hand sanding stick ?

A

Angus McGunnigl

Joined
May 22, 2002
Messages
1,485
What do people here use for succsessful hand sanding techniques ?
I'm curious of any accessories used to improve or ease this task .

Thanks.
 
21"x2"x1/4" mild steel bar. Thick leather glue to one side. 3M feathering adhesive use on both sides to attach 2" x 11" strips of sandpaper I tear from sheets.

Idea basically stolen from Don Fogg, though last I heard he uses auto body self adhesive sandpaper on the bar.

I'm currently holding the blade in a Greene jig from Uncle Al -- it's a piece of 1"x2" aluminum channel with drilled and tapped holes all along it and a pretty mediocre clamp that screws into one of the hole. The clamp (tries to) hold the blade down and the other holes are used for screws to hold the blade solidly all along its length. I use another piece of thick leather between the blade and the screws.

Thinking of changing to a jig that Dan Cassidy made for himself after using the same one I have. It's just a piece of 2" (?) steel angle iron with a woodworker's cam action bench clamp permanently screwed into one end. He then stacks various pieces of leather under the blade to support it. Cruder than the Greene design, but looks to be quicker and easier to use and probably holds the blade better.
 
I use a piece of brass bar stock so I don't accidentally mar the blade. 1 1/4" wide 1/4" thick and about 12" long. with leather glued on one side. I just clamp my blades onto a 2x4 that I put in a vice.
 
I use the bar stock and leather trick , but instead of clamping the blade down , I clamp the bar stock and sand paper to my bench and drag the blade over it .
 
I use a contoured piece of 1095 with rubber/leather handles epoxied at either end. First I rounded each end on my grinder. Then I heated either end in my forge and bent them in my vice till they resembled bicycle/motorcycle handles. The ergonomics of the handle design make it much easier to hand finish my blades.

Next, get a piece of Protecto Board http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/...461-01.aspx?feature=Product_4&kw=poundo+board from "Tandy Leather" or another source. Cut a strip as wide and as long as your flat area on the sanding stick and affix it with 3M Spray Adhesive http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=41209-98-SUPER 77&lpage=none

You don't need much of this spray to affix your Protecto-Board, a little even coat is all that it takes.

Let it set for a minute or so and then get your sandpaper. Cut it 2" longer than the Protecto-Board area on your sanding stick and affix it with the 3M adhesive. I use water mixed with Dawn dish-washing liquid in a spay bottle to keep the blade wet while sanding.

I usually start out with 120 grit and work up through 600-1000 grits. If you are really thorough with the coarser grits, the finer grits will go quicker.

I learned this technique from the MS Burt Foster at the 2009 Great Smokey Mountain Hammer-Inn, held at Haywood Community College, NC. He uses a flat stick, I added the "Twist".....pin intended!

Hope this helps,

Bob,

Hershey, PA

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I use a sanding paddle I made from oak...

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I use some of the things above but I have a lot of shaped bits of wood, even poly pipe for choils and round bars with plastic pipe on them, you will find the shape that suites you best.
Richard
 
I took precision ground piece of 1/4" x 1 1/8 x 8" and super glued 120 grit to one side and 1/8" piece of rubber to the other. I use the rubber side to pull my finish grit lines. The 3m spray adhesive doesn't last with the orange cleaner I use to lubricate my blades.
 
Yep, I switched back from Cool Tool II to Windex with Vinegar because the oil and the orange cleaner ruined my adhesive. Had to take the steel sanding bar down to bare metal, clean with dishwashing soap and acetone and start all over.

IMHO, the oil cutting fluid was a bit better, but not worth ruining the rest of the process over.
 
I have found that you can buy bicycle handle bar grips for cheap that will slip onto various metal bars for this kind of sanding work and greatly improve hand comfort. I also glue black rubber onto the bars for the finer grit papers and get a more uniform finish.
 
 
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I have just been using a 6" file that I ground the teeth off of and rounded out the edges, but after seeing some of these I am going to have to change my set up
 
I mostly use shaped pieces of wood, dowels, etc. I like to use wedges or pinch devices to hold the paper whenever possible, I hate dealing with adhesives at every other step in the knifemaking process. Micarta, plexiglass and brass are also good materials to use that are a little longer-wearing than wood but somewhat quicker and easier to fabricate than steel.
 
Brass bar. As far what I attach the balde to, i use a piece of 1 1/2 by 1/4 bar stock covered with duct tape stuck into my Moran vice. When things start to get gummy, i just change the duct tape.
 
This thread is highly informative, I hope we can drag it out a while longer and see what others are using to hand finish their blades. I'm going to bookmark this thread right now!!!:)
 
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