Wet sanding acrylic and CA

[Bobostro61]

When wet sanding acrylic blanks and CA finishes, I spend around 30 - 45 seconds on each grade (micro mesh pads). Just wondering if this is a good amount of time or if I'm overdoing it. Haven't had any problems doing it this way and haven't sanded to bare wood with CA yet. Just wondering....

 

[reiddog1]

If you are getting the results that you want. Then why change a thing!!!!! Just my $0.02.

Dave

 

[Jim Burr]

Then keep doing it that way!! After each grit, look for sanding marks and sand both around the barrel and left to right. And by all means...keep it wet!

 

[mikespenturningz]

Watch the light on your blank as you wetsand. You will see as you get more experiences the changes that take place as you sand. When I am doing an acrylic blank I particularly look at the way the sheen is where the light is hitting the blank as I sand this is how I tell on them. On a wooden blank I also wet sand them but use a different mindset. You read that correctly I do wet sand all of my wooden blanks I just don't use water. You will get more of a feel for them and you learn to use the slurry that is created during the sanding process to achieve what you want and feel the differences between the grits. If you stay keenly aware of all of the changes you will learn to read them.

 

[thewishman]

I go for about 10 seconds per grit. If you like your results, adding a couple of minutes per blank seems like a good investment.

 

[Dale Lynch]

I switch grits every couple thousandths on final grits.

 

[crokett]

on the coarser grits for wet sanding, I spend more time, 20 seconds or so on each grit. for the lowest grit micromesh pad I have, I don't stop with it any tool marks are gone. I decrease the time as the grits increase. As Mike suggests, I have learned to pay attention to how the light changes on the pen and can tell more or less when I am done by watching the light.

 

[Haynie]

On the courser grits I listen to the sound. After each sanding I cross sand and wipe the blanks. On the next pad there is a distinct sound change when the cross sanding is eliminated. I then sand a little mosre, cross sand, wipe and go to the next pad. On the higher grits I look for the shine.

SOmeone needs to write and article-Zen and the art of pen sanding.

 

[Dan Hintz]

The easiest way to determine length of time?

After each grit, stop the lathe and sand along the length of the blank. When you move to the next grit, seeing no more length-wise scratches says you're done. Rinse. Repeat.