Holding Sandpaper While Turning?

Mike Turner

Member
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361
Location
Laurinburg NC
I saw the "Caution about plywood" thread on another forum and wondered myself about holding the sandpaper like a lot of us do in a bowl. Even if it is supported by the tailstock and everything is going good, running true I am uneasy about the what ifs on holding that sandpaper in the bowl as it is turning...I know dont have any rag or anything for something spinning to catch but is there a thing-a- ma jigger that you guy make/use to hold sandpaper and not have fingers in there ? I use the sorby sandmaster on my flutes and it works great but what about the bowls where something like that wont work or fit??
 
I DO hand hold sandpaper insude a bowl. To keep from having problems, I trifold the paper. That way you don't have the smooth backing touching as you with a bifold. If you use too much pressure, you will know it by the heat you feel. Hope this helps.

Bruce
 
Same as Bruce, I do hold sandpaper by hand when sanding the inside of a bowl. (If I'm not using one of my power sanders.) I use a rectangular piece of paper, anywhere from 1" x 2" to about 23" x 4" in size. I fold the paper into a triangle with flaps that help keep it locked into shape:

Sandpaper Fold 800.jpg
 
I hold. Slow speed. Move the tool rest out of the way. Hold at bottom so wood is turning away from you. My lathe has a reverse but it has not proven better than a bottom hold, for me.
 
Assuming the bowl is big enough, I'd rather power sand. My hands are old and beat up. Slow speed is great...Vaughn taught me about that, so just look at his work and see if you agree! Vince has some great free instructions for using his sandpaper disc's...well worth the time to read one double spaced page...even with my ADD!
 
I also sand by hand holding the sandpaper. I cut it to like 4 X 4 sqaures and fold up in thirds. I sand starting at 500 rpm and will end up somewhere around 200 rpm. I also power sand whenever possible.
 
I power sand when possible.......use folded sandpaper and do it manually when necessary and use a 1" wide piece of mouse pad for a backer. On HFs, I also have some long curved hemostats I use for sanding. I have big meat hooks and enjoy using them so the hemostats are used in "tight" situations.

LOL......All this is from memory as it's been over a year since I turned a bowl. In fact....I think I might have a bagged roughout out in the shop but I'll never find it until I finish the swing and then make a lumber storage device.
 
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Like every one else, I also hold inside a bowl, if my power sander won't fit... I use a side angle drill that I get off Amazon for about $29 to $39.... it will eventually fill up with sanding dust and strip the gears, but usually get 8 months to a year before it goes... other wise I box a 3 x 6 piece of sand paper and watch closely where my fingers are... I will say I have burned my fingers by not watching closely and letting the splay a little and rub the inside of the bowl... you can get a friction burn REAL quick doing that. I also work near the bottom of the bowl - I think they call it the 2 to 6 pm position...
 
I hand sand in most cases, but if the opening is small I will wrap sandpaper around a small spunge and clamp on to it with forceps, remembering not to put my fingers through the holes in the forceps, want to keep my fingers.
 
... you can get a friction burn REAL quick doing that...

If you're getting friction burns, you might try slowing down the lathe. Took me a while to prove it and believe it myself, but for me, sanding is actually faster and more efficient when the lathe is running slowly. I can rub my knuckles on the inside of a piece I'm sanding and still not get burned.
 
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