Official Luthiers Forum!
https://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/

Sanding tips
https://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=18079		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Dave White [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Sanding tips
If you happen to send mail order for some sanding belts for your belt sander and find when they arrive that they are slightly too small (well it happened to me :oops: ) and you can't be bothered to go through the hassle of sending them back and changing them, then:

- make some off-cuts of birch-ply into sanding board lengths, cut a matching strip from the sanding belt and stick with double-sided tape and you have some fab sanding boards

- cut other bits of the sanding belt into 6-7" by 1-2" strips and use them to "shoe-shine" necks when you are shaping them. The cloth backing strip means they will never break, they are flexible and easy to use, make short work of the final stages of neck shaping (I had 80 and 120 grit belts) and are easy to clean up afterwards.

- cut other strips to the size used for "flossing" the neck heel cheeks when fitting the neck to the body and find those off-cuts y'all have of the mylar clear self adhesive pickguard sheets and attach a matching strip onto the rear cloth face of the sanding strip. This will then slide beautifully on the body with no damage to wood/finish when you floss.

Speaking of sanding tips, this is what the belt-sander did to my finger today - typical, the week before I go to my annual Summer guitar camp week. I'm drinking lots of fluids to aid the healing process :D

Attachment:
mshc.jpg
Author:  LanceK [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Nice, ah, "tip" Dave :o
Author:  Hesh [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Geeze Dave mon on this side of the pond I am very used to seeing people trying to show me that finger but with their hand turned around........ :D

Great tips, the sanding ones......, and feel better soon my friend. [:Y:] [clap] [clap] [clap]
Author:  Pat Foster [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
YIKES, Dave! That even hurts to look at.

There's gotta be a less painful way to take off your fingerprints.

Seriously, been there myself. Never again will I hold a piece of stock with my bare hands on the belt sander if there's ANY chance it will get thin enough to slip under the fence. [headinwall]

Take care of that finger, hope you can do the guitar camp.

Pat
Author:  Sam Price [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Dave,

Great tips!

Here's a tip for your fingertip...

As soon as you are able, get those silver coated plasters and a bottle of Ibuprofen. Wear the silver plasters continuously until healing....the silver promotes faster healing, believe you me, I have worn them on 2nd degree burns and very deep lacerations. Swear by 'em!

Although Ibuprofen (if you are able to take them) is great for pain relief, it seems to promote faster healing, too.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
The belt sander is the machine that has injured me the most. Since it doesn't have a blade, we can tend to get a little lax.

I'm still healing from taking the skin off a couple of knuckles a year ago, and from a fractured thumb three months ago.

My best advice: always hold your work with your fingers pointing in the same direction the belt is traveling. This pretty much necessitates having the belt horizontal, which takes up more shop space. It's worth it.
Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
i would like to say I have never done that. But I also would like to say I have been to the moon oops_sign
Author:  GCote [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Been there done that except I took the whole nail off of my little finger AND when I was putting the little rubber feet on the 6x80" Grizzly belt sander it fell on me and took the skin off of the back side of my hand (about 3 sq inches) and off of my arm near the elbow (about 8 sq. inches). I own/operate a restaurant and boy did it hurt getting near the heat from the fryers and grill but I had to suck it up and work anyways.

Gary
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Ugh! Sorry that happened, Dave. I had one of those about a year ago. It took the skin off and tried to take my finger under the fence. Not only was the skin gone, the finger turned blue from the bruising.
Author:  JRE Productions [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Ouch! I caught my knuckle under my work on the sander this weekend...about 2 hours before leaving to a gig! Luckily I move fast and there was minimal scrapes!

Nice tips on the sanding blocks. I especially like the sanding strip idea. With the cloth back paper, it won't break like my normal paper stock.

Joe
Author:  Colin S [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Ouch Dave! Looks like a lot of DADGad next week lots of stuff using two or three fingers. Django managed. Better still, just take your Weiss.

Colin
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
I leave the fence off. It can keep a runaway piece of work from getting thrown, but I figure too much space between it and the belt for a finger to get sucked into. A very thin piece (the most likely to get pulled out of your hands) can pass under it, but a finger can't. This has not happened to me, but did just a couple of weeks ago to a luthier friend who has been building for 40 years. For sanding a piece of work square (or far less often, to another angle) I use the disc and its table.
Author:  James W B [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Been There Done That.Not Fun.
james W B
Author:  Bob Garrish [ Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sanding tips
Get vitamin E capsules from the grocery store and squeeze the stuff onto the wound. Heals it up nice and fast without infection, that's what they use for tattoos. If you're still a bit short on flesh come 'go time', you can always fill in with superglue. -REALLY- hurts going on a decent sized wound, but once the horrible, searing pain is gone it does work.
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/