# How do you guys sand your bowls?



## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

For the outside I use my ROS. Don't laugh it actually works good. The inside is the problem. I have a Sorby sandmaster that works good, but I need something faster for the first grit to remove tear out. It also doesn't work good in the center of the bowl. If anyone uses a Sorby sand master where do you get sandpaper? The Sorby stuff is way too expensive. I would like to cut my own so I just need proper sandpaper rolls. Sanding almost takes all the fun out of wood working. To make matters worse poor sanding makes a otherwise great piece look like crap.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I use a 2" (or 3"?) sanding disc on a drill, inside and out. I buy them from Woodcraft. Discs I get from here http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com


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## 44260 (Aug 29, 2013)

I don't own a Robert Sorby sandmaster but I get all of my sand paper from Klingspor. Unless the sandmaster has a bastard size they should have disks for them.


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## Big Jim (Sep 29, 2011)

I consider sanding to be shaping! Think of the first two or three grits to be the final shaping of the object. Then after the object is really nicely shaped I start using grits from 200 all the way down to 1500 or even finer depending on the material.
I have NEVER used anything but my hands and paper to finish a turning.
Others may disagree.
Big Jim


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## saculnhoj (May 18, 2015)

I buy all my sanding discs and mandrels from http://vinceswoodnwonders.com/ His blue discs outlast anybody elses and pay for themselves. I use a standard Dewalt drill that runs about $60. I bought a mandrel for each grit but Vince has some other good ideas on how to sand. Give him a call. A really nice guy.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I was thinking about using a angle grinder to power sand. Do you guys think it spins too fast? I have several cordless drills so I could use those. I would really like to use air power, but my compressor is too small.


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## mikeshoops (Apr 3, 2014)

I also use Vince's Wood'nWonders and enjoy the expertise and service. I use the green stearated sandpaper and his angle drill that controls speed beautifully. Fixed my groovy (not so good) bowls. The sand paper lasts so long, I don't know how he stays in business. Super nice to boot. Visit on line at http://vinceswoodnwonders.com/ or call toll free at tel:1-877-284-8969.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I am going to order from Vinceswoodnwonders tomorrow. I am going to get some 2" disk for my sandmaster. I am also going to get a pad so I can power sand using a drill. Is there any noticeable difference between the 2" and 3" ? I'm leaning towards the 2" so the disk are interchangeable between it and the sandmaster.


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## thenodemaster (Jun 14, 2015)

With sand paper. 

I use plain ol' sheets and the 2" and 3" discs either by hand or on my flex shaft attached to my drill press on a mobile base. Tried using my handheld drill, but it kept getting in the way. :thumbsup:


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

I try to avoid power sanding because it distorts the roundness, but when necessary, I use my Sioux angle drill with medium density pads and Norton Dry Ice discs.


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## saculnhoj (May 18, 2015)

I wouldn't use an angle grinder. Too fast and too heavy. What I like about power sanding is the ability to turn the stop the lathe and sand just one problem area on the bowl. It will create a lower area so you have to blend it into the rest but when you have an area that just won't sand when the bowl is spinning this always works. You do need a way to stop the bowl from moving. I have used wedges between the hand wheel and motor, my index system, and even a strap clamp placed around the chuck and down to the floor, then you just rotate the bowl and step on the clamp and it holds it. 
What I find is quite often the bowls are out of round by just a few thousandths. Not enough to see or feel but sandpaper goes over the low spots and doesn't sand them until you remove a lot of wood. If you stop the lathe and hand sand these areas you will get rid of them and then usually you can go back to power sanding. Run the lathe at slow speed and the drill at moderate speed. You don't want to run a drill fast. Let the sandpaper do the work.


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## 9thousandfeet (Dec 28, 2014)

hwebb99 said:


> I am going to order from Vinceswoodnwonders tomorrow. I am going to get some 2" disk for my sandmaster. I am also going to get a pad so I can power sand using a drill. Is there any noticeable difference between the 2" and 3" ? I'm leaning towards the 2" so the disk are interchangeable between it and the sandmaster.


I also use the blue discs from Vince.
They have a mylar backing and can be used wet or dry.
An excellent product and the prices are very good indeed.

As for the 2" versus 3" decision, I use both (and also the 1" for tiny salt bowls) and have found that for most bowl work the 2" is fine. 
The 3" discs work great for really large bowls.
The rule here is that you can always sand the inside of a large bowl with a smaller disc, but not a small bowl with a large disc.

I both hand sand and power sand. For power I use an angle drill with variable speed. 
What I don't want is to build up too much heat because that can cause hairline checking in the work and it reduces the life of the sanding discs dramatically.
So I keep the speeds fairly low (both on the lathe and with the angle drill) and the pressure no more than moderate. Finer grits work best with even slower speeds and lighter pressure. 

It took me a while to realize (don't accuse me of being a fast learner) that a methodical—which unfortunately means boring—approach to sanding, without skipping a grit and making absolutely sure that the first grit I use has removed all turning marks and any possible tearout before going on to the next grit_ *is*_ the fastest way to sand.
It just totally sucks to check a piece of work at around the 320-400 grit stage only to find a small area of tearout or something which wasn't fully cleaned up initially, so then you have to go back and do it all over again. 

Sanding localized areas to remove blemishes works, but it can sometimes be difficult to blend the area in so it's not noticeable in the finished piece. Especially if the piece will be finished with a glossy coating. 
I'm usually willing to struggle for a while with shear scraping or a freshly sharpened gouge and a whisper-thin final cut to remove blemishes if possible, rather than spend extra time with sanding.

For most bowl work I can start sanding at 120 and work up through 220, 320, 400, sometimes 600. Sometimes I can start at 220. Sometimes with a really difficult piece I may have to start at 80. 

I don't go higher than 600 hardly ever because I have a strong personal dislike for high-gloss finishes on wood. I aim for a satin sheen without any sense of there being a "coating" on the wood - but that's all just me.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

How small is a very small bowl that would require using a 1" pad?


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## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

Not that it matter now but for the record I use Vinces blue flex also. :yes: About 19 cents compared to the Sorby of about 65-80 cents?

I use the two inch (2-3/8) but I do have the one inch also. On a lot of small items the base is less than two inches and the one inch allows me to clean up the base easier or to work within detail on a larger base.


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## 9thousandfeet (Dec 28, 2014)

hwebb99 said:


> How small is a very small bowl that would require using a 1" pad?


Salt/spice bowls is what I call 'em.
They look something like this and vary in size from 1.5" on up to 3" or so inches usually. 

Sanding on these might take a couple of minutes, maybe. Often I can start with 180 grit and sand by hand, but sometimes, depending on the wood species, I'll zip in there with a 1" disc.

Sometimes I drop them in a pot of wood dye, just for fun, then they're oil finished.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

I use Vince's pads and discs too. My sander of choice is a variable speed angle drill from Harbor Freight. Or else, assorted pads and hand sanding.


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## prestonbill (Oct 27, 2010)

I also use Vince's pads and mandrels. I found at Harbor Freight this http://www.harborfreight.com/air-angle-sander-93629.html. It works really good if you have some sanding lines you just can't get out. Don't use it much but when I do it's the answer.


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## dartman (Oct 12, 2012)

I usually us sandpaper.Ok,I'm being a smart butt,but really,I use the usual grits of sandpaper.I also use different grades of scotch-brite pads to finish up.


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## Woodychips (Oct 3, 2015)

Here's my setup. Portable chargeable drill, a 2" Velcro pad with Norton Dry Ice sandpaper or a 3" Velcro pad for larger bowls with Sia Speed sandpaper


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## Barry Ward (Mar 22, 2008)

I use vinces round dics I tryied the new wave for a long time and they just wouldn't stay together,before I found out about Vinces,as for the tool I use a var spead angel drill that I got on sale at HF for about 29.00 and it works great,Richard Raffan doesn't recommend straight line drills as they can catch.


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