# Sanding



## schwingding (Dec 5, 2007)

*Sanding*

The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.

There is an old adage that says "the finish goes on before the finish goes on". This refers to surface preparation, sanding included. This series will hopefully shed some light on the techniques I've painstakingly tried to learn from some of the masters who were kind enough to help me.

Some woods can be polished to a high luster, almost glossy finish with no finish at all. Hard maple is one such example, bubinga is another. Others get wonderful sheens to them, hand planed pine is a soft wood that lends itself well to such surface finishing - with the right kind of plane.

Most woods can be finished more pleasingly with planes and scrapers than they can be with sandpaper. The reason for this is that sandpaper is an abrasive, whereas a plane is a bladed cutting tool. The sandpaper will actually abrade the grain, leaving a microscopically "fuzzy" surface that is smooth to the touch, but not the microscope. A hand plane shears the grain cleanly, leaving a sharply defined, very flat surface that reflects light. Probably the greatest reason that more woodworkers don't use handplanes to finish surface their projects is that it is a difficult skill to learn, and a random orbit sander is so easy. One has to learn how to read the wood with handplanes, as all woods react differently to an iron. Some surfaces, like curly maple, are incredibly hard to hand plane, requiring smoothing planes with very high angled blades and cross grain cutting techniques. Other woods, like cherry, plane wonderfully with a simple old Stanley #5. This past weekend I showed my home builder brother just how fantastic a surface can be put on a piece of pine with a low angled plane - he was floored.

The results are well worth the trouble.

Another reason to avoid a hand plane for a finished surface is the choice of finish. Planed surfaces aren't great for receiving stains and dyes. When I am to apply a dye to a surface I'll plane it finish ready then go over it with 220 sandpaper prior to being dyed.

Sanding flat surfaces is no big deal, and a skill most woodworkers have mastered. A few hints might help a little here and there though, so here goes;

Use fresh sandpaper! I'll repeat that it because it is the most important thing we need to know. Use fresh sandpaper! Use sandpaper like someone else is paying for it. Start with a grit lower than your first choice. If you wind up with sanding swirls after using your ROS (random orbit sander), go over the surface again, this time by hand, WITH the grain orientation. You'll see those swirls disappear.

Wipe the surface off before starting on the next higher grit. The reason for this is that sanding grit comes loose from the backer during sanding, and coarse grit on the surface will scratch the surface as you go over it with the higher grit. Do this every time! Work your way up to the desired grit in this fashion and you will have a scratch, swirl free surface. When you're done, consider going over the surface with a freshly tuned cabinet scraper, or some Liberon 0000 wool, depending on the look you're after. You'll likely be pleased. The steel wool will give it finish similar to that of a satin piano finish. The scraper will get it closer to that of a hand planed finish.

Liberon steel wool is the finest I've ever used. Some of the non metallic woven pads are also good for polishing the surface, WEB abrasives makes a synthetic steel wool that is pretty good, neat stuff. I like it because it won't leave metal in the surface that might react with finishes or moisture over time.

Abranet is a product I've been using lately for sanding. It is a metallic screen with grit particles somehow attached to it. Truly marvelous stuff! It has replaced all of my standard ROS discs.

The next entry will deal with sanding round objects and discuss the use of Micro Mesh products. The entry after that will deal with sanding small, complex surfaces. I hope these blog entries turn out to be of some value.


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


thank you for this info. 
this will be a great series.


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## gbvinc (Aug 6, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Great info. Keep going…


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## alindobra (Oct 3, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Mike,

The info is greatly appreciated. Please keep writing this blog.

Alin


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Very valuable. Thanks.


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Sweet. Thank you. Keep it comming.


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## rjack (Nov 5, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


I look forward to the rest of the series!


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## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


I hate sanding. But like you I realized that the finish is often what makes the difference between good and great. So, I sand. And I really appreciate you taking the time to write this … please continue.


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## TonyWard (Jul 20, 2006)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Well done. I too look forward to the next article!

Can you provide more information on WEB abrasives maker of a synthetic steel wool".

Thank you


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## schwingding (Dec 5, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Re: WEBB abrasives

If you go to the following location (Woodcentral) and scroll down the screen you'll see a link to WEBB abrasives (2 Bs). Look to the left and you'll see a promotion where they'll send you a 23 piece sanding kit, for free. I believe they also sell in local Glidden stores, but don't quote me on that.


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## Argyllshire (Sep 13, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Good info! Our cabinet/counter shop switched over to *Abralon* and *Abranet* years ago and the improvement was measurable.No grit to fall off and rescratch the surface,though we do tack thoroughly between grits anyway.The "papers" last longer also,a lot longer.These are great for wet sanding too.The Abralon is the way to go for contours.Great products.


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


If it will make our projects look a little like yours keep these types of handy tidbits coming. They are very welcome and we know they work. mike


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


Good information. Thanks for sharing it with us all. I agree about finish and color. The best wood and joinery is just wasted if there is not a great finish. I also use the hand plane then sand with 220. I thought I was the only one nuts enough to do that but find I'm not. Like you I found it made the wood take stain and finish better. I think that if one was going to use just an oil finish, the plane would produce a better finish.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding*
> 
> The first few times I picked up or looked at something a real professional, award winning woodworker made I marveled at one thing in particular - the finish. The most notable feature to me was an almost universal lack of sanding scratches, even in the fine detail.
> 
> ...


could you expand on your thoughts about the wire disks? Are they cost effective over time? I'm thinking about getting some sandpaper disks for a 5" ROS and if these are a better replacement over the long haul, maybe I should just go this route from the get go. Just wondering about your thoughts on this. Thanks!


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## schwingding (Dec 5, 2007)

*Sanding round (lathe) work*

My previous entry set the stage for my approach to sanding, namely that is not an afterthought, rather an integral part of the woodworking process. I can remember the days when I enjoyed the building more than the finishing and simply got it over as quickly as possible. My results showed exactly that. I'm going to express a strong statement here: *Sanding scratches are the mark of a poor craftsman.*

This blog will teach and show you how to produce turned work that is free from those circular sanding scratches you see in most turners' work.

The most typical sanding error seen in a woodturner's work is the circular sanding marks that circumscribe the surface of a bowl. You've seen them. You've even created them, those marks that occur when you hold a piece of sandpaper against a spinning chunk of wood on the lathe. I hate them and am on a personal quest to rid them from the earth.

The first and best way to avoid these scratches is learn proper gouge technique. It is quite possible to turn both interior and exterior surfaces that really need little or no sanding, but that discussion is outside the scope of this blog entry.

Lets face it, sanding with the lathe turned on is great, it is fast, quick, and easy, except for those darned scratches. They occur quite simply from stationary (unmoving) sanding grit staying in contact with the rotating bowl surface. If you are sanding by hand with the bowl rotating, there are a few things you can do to improve your results.

1. Lathe speed low. Very low. This will prevent the stationary sanding grit from creating a long straight scratch pattern.
2. Hand speed high. Very high. Keep your hand constantly moving back and forth on the bowl surface, never ever ever letting it stand still for even a moment. This will also prevent long scratch patterns from forming.
3. After each grit with the lathe turned on, turn it off and lock the spindle. Use that same grit by hand again, going over the bowl with the grain orientation. Any sanding scratches will be removed.

In between grits, wipe the surface off with a tack cloth and/or compressed air. This will remove any grit that has come loose and keep it from rescratching the surface with the next higher grit.

Eventually you will want to power sand, with a drill mounted sanding pad and the lathe turned on. This is a great way to speed up the process but you can still wind up with the same poor results if you are not careful. In fact, it is easier to make mistakes and alter the form of your turning as you can sand with more gusto, removing more material with each pass. The same exact process applies as when doing the sanding by hand, low lathe speed, very high drill speed. Never let it stay in one spot for even a moment. When done, lock the spindle and go over it again with the powered drill, this time in the reverse direction (reverse the drill rotation). You'll see your sanding improve immediately. Also, if your lathe is reversible, reverse the lathe rotation direction with each successive grit.

Employ critical observation in your sanding process. Take the piece off of the lathe (chucked up). Put it in a bright light, examine it in a very detailed manner. Move the light around, (incandescents, btw, fluorescents won't show the problems well), wet the surface with mineral spirits. *PUT ON YOUR READING GLASSES*. Look for scratches, because I can tell you that in a competition/show the jury will. Wetting the surface with mineral spirits will give you an idea of how it will look with a finish on it, and often will show hidden defects that need more work. It is a very good method for detecting sanding scratches.

Consider raising the grain on your projects. I hate to do it too because it requires even more sanding and time, but it helps with the finishing process. After you get to 320 grit, wipe the surface down with water, then wait for it to dry. Go back to 220 grit and proceed from there.

What to sand with? There are many, many choices, and you'll have to find one that works for you. I prefer the sanding discs made by Steve Worster. http://www.turningwood.com/

He also sells Abralon discs and Micro Mesh discs. Abralon is fantastic stuff for turners. It offers grits from 360-4000 grit and is wonderful for polishing the surface. Polish with Abralon and then finish with Watco oil - you'll be amazed at the finish.

Micro Mesh - a cushioned abrasive used for polishing scratches out of windows, is also now available in discs for power sanding. I have only used the micro mesh paper, but with my next order will probably try some of the pads. For now I highly recommend Abralon pads for your powered sanding work at high grit.

Try some of my techniques - if you don't like the results you can always go back to your old methods. And remember, sanding scratches are the mark of someone not concerned with quality. You won't get to the top without putting in top level effort. You would be AMAZED at the amount of time the top level turners put into their work.


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding round (lathe) work*
> 
> My previous entry set the stage for my approach to sanding, namely that is not an afterthought, rather an integral part of the woodworking process. I can remember the days when I enjoyed the building more than the finishing and simply got it over as quickly as possible. My results showed exactly that. I'm going to express a strong statement here: *Sanding scratches are the mark of a poor craftsman.*
> 
> ...


another great list of tips. 
Thank you


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding round (lathe) work*
> 
> My previous entry set the stage for my approach to sanding, namely that is not an afterthought, rather an integral part of the woodworking process. I can remember the days when I enjoyed the building more than the finishing and simply got it over as quickly as possible. My results showed exactly that. I'm going to express a strong statement here: *Sanding scratches are the mark of a poor craftsman.*
> 
> ...


Thanks. The slow spindle speed with fast hand speed makes sense. Kind of like how an oscillating spindle or belt sander does a better job than stationary.


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## alindobra (Oct 3, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding round (lathe) work*
> 
> My previous entry set the stage for my approach to sanding, namely that is not an afterthought, rather an integral part of the woodworking process. I can remember the days when I enjoyed the building more than the finishing and simply got it over as quickly as possible. My results showed exactly that. I'm going to express a strong statement here: *Sanding scratches are the mark of a poor craftsman.*
> 
> ...


Mike,

First, great advice. What I also noticed is that I can do a little shaping with sandpaper (correcting the curve on a thin stem for a goblet for example; by the time I'm done I'm too nervous to do small corrections with the gouge and the sandpaper works fine).

About what proportion of the time you spend sanding your pieces. I find I spend as much time (or more) sanding than turning. It got better though since I wet sand.

Do you have any experience sanding green wood on the lather (soaking wet preferably)?
I'm having mixed results with it (depending on the wood species).

Alin


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding round (lathe) work*
> 
> My previous entry set the stage for my approach to sanding, namely that is not an afterthought, rather an integral part of the woodworking process. I can remember the days when I enjoyed the building more than the finishing and simply got it over as quickly as possible. My results showed exactly that. I'm going to express a strong statement here: *Sanding scratches are the mark of a poor craftsman.*
> 
> ...


Great tips. Thanks for the info. Some of these techniques are good for flat boarders also.


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Sanding round (lathe) work*
> 
> My previous entry set the stage for my approach to sanding, namely that is not an afterthought, rather an integral part of the woodworking process. I can remember the days when I enjoyed the building more than the finishing and simply got it over as quickly as possible. My results showed exactly that. I'm going to express a strong statement here: *Sanding scratches are the mark of a poor craftsman.*
> 
> ...


You're a great writer. Please keep it coming. Thanks.


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## schwingding (Dec 5, 2007)

*Don't sweat the small stuff*

As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.

In general, small work does not require the same perfect, unblemished sanding/preparation that flat work does, as the eye can only focus on a few planes at a time, whereas a large surface can be examined for differences in the finish with only a glance. That does not mean you shouldn't shoot for perfection, however.

First lets talk about sanding small stuff, rather than incredibly detailed work. If it is flat, you can probably get by with your tried and true sanding methods, except in small corners and overhangs, or for example in a box - sanding that bottom inside corner can be problematic. You can alleviate much of the problems here by thinking about how you're going to sand a piece before you put it together. Where you think there may be a challenge, sand the work before you attach or assemble it. This saves a lot of time later on, as well as frustration. When assembling such pieces that have been pre-sanded, put some blue painter's tape just outside the glue line to keep the glue from getting on the work, as glue causes problems with finish penetration and adhesion. Other difficult to sand things on flat work might include moldings, their odd profiles can be difficult to sand without removing the detail. There are contoured sanding pads available for these, but I don't find them to be worth the trouble. The tool catalogs are full of them…in my opinion you won't see them in tool catalogs who's owners actually are woodworkers. Check with LeeValley - no sanding gimmicks. However, look at Woodcraft - they carry all of the money pits..









If you really want to sand your profile perfectly, take a scrap piece of your molding, wrap it in plastic or wax paper, and apply a heathly dollop of expanding insulation foam to it. As it expands mold it into a shape that you can hold on one side and allow the other to form itself to the shape of the molding profile. When it has hardened, attach some sandpaper to that profile, you'll have an exact match contour sander. A drill press mounted sanding mop (also from Klingspor's )







can be used extremely effectively on moldings, before they're attached. These mops are expensive but *WELL* worth the money in time savings and quality improvements. I have several and use them constantly.

"straight line disease". That is what I call the sanding marks you see in corners, against molding profiles and anywhere you can't get a power sander that has been hand sanded. Look into the insider corner of a drawer or a box or up against a molding - you will see sanding scratches that are perfectly parallel to the long plane of the nearby junction. These are caused by sanding in the same exact plane and direction against a corner or joint. They represent inferior work and are fortunately not difficult to avoid by sanding in small circles with a sanding aid. If the area is too narrow to get your fingers in, use a pencil with the eraser side on the sandpaper. Or if you have a rotary tool, use a rotary tool, or the Fein multimaster will also do a good job there. All said, these things are the best tool I have ever discovered for sanding difficult items…







. they are mini sanding mops from Klingspor's woodworking shop. There is nothing these things can't do, and they leave absolutely no sanding scratches.

If however, your work is an item like the spoon here,







you will need different tools, and have to wait till my next blog entry as this one is getting too long.


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## alindobra (Oct 3, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


Mike,

Thanks a lot for the follow up on your sanding series. It really helps the rest of us to get good on the last mile. One of the first things people tell me about a piece is: "I really like how smooth it is and how nice it feels".

Alin


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


a wonderful blog series! 
very informative


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


Great info! Keep it coming. Thanks so much for taking the time.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


Great series. Sanding Huh. I never thought much about it. NOT.

I guess you can do too much. But definitely not enough.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


A lot of good thoughts there. Thanks!


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## alindobra (Oct 3, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


Mike,

I bought the Klingspor mop you mention in the blog (80 grit) and I noticed something interesting. I t works very well on uniformly dense woods but tends to form ridges on not uniformly dense like oak and especially pine. On pine is basically sands between the dark rings.

Another thing I noticed is that you cannot do any shape correction at all with it (a feature I guess since you want to keep the profile shape intact). It seems that the newwave disks and these mops complement each other nicely.

Did you notice the first behavior yourself or I'm doing something wrong?

Alin


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## rikkor (Oct 17, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


A lot of good information. Thanks.


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## schwingding (Dec 5, 2007)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


Alin, thanks for trusting me enough to buy my recommendations. I have not noticed that behavior but it is likely because I don't work in those types of woods. Most of my work is in very dense, slow growth exotics. I can understand how it might sand oak and softer woods in the manner you describe. Also, I don't have the 80 grit mop so my sanding is probably not as aggressive with the mop as yours may be. I don't think you are doing anything wrong. I hope you can get some use out of it - if not, I'll buy it from you. Let me know.


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## bennie (Aug 1, 2009)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


Alin, when using the Klingspor mop on soft woods you need to use a higher number of grit which will be less agressive and give you the results you're after.

Bennie, Israel


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

schwingding said:


> *Don't sweat the small stuff*
> 
> As I've discussed in the previous two entries to this blog series, finishing is an important part of the "craftsmanship " that goes into your work. We've talked about sanding flat stuff, round stuff, and now we'll talk about sanding the small, detailed stuff. We will make a distinction between small items like a spoon and detailed items like a face carving, as they require different methods. I'll also show you the actual products that I like to use in each situation. I think this blog entry might take some time and may need to be done in parts.
> 
> ...


A lot of good info


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