Sanding Question

[lilskip]

After a few carvings and having one finally come out worth finishing. Here is teh Question what is the best way to Sand the Carving and not loose alot of detail. The only thing I have found so far that doesn't totally mess it up is a dremal with a nylon brush wheel, but even that doesn't have a great out come. So If anyone can give me some Tips I would greatly appreciate it.

[AskBud]

After a few carvings and having one finally come out worth finishing. Here is the Question what is the best way to Sand the Carving and not loose alot of detail. The only thing I have found so far that doesn't totally mess it up is a dremal with a nylon brush wheel, but even that doesn't have a great out come. So If anyone can give me some Tips I would greatly appreciate it.

I find that setting the carving quality to "Optimal", as you load it to the Memory Card, will eliminate almost any need for sanding.

The other thing you will learn, is to ease up on the depth and height settings on items with small detail. Remember that the carving bit is tapered, and that the deeper it goes, the more it erases (over-cuts) on either side.
AskBud

[dbfletcher]

I have a 6" 400 grit samding mop that I really like. I've also made smaller 2" sanding mops for my dremel that work pretty well also. Good luck! And welcome to the forum.

[bjbethke]

After a few carvings and having one finally come out worth finishing. Here is teh Question what is the best way to Sand the Carving and not loose alot of detail. The only thing I have found so far that doesn't totally mess it up is a dremal with a nylon brush wheel, but even that doesn't have a great out come. So If anyone can give me some Tips I would greatly appreciate it.

Welcome to the forum, I use a sanding Mop - they are easy to make. The one on the Drill Press works the best; I used 180 grit sanding strips. It works fast and polishes the wood. This one I made in November 2008

[mtylerfl]

After a few carvings and having one finally come out worth finishing. Here is teh Question what is the best way to Sand the Carving and not loose alot of detail. The only thing I have found so far that doesn't totally mess it up is a dremal with a nylon brush wheel, but even that doesn't have a great out come. So If anyone can give me some Tips I would greatly appreciate it.

Hello,

Some excellent tips have already been given, and will surely help you.

I use the small 3M Radial Brush sanding disks and achieve great results. One mistake I made early on was to use the 220-grit (red disks) exclusively...took longer with just the 220. I now use the 80-grit (yellow disks) to get the majority of the job done quickly, then follow-up with the 220-grit, if necessary. Fine details are preserved and the finish is wonderful.

I have discovered that the bigger (6" diameter) standard-size sanding mops are useful for large areas without lots of fine detail. The 180-grit have the potential for being a bit too aggressive until they are very well broken in (finely frayed). The 240-grit is probably safer/better for most folks. I will sometimes use the larger sanding mops to get "overall" sanding done on some projects, then follow-up with the smaller 3M disks for getting into the details.

[lilskip]

Thanks for all the great Tips. I guess I am making some Mops. Micheal where do you get the 3M disc for the dremal I have ones for my Ziz wheel but I have never seen the smaller ones for the the Dremel.

[mtylerfl]

Thanks for all the great Tips. I guess I am making some Mops. Micheal where do you get the 3M disc for the dremal I have ones for my Ziz wheel but I have never seen the smaller ones for the the Dremel.

Hello,

Here's a quote from our website about the discs...

"Fuzzie" removal... If you own a Dremel tool, use the miniature 3M Radial Bristle Discs "for jewelry" to safely remove fuzzies from your carvings, without loss of detail. Stack multiple discs (3 to 6 or more) on the mandrel (3/32" dia. part # 4494A44) to suit the task at hand - http://www.mcmaster.com sells the discs online for about $1.01 each (search their site for "radial bristle discs"). We use McMaster part # 4494A19 (80 grit), part #4494A18 (220 grit) and #4494A17 (400 grit) discs.

The 3M bristle discs are stacked three (or more) at a time on a mandrel and they last me through several projects (4 or 5 at least). You don't need to apply much pressure at all (practically none) for them to make quick work out of the detail sanding process. I turn my Dremel speed dial to about 6 to 8. Try starting with the 80-grit and 220-grit. (Most folks probably won't use the 400-grit very often.)

The company Otto Frei sells the 3M discs online also, but I've never ordered from them myself. Here is a link to Otto Frei:
http://www.ottofrei.com/store/home.php?cat=1361

By the way, the fellow who invented the 3M radial sanding discs is a CarveWright owner! (His handle on the Forum is Rick P. He worked for 3M for over 35 years.)

[eelamb]

I get mine from Otto Frei, and have had no problem with them, shipping is fast too.

[mtylerfl]

I get mine from Otto Frei, and have had no problem with them, shipping is fast too.

Hi Eddie,

They are a little less costly from there, too. Shows the 80-grit for only 83 cents each (minimum order of 12) - unfortunately, they also show they are out of stock on those at the moment.

[Capt Bruce]

Welcome to the Forum lilskip!

I've had great service and fast shipping from Otto Frei as well when buying a supply of the 3M disks.

I also recommend the 4" dia sanding mops available in all grits from Rockler. I use them chucked into my rechargeable hand drill as it gives me portability and the choice of instantly moving the speed, rotation and angle at which I apply the mop to the surface. As noted above it is important to break in the mops well on other scrap wood so the sandpaper ends are softer before you go at the finer details. The mops have easily cut my sanding time by 2/3rds and they allow me greater control of the process.

We'll look forward to seeing some of your projects and welcome aboard.