SawDustB Posted August 29, 2015 Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 Hey guys, So I'm making a kitchen helper right now using Marc's plans. I milled, ripped and cut to length all of the maple I'm using and went today to sand off the milling marks before assembling the various sections. I started by trying to use my planes, but I have either had great or awful results with them depending on the project and wood. After some awful tear out, I gave up and got out the random orbital sander. Some of the marks were taking forever to sand out at 80 grit, so I thought about alternatives. I have one of the combination 6 inch disk and 4x36 inch belt Sanders. I put a 120 grit belt on it a while ago, and decided to try it for the first round of finish sanding. It seems like it did a great job. Far less time than the random orbital, and because of the higher grit the finish seems at least as good. I was very careful not to round anything over, and pretty much exclusively used the part of the sander with the flat platen to avoid issues. Is there anything I'm missing? This seems like a way to shave off time with the low grits, at least for a project with parts that are mostly less than 2 feet like this one. I'll still run through the other grits with the random orbital or finish sander, but since all in sanding out is the previous grit it should take a lot less time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Since you're getting good results, as you said, I don't think there is something you're missing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Since you're getting good results, as you said, I don't think there is something you're missing. True enough. It's just not something I hear anyone else discuss doing, which made me wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Most people won't use belt sanders as finish sanders because it's so easy to end up with a ruined piece in the blink of an eye.Look at this recent thread: http://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/19613-whoa-times-have-changed-belt-sanders/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Finish sanding with a belt sander won't really work as is will create linear scratch patterns, unless you go up to a fairly high grit. However, it is a great way for fast stock removal. Be weary of creating valleys in the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) If it's taking forever to sand out milling marks with your ROS maybe try a different brand of sandpaper. I bought some Gator 80 grit disks and was very disappointed with the results. Switched to Norton 3x disks and it made a huge difference. It's one of those you get what you pay for deals. Edited August 30, 2015 by woodbutcher74 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I have a question. Are you talking about a milling procedure or a finishing procedure? A 4x36 stationary belt might be a good way in your work flow to remove some milling marks prior to assembly. Random orbit exists to excel where boards meet perpendicular to one another. Belts do not excel there. Most often nay sayers are cautioning against taking a hand held to a finished piece. Like Daniel said. The odds are heavier on the side of creating a problem for most guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I used the term finish sanding, but what I'm really talking about is removing milling marks. I always think of that as the first stage of cleaning up for finish, but I still need to do my joinery. Flushing up would be with a hand held sander or plane. I would never take a hand held belt to the piece, which I know is what most people react to. I guess I'm thinking of this as being the poor man's drum sander in my work flow. I'm still going to use a random orbital to go through 120 to 220 before finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 If it's taking forever to sand out milling marks with your ROS maybe try a different brand of sandpaper. I bought some Gator 80 grit disks and was very disappointed with the results. Switched to Norton 3x disks and it made a huge difference. It's one of those you get what you pay for deals. You may have a point. This is pretty cheap paper from the big box store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I guess I'm thinking of this as being the poor man's drum sander in my work flow.The critical difference being a drum sander acts in the same way as a planer, assuring parallel faces, whereas a belt sander will act like a jointer, which can easily create a wedge. It can remove a lot of material in a hurry and ruin a work piece...especially if it's pre-joinery. So that's what I'd be most wary of.I think the best advice would be to go back to the plane, make sure you're using the right plane and blade (angle) for the job, make sure you're sharpening properly, make sure your planing technique is sound, and practice, practice, practice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I didn't mean to imply that this does the same job as a drum sander. I definitely realize the danger of rounding pieces over or bringing them out of square. In this case I was removing pretty small amounts. Normally I wouldn't have needed to do this much sanding, but this maple tore out quite a lot in the planer. :blink: The hand plane is the tool I'd like to use for this job, but I'm pretty new to them. I've got an older 4,5,6, and block. I've had success with them on a couple of projects with forgiving wood, which this maple seems not to be. In this case, the kitchen helper is for my daughter's birthday in a couple of weeks so expediency wins the day. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick S Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I didn't mean to imply that this does the same job as a drum sander. I definitely realize the danger of rounding pieces over or bringing them out of square. In this case I was removing pretty small amounts. Normally I wouldn't have needed to do this much sanding, but this maple tore out quite a lot in the planer. The hand plane is the tool I'd like to use for this job, but I'm pretty new to them. I've got an older 4,5,6, and block. I've had success with them on a couple of projects with forgiving wood, which this maple seems not to be. In this case, the kitchen helper is for my daughter's birthday in a couple of weeks so expediency wins the day. Setting aside the time it takes to practice using planes and all that goes into it, e.g. sharpening, proper setup, choosing the right one for the task with the right blade angle, etc. will pay off in a very big way. You don't have to do it all at once, but there are so many "Ah ha!" moments to using a plane that it can be very rewarding. Or you could get one of these! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 The planes are definitely the long term plan. I suspect it's a combination of not sharp enough, my setup, and gnarly wood in this case. I have gotten good results, just not consistently. The last project I did I was able to use planes and scrapers for most of this stage, but it was using Peruvian walnut and elm. It was also a lot smaller. :) Thanks for the feedback, guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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