Surprise!
 

I was pretty pleased with myself for scoring some nice reclaimed cherry for a couple of projects -- coffee table and TV stand. All the hardware had been removed and I checked the boards carefully before machining and there were no incidents.

My glue-up of the coffee table top was a tad awry and I took the piece to the local guy I use for cleaning up my mistakes on his 42" wide sander, only to learn that he never lets his machine touch reclaimed wood. Surprise!

I understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to risk a big buck machine on a $10 job either.

So now I'm doing my own cleanup with my 3x21 belt sander. It's gonna be a long night. I've gotta learn how to surface a panel with a hand plane.

Larry

Surprise!
 

"Gramp's shop" wrote:

My glue-up of the coffee table top was a tad awry and I took the
piece to the local guy I use for cleaning up my mistakes on his 42"
wide sander, only to learn that he never lets his machine touch
reclaimed wood. Surprise!

I understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to risk a big
buck machine on a $10 job either.

So now I'm doing my own cleanup with my 3x21 belt sander. It's
gonna be a long night. I've gotta learn how to surface a panel with
a hand plane.

--------------------------------------------------
From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat
surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit
paper
to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum
angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the
long board
to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew

Surprise!
 

On 10/15/2012 8:32 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Gramp's shop" wrote:

My glue-up of the coffee table top was a tad awry and I took the
piece to the local guy I use for cleaning up my mistakes on his 42"
wide sander, only to learn that he never lets his machine touch
reclaimed wood. Surprise!

I understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to risk a big
buck machine on a $10 job either.

So now I'm doing my own cleanup with my 3x21 belt sander. It's
gonna be a long night. I've gotta learn how to surface a panel with
a hand plane.

--------------------------------------------------
From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat
surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit
paper
to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum
angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the
long board
to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew

It has been some time since I saw them but they were having belt sander
races. So I don't see how you would think they are dangerous ;-)

Surprise!
 

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
eb.com...


"Gramp's shop" wrote:

My glue-up of the coffee table top was a tad awry and I took the piece to
the local guy I use for cleaning up my mistakes on his 42" wide sander,
only to learn that he never lets his machine touch reclaimed wood.
Surprise!

I understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to risk a big buck
machine on a $10 job either.

So now I'm doing my own cleanup with my 3x21 belt sander. It's gonna be a
long night. I've gotta learn how to surface a panel with a hand plane.

--------------------------------------------------
From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat
surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit
paper
to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum
angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the
long board
to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew

Lew.. Never had the need for this but this is a great idea you have and I
shall remember it. WW

Surprise!
 

I agree not to use a belt sander.

Cut a 4" wide sanding belt to glue to the shooting board (2X4, one
face jointed or planed, is what I use), rather than sheets of sand
paper.

Sonny

Surprise!
 

On 10/15/2012 7:32 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:

--------------------------------------------------
From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat
surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit
paper
to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum
angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the
long board
to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew




Great big positive integer on the "disaster waiting to happen" part.

There is a big difference between a smooth surface and a fair surface.
You can make it smooth with a power sander. But it won't be flat.

Use the long board and make it flat.

Surprise!
 

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the long board to knock them down. Lew

I like that tip. I never thought to use an aluminum bar for that kind of marking.
Sounds a lot easier than trying to eyeball dips and highs, from a side viewing with a straight edge, and, then, trying to marks the spots exactly.

Sonny

Surprise!
 

"Sonny" wrote in message
...

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use
the long board to knock them down. Lew

I like that tip. I never thought to use an aluminum bar for that kind of
marking.
Sounds a lot easier than trying to eyeball dips and highs, from a side
viewing with a straight edge, and, then, trying to marks the spots exactly.
================================================== ================================================== =================================================

Should work for at least the first mark. After that, the oxide on the
aluminum wears off and it no longer makes a mark.

Surprise!
 

I wrote:

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you
can use the long board to knock them down. Lew
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Sonny" wrote:

I like that tip. I never thought to use an aluminum bar for that
kind of marking.
Sounds a lot easier than trying to eyeball dips and highs, from a
side viewing with a straight edge, and, then, trying to marks the
spots exactly.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I have a couple of angles I use for battens.

A 3/4"x3/4"x1/16"x 96" aluminum angle for compound curve surfaces
and a 2"x2"x1/8"x96" aluminum angle for flat surfaces.

The 2" angle also serves as a straight edge guide for hand power tools
such as a circular saw, jig saw, etc.

Lew

Surprise!
 

"CW" wrote:

Should work for at least the first mark. After that, the oxide on
the aluminum wears off and it no longer makes a mark.
------------------------------------------------------------------
You forgot to tell my angles.

Mine just keep marking.

Lew

Surprise!
 

Happy ending: Well, I worked over one side with 80 grit on the belt sander and came to the conclusion y'all were right. Then I remembered another millwork shop I used 30 years ago and they were happy to run my piece through their machine. $25 minimum for 10 minutes work but I now have a top I can work with.

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

Surprise!
 

On 10/15/2012 8:38 PM, knuttle wrote:
On 10/15/2012 8:32 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Gramp's shop" wrote:

My glue-up of the coffee table top was a tad awry and I took the
piece to the local guy I use for cleaning up my mistakes on his 42"
wide sander, only to learn that he never lets his machine touch
reclaimed wood. Surprise!

I understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to risk a big
buck machine on a $10 job either.

So now I'm doing my own cleanup with my 3x21 belt sander. It's
gonna be a long night. I've gotta learn how to surface a panel with
a hand plane.

--------------------------------------------------
From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat
surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit
paper
to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the
aluminum
angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the
long board
to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew

It has been some time since I saw them but they were having belt sander
races. So I don't see how you would think they are dangerous ;-)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu7cB0OMdB8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UWDyvoAXDY