Hi All!

Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk finish on
wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to be able to
obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of starting with a
100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand paper clots at grits
over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water paper help. What are the
advantages od water paper over regular. Its wood I'm sanding not metal.

Help
Please

Keith
Newfoundland

"Keith Young" wrote in message
.. .
Hi All!

Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk finish
on wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to be able
to obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of starting
with a 100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand paper clots at
grits over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water paper help. What
are the advantages od water paper over regular. Its wood I'm sanding not
metal.


If your sandpaper clogs - which means it doesn't cut, but heats instead -
you may be sanding wood that has too much moisture in it. On fresh stuff, I
generally take a 120/150 grit pass only, reserving anything finer for later.
Even that often rips wet,weak fiber, clogging the paper.

Other than letting the piece dry before sanding 240 or below, you can use
open-coat papers, with less grit per square than regular. They're not as
aggressive, of course, but they will shed resin or wet fiber better,
especially if they're stearated - lubricated with soapy substances. You can
clean the paper with a crepe "eraser" or with my choice, a brass BBQ
cleaning brush. You'll lose a bit of grit either way, but the eraser seems
to work best on larger pieces under power, while the brush doesn't care.

Others have already told you about lubricated sanding. It needn't clog your
pores fully, however. Use the lightest of non-polar solvents - mineral
spirits - after using a more viscous one to clear the pores.

Keith Young wrote:
Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk finish on
wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to be able to
obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of starting with a
100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand paper clots at grits
over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water paper help. What are the
advantages od water paper over regular. Its wood I'm sanding not metal.

It would be really usefull if we knew what species of wood you are
sanding, and whether it is green or dry. Is this a spindle or bowl turning?

Dry maple will take a very nice finish if treated as follows. Start
sanding at the highest grit that will take out any tool marks etc. Don't
start at 100 grit if 180 will do. Likewise don't start at 240 grit if
that is going to take forever to do the job. That takes some experience
to figure out, but I can't tell you what grit to start at without seeing
the quality of the surface left by the tool. Indeed, it is possible to
leave such an awful surface with tools that no reasonable amount of
sanding will ever make a good job of it. When customers comment on the
quality of my finish and ask how I do it, I tell them it starts with
good tool work.

Whatever grit you start with, stop the lathe and check that it has
removed all signs of the tooling, such as ridges, burnishing or heavens
forbid - torn grain. If the shape of the turning allows it, I sometimes
hand sand a little at this stage, cutting with the grain. Then move onto
the next grit with the lathe running. Repeat through all the grits,
stopping to check at each step that you have removed all signs of the
marks left by the previous step. On maple I will usually sand to 800
grit, before moving on to oiling and the beall buffer.

You can read some more about sanding in this blog post, and the post it
refers too:
http://seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToo...ng-advise.html
Your clogging problem could be related to lathe speed, or sanding disk
speed if that is what you are using. It could also be poor quality
abrasive. I use the turners rolls sold by Lee Valley and others. It is
cloth backed and flexible. But it doesn't last for ever. When it looses
its bite, throw it away and use some fresh abrasive.

--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com - a blog for my customers
http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToolrest/ - a blog for woodturners

The wood I'm using currently is Birch. It reasonably dry. Currently its in
the shape of a platter for a lazy susan. It thickness is about a 1/4 of an
inch. Other than Birch the other wood I use is Maple .

Keith
Newfoundland


"Derek Andrews" wrote in message
...
Keith Young wrote:
Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk finish
on wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to be able
to obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of starting
with a 100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand paper clots
at grits over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water paper help.
What are the advantages od water paper over regular. Its wood I'm sanding
not metal.

It would be really usefull if we knew what species of wood you are
sanding, and whether it is green or dry. Is this a spindle or bowl
turning?

Dry maple will take a very nice finish if treated as follows. Start
sanding at the highest grit that will take out any tool marks etc. Don't
start at 100 grit if 180 will do. Likewise don't start at 240 grit if that
is going to take forever to do the job. That takes some experience to
figure out, but I can't tell you what grit to start at without seeing the
quality of the surface left by the tool. Indeed, it is possible to leave
such an awful surface with tools that no reasonable amount of sanding will
ever make a good job of it. When customers comment on the quality of my
finish and ask how I do it, I tell them it starts with good tool work.

Whatever grit you start with, stop the lathe and check that it has removed
all signs of the tooling, such as ridges, burnishing or heavens forbid -
torn grain. If the shape of the turning allows it, I sometimes hand sand a
little at this stage, cutting with the grain. Then move onto the next grit
with the lathe running. Repeat through all the grits, stopping to check at
each step that you have removed all signs of the marks left by the
previous step. On maple I will usually sand to 800 grit, before moving on
to oiling and the beall buffer.

You can read some more about sanding in this blog post, and the post it
refers too:
http://seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToo...ng-advise.html
Your clogging problem could be related to lathe speed, or sanding disk
speed if that is what you are using. It could also be poor quality
abrasive. I use the turners rolls sold by Lee Valley and others. It is
cloth backed and flexible. But it doesn't last for ever. When it looses
its bite, throw it away and use some fresh abrasive.

--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com - a blog for my customers
http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToolrest/ - a blog for woodturners

Sorry its end turning

Keith
Newfoundland

"Keith Young" wrote in message
...
The wood I'm using currently is Birch. It reasonably dry. Currently its in
the shape of a platter for a lazy susan. It thickness is about a 1/4 of an
inch. Other than Birch the other wood I use is Maple .

Keith
Newfoundland


"Derek Andrews" wrote in
message ...
Keith Young wrote:
Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk
finish on wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to
be able to obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of
starting with a 100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand
paper clots at grits over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water
paper help. What are the advantages od water paper over regular. Its
wood I'm sanding not metal.

It would be really usefull if we knew what species of wood you are
sanding, and whether it is green or dry. Is this a spindle or bowl
turning?

Dry maple will take a very nice finish if treated as follows. Start
sanding at the highest grit that will take out any tool marks etc. Don't
start at 100 grit if 180 will do. Likewise don't start at 240 grit if
that is going to take forever to do the job. That takes some experience
to figure out, but I can't tell you what grit to start at without seeing
the quality of the surface left by the tool. Indeed, it is possible to
leave such an awful surface with tools that no reasonable amount of
sanding will ever make a good job of it. When customers comment on the
quality of my finish and ask how I do it, I tell them it starts with good
tool work.

Whatever grit you start with, stop the lathe and check that it has
removed all signs of the tooling, such as ridges, burnishing or heavens
forbid - torn grain. If the shape of the turning allows it, I sometimes
hand sand a little at this stage, cutting with the grain. Then move onto
the next grit with the lathe running. Repeat through all the grits,
stopping to check at each step that you have removed all signs of the
marks left by the previous step. On maple I will usually sand to 800
grit, before moving on to oiling and the beall buffer.

You can read some more about sanding in this blog post, and the post it
refers too:
http://seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToo...ng-advise.html
Your clogging problem could be related to lathe speed, or sanding disk
speed if that is what you are using. It could also be poor quality
abrasive. I use the turners rolls sold by Lee Valley and others. It is
cloth backed and flexible. But it doesn't last for ever. When it looses
its bite, throw it away and use some fresh abrasive.

--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com - a blog for my customers
http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToolrest/ - a blog for woodturners

Keith,


I like to use the dark red alumium oxide paper waterproof, starting with nr
100, then 150, 220 and ending with 320or 400. Even on wet wood this works
quite well, because its special for wood and you can clean it. I'm cleaning
it in 2 different ways: by tapping it unfolded with its back on the bed of
my lathe, so the bigger spots of wet dust wil jump of. The other way is by
putting them overnight in a bucket of water. the next day the will be clean
and you can dry them by hanging them with clothes-pegs.
Just a dutch way of doing things.

Dutchturner Chris.
"Keith Young" schreef in bericht
.. .
Hi All!

Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk finish
on wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to be able
to obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of starting
with a 100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand paper clots at
grits over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water paper help. What
are the advantages od water paper over regular. Its wood I'm sanding not
metal.

Help
Please

Keith
Newfoundland

Keith Young wrote:
Sorry its end turning

Whoa! You may mean something different, but the normal use of the term
'end grain' turning has the grain oriented parallel to the lathe's axis.
It is normally used for very small bowls, vase forms that are deeper
than their diameter, goblets etc. It would not make a very strong lazy
susan. Perhaps you can clarify.

End grain is typically harder to cut and to sand than side grain.

--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com - a blog for my customers
http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToolrest/ - a blog for woodturners

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 20:00:55 GMT, Derek Andrews
wrote:

Keith Young wrote:
Sorry its end turning

Whoa! You may mean something different, but the normal use of the term
'end grain' turning has the grain oriented parallel to the lathe's axis.
It is normally used for very small bowls, vase forms that are deeper
than their diameter, goblets etc. It would not make a very strong lazy
susan. Perhaps you can clarify.

End grain is typically harder to cut and to sand than side grain.

I think he means orientation, Derek.. like faceplate turning??

I'm guessing that he was answering your question about spindle turning..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"Derek Andrews" wrote in message
...
Keith Young wrote:
Sorry its end turning

..

End grain is typically harder to cut and to sand than side grain.

Not in a platter (slab) orientation, it wouldn't be. Essentially random
nature hides a multitude of sanding sins.

IMHO I think you should try for the best final cut possible, then using
cloth backed grits start around 180, not using too much pressure mind, then
move up through the grades when the amount of dust drops and you have
removed signs of what the last grit did. fold the grit up so you have at
least three layers between you and the wood, and keep it moving all the
time, too much pressure will clog the grits and heat the wood. Be patient,
if you rush it the piece will feel and look rough no matter how many layers
of finish you put on.
Hotfoot


"George" George@least wrote in message
...

"Derek Andrews" wrote in
message
...
Keith Young wrote:
Sorry its end turning

.

End grain is typically harder to cut and to sand than side grain.

Not in a platter (slab) orientation, it wouldn't be. Essentially random
nature hides a multitude of sanding sins.

Ye guys are great and I'm learning. I'm starting to notice a real
improvement already,

Keith

"Chris van Aar" wrote in message
t.nl...
Keith,


I like to use the dark red alumium oxide paper waterproof, starting with
nr 100, then 150, 220 and ending with 320or 400. Even on wet wood this
works quite well, because its special for wood and you can clean it. I'm
cleaning it in 2 different ways: by tapping it unfolded with its back on
the bed of my lathe, so the bigger spots of wet dust wil jump of. The
other way is by putting them overnight in a bucket of water. the next day
the will be clean and you can dry them by hanging them with clothes-pegs.
Just a dutch way of doing things.

Dutchturner Chris.
"Keith Young" schreef in bericht
.. .
Hi All!

Would somebody tell me the proper techniques for obtaining a silk finish
on wood turnings! Am I not been patience enough. I never seem to be able
to obtain a really perfect sand finish. It is just a matter of starting
with a 100 grit or so and advancing to 400 or more? My sand paper clots
at grits over 250. Do you clean the sandpaper? Will a water paper help.
What are the advantages od water paper over regular. Its wood I'm sanding
not metal.

Help
Please

Keith
Newfoundland

Thanks, That where I'm having the sucess.And Patience is the answer.

Keith
Newfoundland

"outofthewoods" wrote in message
...
IMHO I think you should try for the best final cut possible, then using
cloth backed grits start around 180, not using too much pressure mind,
then
move up through the grades when the amount of dust drops and you have
removed signs of what the last grit did. fold the grit up so you have at
least three layers between you and the wood, and keep it moving all the
time, too much pressure will clog the grits and heat the wood. Be
patient,
if you rush it the piece will feel and look rough no matter how many
layers
of finish you put on.
Hotfoot


"George" George@least wrote in message
...

"Derek Andrews" wrote in
message
...
Keith Young wrote:
Sorry its end turning

.

End grain is typically harder to cut and to sand than side grain.

Not in a platter (slab) orientation, it wouldn't be. Essentially random
nature hides a multitude of sanding sins.