Sanding Principles

The purpose of sanding is really quite simple, to remove the minor imperfections left by the gouge when turning, thus enhancing the finish and appearance of the turned piece. It is not a process for shaping or removing large amounts of wood, although if we were all honest, we have been guilty of that in the past, and no doubt will be again in the future.

Sandpaper by its very nature and design, removes wood in a cutting/scraping action, thus leaving scratches in the surface of the sanded article. The degree of these scratches is directly proportional to the coarseness of the sandpaper aggregate. (Coarse paper, ect.: 80 grit, will leave great scratches in the surface, where 1200 grit would not leave a visible mark) It doesn't matter what type of paper you use, the principle of operation is the same. Therefore, you need a process that is time effective, yet removes the scratches, and this is achieved by gradually going from coarse to fine sandpaper. Each time you change to a finer grit, you should only be looking at removing the scratches left by the previous paper, not the scratches left by 2 or 3 papers ago.

I use the following paper grits:

• 150 grit is first if needed to get catch marks out or if the gouge finish is "rough".
• 220 grit is first if the gouge finish is acceptable.
• 320 grit to remove the scratches from the 220.
• 440 grit to remove the scratches from the 320.
• For soft woods, I do not go any finer but rather apply a finish here.
• 600 grit to remove the scratches from the 440 on harder woods.
• 1000 grit to remove the scratches from the 600 on harder woods.
• 1200 to finish. You can also follow with steel wool if you want.

Dry Hand Sanding Process and Tips

Turners tend to shy away from hand sanding as it is "hard work", "frustrating", "hard on your fingers with all that heat" and so on. All of these "problems" are of the turners own making. If the gouge finish is acceptable and you work your way through the grits as mentioned previously, only removing the scratches from the previous paper, then the problems will disappear. Here is what I do.

1. Finish the surfaces as clean as possible with the gouge.
2. Reduce the lathe speed to about half of the speed I was turning at, or about 700 rpm (common sense here please. I don't expect 24 inch platters to be doing 700 rpm).
3. Start with the lowest grit paper I see fit.
4. Stop and check that the surface is without marks from the gouge.
5. Work up the grits, just removing the marks left by the previous paper. If you see scratches that are from previous papers, don't waste your time and risk heating etc. by trying to remove them with the finer grades of paper, go back and do it properly. I stop between each grit to check that the marks are gone and that I am clear to proceed to the next finer paper.

And that is that. Following this simple principle of only removing the marks left in from the previous grit, you will not only avoid overheating and the risk of heat cracks, but you will find that the sanding is not actually hard work. Be aware though of the dust hazard. Protect yourself by wearing a proper dust mask, and be sure that you're working in a well ventilated area.

Power Sanding Process and Tips

For those hard to finish woods, open grained, complex grain, or just plain rubbish (rotten or at least part rotten) you can always turn to power sanding The power sander is essentially a device that fits in a standard electric drill. It has a soft pad on the end of any size really, with a corresponding sized piece of sandpaper attached. The combinations here are numerous. They can be of proprietary manufacture or home made. They can be big or small, The pads can be round or square, and the paper can be attached with adhesive, double sided tape or velcro. And so the options go on.

Here is what I do:

1. Finish the surfaces as clean as possible with the gouge.
2. Reduce the lathe speed to about 300 rpm.
3. Start with the lowest grit paper I see fit.
4. Run your drill an sanding disk at a high speed, approximately 1200 rpm.
5. Work form the inside to the outside and back again (bowls) or backwards and forwards up and down the length of spindles.
6. Do not stop in one place, as the amount of material that you are removing with the sanders are considerable. Doing so will also cause excessive heating, and heat cracks.
7. Stop and check that the surface is without marks from the gouge.
8. Work up the grits, just removing the marks left by the previous paper. (If you see scratches that are from previous papers, don't waste your time and risk heating etc. by trying to remove them with the finer grades of paper, go back and do it properly.)
9. If you find that your papers are clogging, you can clean them with a swipe of a wire brush. Again, I stop between each grit to check that the marks are gone and that I am clear to proceed to the next finer paper.

Wet Sanding, Hand and Power .

Wet sanding is a very good way to get away from the dust problem, and it tends to be a little gentler on the turned article. I use either water or oil, depending on the final finish and the type of article being turned, but the water is the cheapest option. If you are using water, you will also need to look a the type of paper being used as ordinary garnet papers tend to turn to paper mache and loose their grit. You will need a "wet and dry" type paper. This doesn't seem to be an issue with oil however. And what sort of oil you ask, the cheapest you can find. I use salad oil. Stay clear of peanut and soy bean as these both go rancid, and as a percentage of the oil will penetrate the surface of the turned article, this will be a problem later. After you get the required surface finish, I clean the surface thoroughly with rag, or paper napkins (cheaper and easily replenished) and then apply my desired finishing treatment.

These are some of the finishes that you could use.

Oil Finish

After working my way down through the various grits of sandpaper, and getting the finish that I am happy with, I soak the surface of the article in oil. In this case, the type of oil varies with the end use. For salad bowls and the like, I use salad oil. This can be re-coated after washing if needed, and is guaranteed food safe. For non food contact items, you can use any of the proprietary brand oils and treatments like Danish oil, Tung oil, Teak oil etc. You could also use the salad oil on these turnings.

A Cheap Homemade Wax

I use a lot of wax finishes, and one of my favorites is very simply to make, is very cheap, and wears quite well. It is a Beeswax polish. There are only two ingredients and it is very easy to make. The ingredients are beeswax, and vegetable turpentine (also known as artists turps). You need to melt the wax, and then add an equal volume of turpentine to it and then mix it all together. A double boiler is handy here. This is a heating device that consists of two pots, one inside the other. The outer one is filled with water, and when heated, this water transfers the heat to the inner pot. Thus the maximum temperature of the inner pot is the boiling point of the water, thus adding the safety. Also, the heat is general over the entire surface, rather than localized at the element or heating source.

WARNING - Please be careful during this melting and combining process as the turpentine is a flammable liquid. The mixture will be hot and could cause burns.

You will need to store the mixture in an airtight container when it's not being used, or you will end up with plain beeswax again after a short while as turpentine evaporates easily.

A Good Cheap Wood Sealer

Looking for something to seal that "hungry dry wood" and stop those expensive finishes from soaking away out of site. Try this cheap sealer, which with a little work and polishing, can actually make a serviceable finish as well.

• 1 part of Polyurethane (polyurethane clear finish)
• 1 part of linseed oil (raw)
• 1 part of Tung oil
• 1 part of vegetable or gum turpentine. They thin the mix and acts as a drying agent. Do not use Mineral Turps here.

You just apply this, let it dry, give it a light sanding, and then apply your favorite wax or oil finish. If you're using the mix as a finish, buff and polish while wet. Also a bit of friction heat will bring up a luster. Watch out you don't overheat it and cause heat cracks though.

DO NOT USE THIS ON FOOD ITEMS It is also not suitable for use under spirit based finishes, shellac, sanding sealer, etc.

Commercial Finishes

There are literally thousands of these, but I only use a few. They are:

• BRIWAX friction polish Spirit based. Gives a high gloss "coating" type finish. I use this for smaller bowls that I want a high gloss finish on. Needs little care after the turning is finished.
• C O Wax and Shine (No: 6) A wax containing carnouba, paraffin, shellac, montane and beeswax, solvent based, quick drying. Cheap ! (Silicon free) I use this for bud vases, non food bowls etc. Needs ongoing polishing and care.
• John Crossley's wood glow wax. This is a wax containing carnouba and beeswax, oil based, slow drying. Penetrates harder woods well. I use this on all sorts of things that I make from New Zealand native woods, which tend to be hard and respond well to the oils in his wax.
• Plasti-kote spray on poly.(Super Urethane) Alcohol resistant. Satin finish. I use this for wine goblets.
• BRIWAX natural wax polish. Fast drying combination of natural waxes. CONTAINS TOLUENE. Boy is this stuff hard on the skin. General polish, but I don't use it that often. It leaves a lasting finish.

Rex Haslip