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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?

Thanks,
Jim
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Jan 8, 11:10*am, jtpr wrote:
I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. *It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. *Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. *As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get *one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. *I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. *Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? *If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?

Thanks,
Jim


One thing that works for me, is when I make a lattice/grid of diagonal
pencil lines all over the face of the board. About 1" apart.
Then I take a full sheet of 100 grit and stick it to a slab of MDF of
the same size. I then block-sand till I see the pencil marks disappear
at the high spots. Now that I know where the high spots are, I
beltsand ever so carefully expand the high spots to blend into the
valleys. The pencil marks also will let you know of you digging the
heel or the toe disproportionally into the top.
You can replace the pencil marks as you please to give you a good
visual of what you're doing.
Don't push onto the beltsander, there usually is no need for that....
and keep it moving. Do not loiter.
Repeat when required, wipe hands on pants.
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Jan 8, 11:28*am, Robatoy wrote:
On Jan 8, 11:10*am, jtpr wrote:

I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. *It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. *Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. *As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get *one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. *I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. *Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? *If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?


Thanks,
Jim


One thing that works for me, is when I make a lattice/grid of diagonal
pencil lines all over the face of the board. About 1" apart.
Then I take a full sheet of 100 grit and stick it to a slab of MDF of
the same size. I then block-sand till I see the pencil marks disappear
at the high spots. Now that I know where the high spots are, I
beltsand ever so carefully expand the high spots to blend into the
valleys. The pencil marks also will let you know of you digging the
heel or the toe disproportionally into the top.
You can replace the pencil marks as you please to give you a good
visual of what you're doing.
Don't push onto the beltsander, there usually is no need for that....
and keep it moving. Do not loiter.
Repeat when required, wipe hands on pants.


Thank you. Do you sand with the grain, across the grain, diagonally,
or circular motion?

-Jim
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Jan 8, 11:10*am, jtpr wrote:
I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. *It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. *Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. *As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get *one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. *I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. *Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? *If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?

Thanks,
Jim


Jim,

Have you thought about taking it to a shop that can sand it for a fee?
I did that once when I had a few large cherry panels to sand.

Ted
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:28:14 -0800, Robatoy wrote:

Nothing that I can see. Obviously there was text there, as I saw it in
the OPs response. Was ist los?

I'm using Pan under Linux and it seems to work for other posts. Except I
got the same thing for a post by joyted in this same thread.

I'm baffled. Anyone know the reason for Pan's obliviousness to those two
posts?



--
It's turtles, all the way down


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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Jan 8, 11:18*am, Nova wrote:

*If you want to try
the belt sander the following article should get you started:

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip021101wb.html


You should also spend a little time practicing on scrap plywood or old
panels. It is difficult to understand (until you have ruined a
project piece in just seconds) how aggressive a belt sander can be.

And the technique and balanced pressure on the machine needed to use
the heavier grits that are being recommended isn't something you
develop in a pass or two.

Robert
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

"jtpr" wrote:

I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. It

involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth.

Time to let your fingers do the walking.

Find a commercial drum sander in your area.

Around here there are several.

For less than $30, you will have a flat top.

Have fun.

Lew



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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in
:

I'm using Pan under Linux and it seems to work for other posts.
Except I got the same thing for a post by joyted in this same thread.

I'm baffled. Anyone know the reason for Pan's obliviousness to those
two posts?


Not a clue; I've looked through the raw text and can't find anything in the
headers or body that would account for that.

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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Thu, 8 Jan 2009 08:58:02 -0800 (PST), jtpr
wrote:

On Jan 8, 11:28*am, Robatoy wrote:
On Jan 8, 11:10*am, jtpr wrote:

I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. *It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. *Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. *As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get *one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. *I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. *Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? *If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?


Thanks,
Jim


One thing that works for me, is when I make a lattice/grid of diagonal
pencil lines all over the face of the board. About 1" apart.
Then I take a full sheet of 100 grit and stick it to a slab of MDF of
the same size. I then block-sand till I see the pencil marks disappear
at the high spots. Now that I know where the high spots are, I
beltsand ever so carefully expand the high spots to blend into the
valleys. The pencil marks also will let you know of you digging the
heel or the toe disproportionally into the top.
You can replace the pencil marks as you please to give you a good
visual of what you're doing.
Don't push onto the beltsander, there usually is no need for that....
and keep it moving. Do not loiter.
Repeat when required, wipe hands on pants.


Thank you. Do you sand with the grain, across the grain, diagonally,
or circular motion?

-Jim


Jim,

Further down the thread, Nailshooter has a link to a good how to
thread. I personally never sand directly across the grain, but about
a 30 degree max angle with the grain initially. Once the surface is
relatively flat, only sand with the grain with progressively finer
belts.

I will say that using a belt sander in this manner can be a little
tricky. You have to take care that the sander stays flat on the
surface. Any tipping of the sander to the side can set you back to
square one (or beyond). Be careful not to apply too much pressure -
light to moderate pressure only and let the sander do the work.

Finally, unless you plan to do more woodworking that requires a belt
sander, you might be better off looking for a shop that will run it
through a sander for you.

Bill


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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:18:32 -0600, Larry Blanchard wrote:

On Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:28:14 -0800, Robatoy wrote:

Nothing that I can see. Obviously there was text there, as I saw it in
the OPs response. Was ist los?

I'm using Pan under Linux and it seems to work for other posts. Except
I got the same thing for a post by joyted in this same thread.

I'm baffled. Anyone know the reason for Pan's obliviousness to those
two posts?


I may have found a clue. Both posts I can't read include in the headers:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

I can find on others in the group with that line after checking 10 -20
other posts. The closest is a post that contains:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

and I can read it fine.

Ah, the joys of computing. If I have more trouble reading posts, I'll
check with a Pan/Ubuntu group.



--
It's turtles, all the way down
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

Have you looked for a cabinet shop in your area? I know of at least
one luthier who "rents" time on a shop drum sander. If it's not in
use and he pays for the sanding paper...

Anyway they would show up with multiple instrument fronts and backs to
thin down to their playing thicknesses. After spending a couple of
hours at the shop everyone is happy.


On Thu, 8 Jan 2009 08:58:02 -0800 (PST), jtpr
wrote:

On Jan 8, 11:28*am, Robatoy wrote:


Thank you. Do you sand with the grain, across the grain, diagonally,
or circular motion?

-Jim

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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Jan 8, 10:10*am, jtpr wrote:
I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. *It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. *Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. *As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get *one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. *I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. *Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? *If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?

Thanks,
Jim


Maybe you could borrow or rent a floor sander -- (Assuming that you
could detach the top and do the sanding on the floor.)
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Jan 9, 2:23*am, wrote:
On Jan 8, 10:10*am, jtpr wrote:

I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. *It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. *Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. *As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get *one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. *I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. *Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? *If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?


Thanks,
Jim


Maybe you could borrow or rent a floor sander -- (Assuming that you
could detach the top and do the sanding on the floor.)


I think I will go with the drum sander "buy time" idea. I live in the
Portsmouth, NH area if anybody knows of someone that I might ask that
would be great. I am going to start a different thread with that
question as I need to get this done.

-Jim
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Default Best way to sand a panel without a drum sander.

On Thu, 8 Jan 2009 08:10:26 -0800 (PST), jtpr
wrote:

I made a bar/counter top out of birds-eye maple and paduk. It
involves 4 pieces of the maple and 2 strips of the paduk, all edge
glued together. Anyway, it is ~ 25" x 74" and now I would like to
sand it smooth. As I don't have a drum sander, and won’t get one
past the finance committee, I am wondering what the most efficient way
would be. I do have a RO sander, but even with 60 grit on it, it is
taking a long time to get anywhere. Would a belt sander be a better
way to go? If so, what would be the best technique to use as I have
not worked with one before?

Thanks,
Jim


Does the sandpaper clog quickly? I can not understand how a RO with
60 grit is not giving results, but you do have a rather large area to
do. You can use a wide belt sander or even a floor sander--both of
these are very aggressive, much harder to control but will make short
work of the sanding task. Make sure you have total control with both
hands on the belt sander and be extra careful near the edges. Some
belt sanders have optional sanding frames which would be a good idea
for what you need to do. A pair of winding sticks can help too. Check
your work from time to time viewing at a low angle with a work light
also at a low angle. Mark, sand, re-mark, sand, high areas with
pencil. Still, you need some patience and be fussy to do a good job.
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