sanding and finishing around beads

[donwae]

I am having a hard time sanding/finishing the grooves on either side of a bead. My finished pens look good except for the grooves which are dull and really distracts from an otherwise nice pen. I see photos on this site with perfect looking beads so how do you do it?

Don

 

[Tom McMillan]

I really haven't done much with beads, but I can tell you what I did with my 2 layer spiral pens which would probably be similar. I did mine without the lathe running---but you may be able to do it with the lathe running. I use the (now 5 roll set of flexible sandpaper) sandpaper from PSI (actually through Woodturninz), and I wrap it around a nail and sand with each grit---actually you can go through the micromesh this way too---but, I usually just go to 1200 or so grit.

 

[JimGo]

Tom, that's a great idea! I've used some of the smaller HF punches, but never a nail.

 

[arioux]

Hi,

For most of my delicate detail work, i use sanding cord. I get mine at Lee Valey in Canada but if you do a serach for sanding cord in goole, you will find plenty of US suppliers with them, including Rockler. Some dealer got hem in various sizes
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=9926

Alfred