OK folks starting to sand on a barrel that is part octagon and I'm tired of just grabing something with a flat surface, wrapping the sanding paper around it and sanding away......what do you folks use....is there a sanding block out there?
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Sanding block question
- Thread starter Mike8623
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- Jun 7, 2013
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I use self adhesive sandpaper on wooden blocks of various shapes as required.
I would start by draw filing the tool marks out. Then use wet dry wrapped around the same file. Start with a 320 or so with cutting oil to keep the sand paper from loading up. You would be forever working those tooling marks out with just sanding by hand. A wood sanding block will round off the edges . By using a file to back the wet dry paper you can keep the edges crisp.
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- Nov 25, 2015
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I'm going to second the draw filing.
But not the info that a wooden block rounds over the edges.
For metal working, my blocks are maple. They are hard as a rock. But they won't harm the metal if I bang it against it accidentally. Your barrel would qualify for that safety.
For woodworking, I generally use softer woods to avoid dinging the wood if I bang against it accidentally and they have cork or felt bottoms, mostly cork.. The felt would round the edges, the cork might. And for your hex, that might be a good thing as a final easing of the edges.
But not the info that a wooden block rounds over the edges.
For metal working, my blocks are maple. They are hard as a rock. But they won't harm the metal if I bang it against it accidentally. Your barrel would qualify for that safety.
For woodworking, I generally use softer woods to avoid dinging the wood if I bang against it accidentally and they have cork or felt bottoms, mostly cork.. The felt would round the edges, the cork might. And for your hex, that might be a good thing as a final easing of the edges.
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- Oct 13, 2014
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- 6,703
You can also use spray adhesive on regular backed sandpaper. For metal, I adhere the sandpaper to aluminum blocks or extrusions, this way I can make a sanding tool of almost any shape.
Filling is usually the first step but you can also start with coarser paper. If not filing, I usually start at 80 grit for removal of mill marks then 120, 220, and so on till the desired finish.
Filling is usually the first step but you can also start with coarser paper. If not filing, I usually start at 80 grit for removal of mill marks then 120, 220, and so on till the desired finish.
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Thanks again folks. I did see an aluminum sanding block sold by Brownells, I think I'm going to finish up on the barrel as I've previously been doing.....but I'm going to make a copy of that sanding block they list. I've already figured out dimensions and waiting on the aluminum.
One request. We all like pictures. I would like to see a picture of your finished project, even some along the way to completion. 3 M used to have some good wet dry paper. You might want to explore using a fly cutter on some scrap and see how the finish is. Normally a fly cutter will leave a better finish than an end mill , will only remove 20 thousands at a pass.