Swager

My Feedback: (1)

Hello!

Im getting ready to start a new kit and was wondering about sanding.

What kind of special techniques do you used to ease the sanding burden? To make sanding life easier?

Stuff like sanding pads, sanding blocks, the electrical sander (Mouse included), and special sanding tools.

What grain do you use for the huge sanding projects, grain for finishing?

If alot of sanding is to be done do you carve off the big stuff with a knife first? What kind of knife?

Thanks in advance

Clear skies!!

pmw

My Feedback: (1)

Swager,

First of all, if you use an electric sander be very careful. One small slip and you can do major damage. I only use one on areas like wing leading edges where there is plenty of wood thickness. Even then, I only use 320 grit .

My order of sanding goes like this. Large balsa blocks are first worked with a hobby plane or a full blade knife. Use caution with the knife or you can dig too deep into the surface. Next, I use 80 grit sand paper to rough the shape. Then 220 grit and finally, 320 grit.

I do not use any of the commercially available sanding blocks because they are too large for model work. I use a piece of 1/2 X 2 piece of fir or white pine cut to about a 6 inch length. I take a piece of sand paper and wrap it around three sides. I then use thumb tacks to hold the paper to the sides which leaves the surface smooth. By not using contact cement to hold the paper, you can change paper very easily.

I find the Perma-Grit carbide files are very good and I use them as much as sand paper. I do not use any pads. I make smaller blocks for small areas. If the paper grain fills, I just vacuum the paper with my hobby vac and keep going. I usually don't have to change paper until the beginning of each new project. I also use metal files of all shapes and grits for special areas. I do not like wood rasps for balsa.

Finally. Wear a dust mask. Balsa dust is tough on the eyes and sinuses. I keep a little circulation going across my work table to mcve the balsa cloud away from my face.

Have fun!
Paul

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

I keep three 12" t-bars papered with 120/180/220 for general purpose sanding while building. I also have a 24" bar with 180 paper to sand in a uniform fashion long stuff like leading edges, wing ribs etc. I also have a gaggle of homemade specialty hardwood sanding blocks/dowls for specialized purposes. I use a 3M rubber sanding pad for fine dry sanding(320-600). For fiberglass and painting I generally use 400-600 wet paper by hand. The difference between a good job and a great job is often sandpaper. Don't be afraid to have too many sanding tools and types of sandpaper. Don't try to use it too long. Nothing worse than using worn out paper that clogs and gouges the surface with it's lumpy clogged sanding surface creating even more work. I would avoid electric hand held sanders as they are a good way to screw up fast. That said... a bench 6" electric disk/belt combo sander is invaluable. The most used power tool in my shop while building. Good luck.


Dan

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

Buy the great Planes sanding bar, teh longest one. then cut iontot two pices, one about 7" long. You now have two sanding bars, instead of paying for two..

Also get yourself a razor plane.. for teh big stuff,a dn to remove material fast.

CafeenMan

A couple links from my site that discuss what has worked for me.

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform.../finishing.htm
http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform.../sandpaper.htm

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I use the 2" sticky back aluminum oxide sand paper. 80, 150, 220 grit on 6", 12" and 24" sanding bars. That 80 grit really gets with the program when you have to sand wing tips and other such pieces. Later I will use 220 grit soft sponge sanding blocks and occasionally do 320 wet on fiber glass parts. I dont build many show planes, mostly everyday flyers. This keeps my sanding to a minumum and works just fine. I can sand a 60 sized wing tip block in about 20 minutes, complete.
Edwin

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Don't forget that face mask !

Flypaper 2

I use the Dura-grit sanding blocks. Seldom used sandpaper since. Still using the first one I bought about six yrs ago. Check out modelsbyjohn.

Jim Finn

My Feedback: (2)

I take a full sheet of sandpaper and contact cement it to a piece of cieling tile cut to size. (I make about 3 at a time), When I use them I lay them on the bench and move the work. Sometimes this is handy.

kdheath

Good quality abrasive paper makes life easier, too. Try 3M Sandblaster paper for the rougher work (it's kind of purple), and find an auto paint supply shop for 3M Imperial (yellow back) W-D paper. It's cheaper than hardware store paper and lasts much longer.

Azcat59

PMW above describes my procedures pretty accurately. I too like Perma-Grit files, and my sanding blocks are about 6" pieces of 1x2 pine. I don't even thumb tack the sides, just hold onto them.

My theory is if I can cut it, with a knife or preferably one of several planes I use, I cut it.

For some jobs, I have an old belt sander (on a table) that my buddies call a "widow-maker", and it will bring a block of balsa into submission in short order, making a "balsa blizzard" in my shop in the process.

I also have a Makita palm sander, but the only time I allow myself to use this is on wing skins laying flat on my bench, to prepare them before putting them on a foam wing. And it is not a lot better than a sanding block manually applied.

Clair