Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Sanding Hollow Forms
Ezekiel Holliday
>What is your prefered method of sanding hollow forms. I'm curious about a sander mounted on my boring bar. I've got a Jamieson Hollowing System. Most of the forms I've been doing have about a two inch opening. Some opening a slightly smaller.
Thanks,
Zeke
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Lyn J. Mangiameli
>For those who sand hollow form interiors, there are lots of options.
I prefer to use an adjustable passive rotating sanding head I made up which can easily be mounted to most boring bars. There are photos and drawings for making it on the WOW website and Fred did a great job posting a description and directions for making it in More Woodturning (I don't think it has been converted to a pdf on the website yet, but it surely is available as a pdf or print back issue). I like my head as you can mount any size sanding pad (1 and 2 inch work the best), can easily vary the approach angle (which is essential for sanding under a curve) and the passive head can easily be mounted into a variety bars. If the head spins, thats great, but if the position prevents the head from spinning, its no big deal and still works great as a fixed sander.
Infinity came out a couple of years later with a device similar to the plans I made available, but it uses a 2 inch pad only and has a fixed angle of attach. Good because it can be purchased "of the shelf) but a lot more limited (the two inch mouth thing for one) that the one I show how to make for yourself.
Quite recently their is a vecro covered ball on a metal stick that Craft Supplies sells for sanding inside hollow forms. As the photo shows, flat sandpaper and a round holder don't interface very well, and don't allow for very efficient use of the sand paper, but it will do the trick for most forms. I mostly object to the price.
You can go a long way towards sanding the inside of fairly straight sided forms by taking a long dowel, cutting a slit in one end, then inserting the end of a strip of paper or paper over some thin foam, wrapping it around, and then securing with a rubber band or string. This is very cheap and fairly effective.
For shallower forms, you can take some foam padded sandpaper and hold it in surgical forcepts. You can usually go as deep as 6-8 inches with the longer versions of these, and the curved varieties can work great cleaning up an area under a lip. Just make sure you don't put your fingers through the finger loops, for safetys sake.
There are a few other methods, including sanding gloves, but the above are what I find to be the best balance between safety, price and versatility.
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Mike Schwing from Md.
>A contrasting collar with a hole small enough to prevent prying fingers is the best sanding method I've found! Makes all of my hollow interiors smooth as silk.
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Ezekiel Holliday
>What is the adress for the WOW website?
Ezekiel
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
floyd knapp
>I made a very effective sander for my hollow forms and bowels using a piece of 5/8 dowel about 12" long.using a chuck,jam chuck or any option you come up with ,bore a 3/8" hole 1 1/2" deep in one end and turn the other end down to 3/8" diam. to fit your electric drill.Now, using a "V" cradle to support the dowel saw 3 kerfs in the end that you drilled out to 3/8"using the bandsaw This will give you 6 slots in which to put the sandpaper.I use 1" wide cloth backed sandpaper.Cut the paper about 8" long and fold in the middle and insert into the slots.You will need 3 pieces.With the lathe turned off insert the unit into the vessel and then turn your drill on, centrifugal force will keep the paper against the sidewall of the vessel.
If this isn't clear I can try to send a picture when I get back home next week.
Floyd
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Peter Teubel
>Ditto. The smaller the hole, the smoother the inside.
Response emailed
Lyn J. Mangiameli
>
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Chuck Ludwigsen
>Mike, you have just single-handedly improved the quality of the interior of my next hollowform. ;-)
Chuck
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Doug Trembath
>That's cheatin'!!!!
Doug Trembath
Studio in the Woods
LOL!
Dominic Greco in Richboro PA
>Mike,
You pretty much nailed my response on this one!
My thought was, "Why bother?" Unless the opening is large enough that you can stick you hand in, it doesn't matter. Just more work on your end.
See ya around,
Dominic
Hey Doug, where ya been?
Mike Schwing from Md.
>Good to see you back. Take a break after the slugfest? Or just vacation. No matter.
2 Reasons for sanding inside of a hollow form
Russ
>1st:
Because it's there. Rough unfinished wood is what it is, no matter where it is.
2nd (and most important):
It isn't finished. It isn't done.
Finishing the inside gives an image of "completeness" and quality, that somebody cared enough about it to do their very best.
Watch another woodturner look at a hollow form. They will pick it up and look at the bottom to see who made it. Then they will stick their finger inside to feel the surface. Watch for that smile when they find something good. THAT is why you finish the inside.
Still don't believe that finishing the inside matters?? Turn 2 identical hollow forms. Finish the inside of one and not the other. See which one people prefer. See which one sells first, and maybe even at a higher price.
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
Clay Reeves
>Floyd I can see how that would work inside a hollow form but it seems like it might be awful rough treatment for "bowels"!!!(:-)
Re: 2 Reasons for sanding inside of a hollow form
Ezekiel Holliday
>I think you hit on the reason I'm interested in sanding the inside. It just adds that extra touch that makes good work into great work.
Zeke
Re: Sanding Hollow Forms
floyd knapp
>It's worth a try. Works good for me.I usually use 180 grit.
Floyd
Re: Hey Doug, where ya been?
Doug Trembath
>Been right here, Mike, getting ready for the last big summer show. Had a great time this last week, talked with at least a thousand people over the three day period, and sold a ton of work. Made expenses for the show, a whole new display structure and new display screens with individual shelves, all on the Friday morning, so the rest of the show was gravy.
One of the toughest things to accomplish is the interior sanding of hollow vessels. I sometimes take them to a highly finished state, if I have a larger opening, but generally I can get a really smooth finish from the tool. I admit there's almost always a little torn grain there, but it is many times not at all apparent. On dried Maple, silver or red, for instance, it's more difficult. On vessels of any real size, it can be tough to get a presentable inside finish.
I have a sander I have used for a few years that mounts on the Stewart type handle for those with at least a 1.25" opening. Lyn Mangiamelli published plans for one a couple of years back, which is similar. Mine articulates in two areas, so you can reach all areas inside the vessel, but you still don't get the inside as nice as the outside. As long as the inside doesn't get too torn up, I just don't worry too much about it, from a production standpoint. Obviously, occasionally you come across the right piece, and it demands a little more attention to reach it's full potential.
Still coming out sometime this Fall?
See ya then...
Doug Trembath
Studio in the Woods