"Old guy" wrote in message
news:AWNlh.197913$aJ.54273@attbi_s21...
Aren't we sidetracked here? The question is not heat or friction, but
what delivers the best looking piece of work.

My experience is that when I slow down the work, it looks better after I
sand it. Not exactly sure why, but it does. I have fewer deep scratches,
and better control so I don't sand off the sharp details. And high speed
sanding on softwood face turning, is a guarantee to ripples because the
softer summer wood is removed, leaving the harder spring wood (?).

Also it doesn't throw the dust as far, and the feel of the project is less
frantic--like I'm in control, not the machine.


I think if you sand without support for the sander other than the work
itself, you'll find that to be true. Less energy on the slow piece to throw
the tool back at you if you get a bum angle, and less likely that the bum
angle that tosses you (dare we say high-friction contact?) will cause a dig
when it does. Stopping the work entirely is risky business, however. Now
the scratch arcs form quickly from an improper tilt, and worse than arcs,
digs are possible. I like to sand with the support of my toolrest, more or
less an extension of the cutting process, where the work comes to the edge
for removal. Makes it easier to compensate for surface hardness differences
as well.

You must be sanding in some completely different format that I if travel on
the dust is a concern. I like it to travel, and encourage it to do so -
straight into my strategically place collector. Keeps it low and away from
my nose.