I hate sanding!

[betterbuilt]

I know there are better forums to post this on, but this is the only place I'm a member of.

So I've been trying to get the most out of my time while sanding these large slabs. I added a 50 inch drum sander to the shop this year. I'm saving 75-90% the time, I would be using a router to level slabs. That's not including the clean up. So far It's performing all the leveling I need on the shorter stuff I'm running through it. I'm only using the drum sander with 80 grit(too lazy to change the paper, maybe). I still end up using the orbital sander.

So my question is those of you that use a Orbital sander, what sand paper are you using? Currently I have some Norton paper that's just junk. It wears out way too fast.

I'm thinking about trying Mirka Abranet. Just trying to get a little more mileage for the cost. Any thoughts/suggestions on sand paper? Thanks

Off topic: I picked up a bandsaw this summer and I'm wondering how I got along without it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

IF your slabs are on the rough side, you can't expect any sand paper to work well.

IF your slabs are on the green side, same thing, no sand paper will work well...

SR

 

[betterbuilt]

IF your slabs are on the rough side, you can't expect any sand paper to work well.

IF your slabs are on the green side, same thing, no sand paper will work well...

SR

I'm more asking if anyone has found a better sandpaper or method that makes the paper last longer after the surface has been leveled. Most of the stuff i'm working on has been air dried for many years. I have a process for drying that seems to work. I only used the easy to get yellow and red orbital discs.

 

[BC WetCoast]

You might try the sand paper they supply with the orbital floor sanders you can rent at HD/Lowes etc. You would have to cut it to fit.

As an extension to my idea, you could try renting one of the floor sanders and use that to sand with.

 

[kimosawboy]

Try some german sandpapers...ERSTA is great for wood.
Ya, ya, ya its not easy to get and its more $$ BUT it last a real/real long time, does not load up easily and for me you get the most bang for your buck.

 

[betterbuilt]

You might try the sand paper they supply with the orbital floor sanders you can rent at HD/Lowes etc. You would have to cut it to fit.

As an extension to my idea, you could try renting one of the floor sanders and use that to sand with.

I own one of those floor sanders. I bought it thinking it would save time which it did kind of. The real issue is it left swirlies from hell. I stopped using it because I was ending up having to sand more to get rid of the swirlies. I now have a floor sander if I ever need it.

 

[betterbuilt]

Try some german sandpapers...ERSTA is great for wood.
Ya, ya, ya its not easy to get and its more $$ BUT it last a real/real long time, does not load up easily and for me you get the most bang for your buck.

I really need something like that. Man it feels like I blow $40US every week or two on orbital sandpaper.

 

[Jim Timber]

We had a 40" or so Timesaver belt sander in the HS wood shop. Someday I'd love to get one, but that's a few years out yet.

1/8" per pass in oak was sweet.

 

[KiwiBro]

Just learned of these:


www.surcare.com

 

[betterbuilt]

Just learned of these:


www.surcare.com

Nice looking sander. priced at $1800 us dollars. I doubt I'd get that one by the SWMBO.

When I bought the U-sand sander I was hoping it would preform like the video says this one does.

 

[betterbuilt]

I'm looking at the Klingspor Stearate for more of my Rough sanding and the switching to Mirka Abranet for the finishing.

There are so many papers out there. Has anyone tried any of these?
3M Sandblaster
Ace Hardware Hook and Loop
Bosch Standard
Craftsman Standard and Professional
Gator Power and Gator Ultra Power
Klingspor Stearate and Heavyweight
Makita Hook and Loop
Mirka Abranet and Gold
Norton 3X and MultiAir
Porter-Cable
Shopsmith
Supergrit
RHYNO WHITE
RED RESIN

I'm done with the norton 3x. I've tried Gator and had varying results depending on the grit. There was some white grit paper that I liked alot, 3m maybe.

 

[ncpete]

CABINET SCRAPER. sorry to yell that, but CABINET SCRAPER. leaves a perfect, finish ready surface, with substantially less effort than sanding. Easy to throw a long lasting burr on the card, and go. I use one of mine without a holder for smaller pieces, but have a holder for when I am working larger pieces, because the scraper can get hot very quickly.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/147420/3pc-Straight-Scraper-Set.aspx
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/147419/Curved-Scraper-Set-of-4.aspx

and a holder, which I suspect you have the capacity to make:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/144521/Wooden-Scraper-Holder.aspx

I have used my scrapers on turned pieces, too.

 

[kimosawboy]

For the most part you are paying for the name on the Ace Hardware/porter cable/makita/bosch/shopsmith......not really worth it.
Klingspor -I have used and still use , good stuff and some nifty crap on there web site....http://www.klingspor.com/referencedesk.htm
I have used the Mirka wet paper with really nice results, never tried the dry stuff.
3M I like but its a tad pricey and there web site is difficult to navigate thru.
Keep us appraised of what you are finally going with and the results.

 

[betterbuilt]

Ncpete. I have a cabinet scraper, or twenty. lol. I'll give that another shot today. Your right they do work. I just found them hard on the hands. I do use them a lot for glue removal and areas where the grain is really hard because they are faster then a sander.

Kimosawboy: Thanks for the help. I'm aware of the paper thats printed with a tool or a store on the packaging. I just cut and pasted that list. I haven't decided what I'm gonna order yet. I'll be ordering something soon.

Thanks. I'm off to scrape some White oak. Fun fun fun

 

[ncpete]

Somewhere I have a cast iron card scraper holder - I really like it - and you are right, they can be hard on the hands, especially when using with bare hands, and no holder. I use card scrapers to finish all my cutting boards - I use my 20" planer for final dimension work --- If you don't have a Byrd head or similar on your equipment - the investment is well worth it - have one in my jointer, but I can't get the $800 expense for the planer past SWMBO. So, I find myself cleaning up cutting boards with a router for the edges, and then scrape, scrape, scrape. Purple Heart is super fun to work with, and is a frequent theme in my cutting boards - makes White Oak feel like poplar after working it a bunch. Run some Yellow Heart through your machine - I love working with it for the pleasant scent of cloves that then permeates my shop. And, because I have a cheap dust collector - with bags, and not a cyclone - the scent of cloves hangs around for days after working a lot of it, at least until I dump the bag.

 

[firebrick43]

Lee valley sells a holder for card scrapers and a scraping plane. Both work excellent and once paid for up front no more cost for maybe a decade? I also like the file jig they sell for sharpening. The burnished works ok but so does a dull carbide drill glued backwards into a wood handle. The scraping plane has a learning curve but once you get it figured out
Scrapers don't plug the pores and make the grain look dull/muddy
Plus with any sander but a stroke sander I can see swirl marks.

I have had to prove several times to buddies that scrapers are faster to boot. And the fine dust ruins your lungs unless you have a really top notch 2000+$ dust extractor or a half face respirator.

 

[betterbuilt]

Somewhere I have a cast iron card scraper holder - I really like it - and you are right, they can be hard on the hands, especially when using with bare hands, and no holder. I use card scrapers to finish all my cutting boards - I use my 20" planer for final dimension work --- If you don't have a Byrd head or similar on your equipment - the investment is well worth it - have one in my jointer, but I can't get the $800 expense for the planer past SWMBO. So, I find myself cleaning up cutting boards with a router for the edges, and then scrape, scrape, scrape. Purple Heart is super fun to work with, and is a frequent theme in my cutting boards - makes White Oak feel like poplar after working it a bunch. Run some Yellow Heart through your machine - I love working with it for the pleasant scent of cloves that then permeates my shop. And, because I have a cheap dust collector - with bags, and not a cyclone - the scent of cloves hangs around for days after working a lot of it, at least until I dump the bag.

I only work with domestic woods. All yard trees. I actually haven't planed a board since I got the drum sander. Most of the things I build are only a few boards. No real need for a planer at the moment. I do have one.

So I scraped the white oak slab. Actually kind of pleasant not listening to the dust collector or the oribital. I got an okay bur and some decent shavings. I'm still getting micro lines. So your not sanding at all? I'm guessing you sand some? I have one of those bur setting tools that LeeValley sells I just can't locate it at the moment.

And my thumbs are screaming buy some sandpaper you cheap ba#$@%^.

 

[ncpete]

the small lines you are getting may be the result of not getting a perfect burr on the edge of the scraper? putting a slight curve into the scraper will really put your thumbs to work, and should reduce the tendency for lines to result from burrs that are common at the pointed edges of the scraper - that is one of the /very/ nice features of the lee valley holder that Firebrick43 pointed out. Scraping is a great way to warm up the hands on a cold day, and your hands will start to look like this guy ->

 

[ncpete]

oh, and yeah, I still do some sanding. anything that is getting painted - like a door? goes through the drum sander. 37" of dust producing beastliness. Ask my how much I like painted wood products... - when nice color can be created with the woods themselves. - purples, reds, blacks, yellows, whites, oranges, and so many variations on those - like zebra? like fiddleback? like birdseye? (did Zebra on a $30k kitchen, once. Veneer only - it /really/ made the materials cost go up)

 

[firebrick43]

The only place I use sandpaper is 320 or 400 grit lightly between coats of shellac. Sometimes I get ambitious an prepare boards completely by hand but most of the time I plane to thickness on the planer and rip large parts. I find if I do my part and keep the planer knives sharp there is not a necessity to sand/scrape that much.