"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote
LOL, well hopefully one day you will be able to obtain equipment that
works better and has stellar dust retention. When you can sand for hours,
stop and walk inside and sit down with out bringing any dust it becomes
more fun. 
Dust? That's what I like about my ROS. It makes lots of it. Tons. I got
a motor off of a 5 HP air compressor and converted it into a ROS. It is
heavy, but it will sand like a Manchurian Devil digging in the desert.
Using a 220 3 phase drop cord is cumbersome, but you get used to it, in the
search for the ultimate sanding job. I use 5/4" rough sawn lumber for face
frames and sand it all down to 3/4". I start out with # 2 grit sandpaper,
moving 1/2 grit closer to 1000 grit on every pass. Yep, that's right.
Almost 2,000 different grits before I use any finish.
Nothing is more satisfying than coming out of the woodshop, and shaking like
a dog, and seeing the whole neighborhood disappear under a fine coating of
dust. Honey bees flee in confusion, as they can't tell what is pollen and
what is dust. I also try to remember to blow my nose every time I stop
sanding. You have instant wood putty for cracks and nail holes that match
the wood you are working on sanding, and because it is water based, it takes
stain perfectly once it gets dry. Then I immediately start up the stairs
and track footprints through the house on the way to the den and my beloved
LazyBoy to take a break. When I get up, I beat on the chair with a broom to
get all of the dust back up into the air. After all, the multiple HEPA air
filters I have are expensive and should have to do some heavy lifting in
order to be justified in running 24/7. I had to upgrade to a 400 Amp
service to keep from blowing the main breaker with all of these magnificent
machines running all day and night.
To get the dust off of the frames, and out of the shop, I usually get the
water hose out, and spray down the entire shop. I can then tell which
machines are low on wax, when they immediately start to rust. Part of my
preventative maintenance program. The water goes on the wood I had been
sanding, of course, and raises all of the grain, which is why I sand it all
to 1000 grit to start with. After the grain raises, it looks like everyone
else's sanding jobs, less all of the swirls and marks that you get from all
of the finish sanders and such most people use.
So there, the real secret is out. How to sand stuff before you put smooth
stuff over it. g
Gosh sakes, people. Experiment a little. Each wood, each sander, each
project is different. Sand it until it looks good, then put some shiny stuff
on it.
I hope my guide has been useful, or at least entertaining.
PS. Not too many forests were harmed in the making of these cabinets. Just
2 or 3. The particulates that went into the air are my way of combating
global warming, which makes up for it.
--
Jim in NC
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