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Thread: Fussy about finishing

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    Default Fussy about finishing

    Hi... hey i'm wondering about you professional sign makers. How fussy do you get about sanding your signs before you apply finish? I mean, do you try to get rid of every tool mark on all the letters and little details, or do you just take the rough off? It just seems like I spend a majority of my time with a dremel in my hand, or sandpaper, or a carving knife. Not only that, but I burn through lots of those little bristle discs, and at almost a dollar each that adds up quick. What say you?
    Kansas Wood Shop
    Disabled Veteran owned and operated
    Visit www.kansaswood.com
    A machine with rock, CS machine, Designer 3, centerline, conforming vectors

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    Nobody replies to my threads... am I invisible? Maybe I just don't post interesting enough subjects? Well i'll just reply to my own thread, I am trying to get enough posts to be a "member" anyway.
    Kansas Wood Shop
    Disabled Veteran owned and operated
    Visit www.kansaswood.com
    A machine with rock, CS machine, Designer 3, centerline, conforming vectors

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    Missouri Valley Iowa
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    Default

    no one around?
    I use the mop on my drill press set at a high speed and just put a small amount of pressure on it .
    try putting a background in carves will hide some of the lines.
    do very little by hand anymore.
    OLD SALT

    Member CarveWright Start U team

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
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    Default

    Well I'm far from being a pro at it but so far I haven't been able to finish a carving perfectly. Spent hours sanding and trying different things and ending up ruining the whole thing and sore arms. To me, as far as signs are concerned, if you use raster text, you have to use the draft tool also. Makes it easier to sand and looks better. Remember, people don't look at signs all that close.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Wylie, Tx
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    Default

    I try to clean as much as I can especially if I'm selling the project. It's true about using up the sanding bristles pretty quick & they being expensive. However after all this time I recall reading on here a way to make them last a little longer. If you happen to have a dremmel tool that you can regulate the speed, slow down the rpm on it when cleaning an area. The only thing that crank's me up about that is that I wish I would have kown that sooner cause it works for me! LOL I also use sanding sealer before carving AND after a carve. That makes it easier to clean & sand. Sometimes if I'm really trying to clean as much as possible, I will use sanding sealer after I use bristles & sander, let it dry and clean one more time. It all depends on how good you want your end result to look. It can be time consuming & we can never really charge for all the labor we put in it so it's really up to you. Always keep in mind that the end result will determine customer satisfaction & word of mouth on the type of work you do. There are different ways to lessen clean up on projects..... type of board used, carving bit setting, detail of the project, overall setup of the project in Designer (feathering, draft, depth, etc). Experience is the best teacher, but just as important I believe is this forum. Learning curve can be shortened by reading & asking on this forum. Hope this info helped you. Also don't get discouraged when you don't get a quick reply on here.... it'll come. Patience grasshopper... LOL
    JerryB:.

    CarveWright START U Team Member
    Using 1.187, Conform, PE/Probe, Centerline.

    "Let's start sharing PTNs instead of MPCs so ALL SW versions can view & share"

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    panama city beach,fl
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    just wanted to say I read your post when you posted it I wanted someone else to key in for you I have hours of sanding and using the sanding mop by you posting this I learned something too, that I haven't done I have not used the sanding sealer witch I have seen over and over suggested on the forum so there has to be some truth to it I myself will try and see how it works and save me sanding time...thanks... by the way 49 more post to go...= MEMBER...lol

  7. #7
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    Nov 2012
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    Galva Kansas
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    Never tried sanding sealer. If I used pine all the time it would be way easy, but I use pine very rarely. I tend to carve more in walnut, maple and oak than anything else. Maple is the worst, so hard but it makes the best carvings because it takes detail so well.

    After so many years of building furniture and jewelry boxes, I tend to be a perfectionist. I sand and scrape and so on trying to get everything perfect. It does pay off in a good looking project, just less of them lol.
    Kansas Wood Shop
    Disabled Veteran owned and operated
    Visit www.kansaswood.com
    A machine with rock, CS machine, Designer 3, centerline, conforming vectors

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Conroe, Texas, United States
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    1,550

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by chebytrk View Post
    I try to clean as much as I can especially if I'm selling the project. It's true about using up the sanding bristles pretty quick & they being expensive. However after all this time I recall reading on here a way to make them last a little longer. If you happen to have a dremmel tool that you can regulate the speed, slow down the rpm on it when cleaning an area. The only thing that crank's me up about that is that I wish I would have kown that sooner cause it works for me! LOL I also use sanding sealer before carving AND after a carve. That makes it easier to clean & sand. Sometimes if I'm really trying to clean as much as possible, I will use sanding sealer after I use bristles & sander, let it dry and clean one more time. It all depends on how good you want your end result to look. It can be time consuming & we can never really charge for all the labor we put in it so it's really up to you. Always keep in mind that the end result will determine customer satisfaction & word of mouth on the type of work you do. There are different ways to lessen clean up on projects..... type of board used, carving bit setting, detail of the project, overall setup of the project in Designer (feathering, draft, depth, etc). Experience is the best teacher, but just as important I believe is this forum. Learning curve can be shortened by reading & asking on this forum. Hope this info helped you. Also don't get discouraged when you don't get a quick reply on here.... it'll come. Patience grasshopper... LOL
    This is great advise from JerryB.

    My 2 cents is that I do most if not all my carvings on OPTIMAL, I know it is longer yet it sure cuts my amount of sanding down.

    I use the 3m Bristle Discs and with Optimal it saves on them and my sand paper.
    Happy Carving

    Robert D.
    rcdages

    CarveWright START U Team Member.

    The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut
    that held it's ground.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Provo, UT
    Posts
    387

    Default

    You can also get 2" and 3" radial bristle discs. These last considerably longer than the 3/4 or 1" discs.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    The Colony, TX - Suburb of Dallas
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    294

    Default

    I just got back from Homer Depot and found the Dremel sanding drum was $8 and it was 80 grit. That seems expensive. I have never used these before so I thought I would price at Lowes later this evening. Anyone have a "Cheaper Source"?

    Thanks,
    Wayne

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