I haven't used it on wood. I guess I start with 150 because it s there. My turning work is up to par thank you very much. I think there are some better quality sand paper out there and the brand I got at Wood Craft is not one of them. Thanks again, Jim
 
fitzman163 said:
Thanks for all the info. I use the micro mesh with acrylics and corian I haven't used it on wood. I guess I start with 150 because it s there. My turning work is up to par thank you very much. I think there are some better quality sand paper out there and the brand I got at Wood Craft is not one of them. Thanks again, Jim
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Wow, the attitude coming from that comment is deafening! The way I see it, don't ask for help if you don't want to hear what others have to say! There is usually a reason one would start with a very course grade of sandpaper and that would be to smooth things out! But you're probably right... bad sandpaper! Good grief!:eek:
 
I like 3X sandpaper. but always have to clean up sandpaper scratches by sanding lengthwise with the blank. I don't like to start lower than 220 with sandpaper or the scratches are a bear. Darker woods are the worst ( I just finished an African blackwood pen last night and am still fuming over all the extra work). I have to almost get out a magnifier to get all the scratches out.
 
Texatdurango said:
Wow, the attitude coming from that comment is deafening! The way I see it, don't ask for help if you don't want to hear what others have to say! There is usually a reason one would start with a very course grade of sandpaper and that would be to smooth things out! But you're probably right... bad sandpaper! Good grief!:eek:
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Ummm, you tossed a bunch of attitude into your post. This made fitzman get a bit defensive. Is that really surprising?
 
Thats the first time that I can recall getting defensive. I have been turning a lot of other material and have not had a need to use regular sand paper. I guess I should have known better.That being said I have noticed a lot of sarcastic remarks from a certain few people. When I notice that a few very young turners, or people that are new to this craft remarks such as yours could really burst their bubble. Thats the last thing we want to do. The other 15 comments were very helpful, to all of you thank you.
 
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There are some things about pen turning that are quite different than flatwork or larger work in turnings. The scrutiny of each square millimeter of a pen tend to emphasize marks that are not noticed as quickly on other work. Having said that, I agree that "starting" around 400 is the best. On some of my pens, I turn to within about a half a millimeter or 1/32 and then sand down to size with 400. It takes a minute longer but I don't have sanding marks.

Occasionally someone will make mention that wood should not be sanded beyond 400 or so because finish will not stick well when the wood is too smooth. Of course this simply is not true. Paint sticks to glass and so does CA.
 
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I buy my sandpaper from "Nogger Nob", a little carving shop in Townsend.. it's mostly an excuse to go to the mountains, plus it's pretty good sand paper. I get in cloth backed rolls for about $4 per roll, and I think it is German made, the rolls are about 1 inch or so in diameter, but I don't know how long each roll is, they're long enough that a roll will last several months. It comes in grits from 120 through 400 and doesn't leave very many scratches on the pens.

Also use Abranet on other turnings like peppermills and bowls.... bought that through a group buy on IAP..
 
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