I agree with Peter, I only power sand bowls. Really speeds up the process
and is the only way I've ever been able to get a good finish on the inside.
I hand sand for hollow vessels, spindle work etc.
Tony Manella
ndd1"at"prolog.net (remove "at")
http://home.ptd.net/~ndd1/
Lehigh Valley Woodturners
http://www.lehighvalleywoodturners.com/

"Peter Teubel" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 13:42:14 GMT, william kossack
wrote:

I've been turning for a couple years. For about a year and a half I
sanded my turning by hand using plain sandpaper (usually the same stuff
I used to sand my other woodworking projects).

This year I replaced my lathe with one with more power and a reversing
motor. I've also been buying those expensive sanding disks because I've
been wanting to improve the appearance of my finished turnings.

However a nagging memory has been haunting me, I remember seeing
something about not needing sanding disks if your lathe will reverse.

I've also seen some demos where sanding was done just by holding the
sandpaper by hand and not using a drill and velcro sanding disk.

How many turners use the sanding disks? How many don't?

Which is better?

For bowl work I *ONLY* powersand with 2, 3, or 5" discs. Personally, I
wouldn't even CONSIDER handsanding them. I find the finish
and speed of powersanding vastly superior and faster. Yet some folks like
to handsand. Each of us have our own way of doing
things.

For good prices on good quality sanding discs, try
http:\\www.sandpaper.ca

Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://www.revolutionary-turners.com