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OK Gang...

I've been using three types of sanders in my work:

1. A belt sanding station for timming necks and other things (actually I have two, one big and one little for for doing trim).

2. A Bosch 5" ROS that I use for sanding out tops after they come out of the thickness sander.

3. Lots and lots of cork blocks, rubber molds for doing waists etc etc...

So my question is twofold...

a. What are the rest of you using to do things like sand the body?

b. Is there a sander that you could use safely on the waist and especially on a florentine?

I'd love to speed up my finishing process, but ROS sanders are normally made for one thing: to remove material and to be honest that's not my goal.

The 5" is great but it's a little too much for a delicate guitar and I've never seen one that would curve into a waist. I'm especially interested in finding something that I could use to sand in a florentine and smooth that area out, right now I'm just using an autobody rubber mold for it. It works but man is it a pain..

Advice?

Thanks

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

Does anybody have a good procedure or method for brushing lacquer? Remember the DIY show where Lynn D. brushed lacquer on his guitar, that's what I'm looking for. How thin do you need the lacquer, how long between coats, how many coats, etc... Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

John

Hey Brock..

Weird thing about this thread..

I posted a new thread on this topic and when I finished John's message was already there... WEIRD

Could it be that we chose the same topic name at the same time??

Just curious..

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

Hi Paul,

That definitly wasn't my topic name. I'm not sure how my question got in this thread. I'm going to try and repost with the correct title.

Cheers!

John

I use a PC quarter sheet finishing sander, square base, from my carpentry days. I read where one old-timer liked to buy the really thick flipflops when they come out in the Spring. He then saws them to size in a bandsaw wraps sandpaper around them for jobs just like you are talking about, Florentine cutaways and waists, other than those areas, I get by fine with the PC.

You are right... that is a very odd beginning to this thread... Ghosts in the machine perhaps...

We will look into it.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=John Elshaw] Does anybody have a good procedure or method for brushing lacquer? Remember the DIY show where Lynn D. brushed lacquer on his guitar, that's what I'm looking for. How thin do you need the lacquer, how long between coats, how many coats, etc... Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

John[/QUOTE]

John the best tip I can give for brushing on lacquer is buy several very high dollar China brissel brushes. Get the best. you get what you pay for. A high quality China brissel Will not shed and this is one of the major pitfalls of brushing. I would always use a different cleaned brush between each session. This is why I said to buy several. Learning to allow the medium to flow off the brush and not be painted on by the brush makes all the difference. Never ever back brushing is also a major key.

Hi Bruce: I have a PC sander like you have pictured. IMHO it isn't the best to use them for fine finish sanding even though it is a "finish sander". It leaves teeny weeny circular scratches that the Random Orbital sanders don't leave. You have to look very close but they are there.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

So tim what are you using then?

I'd love to find something small and *not* powerful to flatten finishes. I do it by hand now because I can maintain a fine control over the process...

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

I have seen a 3" pneumatic RO sander before but I have been unable to locate one. I would almost kill to have one. I use a combination of hand and my 5" RO with micro-mesh pads to final level with. hand work is on the sides and neck only the 5" RO does great on top and back.

Hmmm, I've not noticed them. The RPM on mine is about 12,000 OPM. Just haven't seen any since I went to this unit. I had an old 4,000 OPM unit of Black and Decker, now that thing left so many circles it look like aliens had landed in and left crop circles..... grin. I'll look the next seven over really good, may have to cough up some cash for a Dynorbital sander, I've wanted ever since Hoffman said it was his all time favorite tool... Like I said, I get by with the PC.... after Brock sent me the Ryan download using the sander on the neck, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm underfunded.....

[QUOTE=MichaelP] I use a combination of hand and my 5" RO with micro-mesh pads... [/QUOTE]

Did you say Micro Mesh Pads for a 5" RO? I have been longing for something like this!! .... where can such a product be found?

bpoling38383.8338194444

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Paul:

I am using a DeWalt 5" RO for 95% of my sanding. The other 5% is by hand.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I want something smaller..

Bruce...

Anything that Grizzly catalog like that??

Gotta order one of those tonight...

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

McKenzie went to Mexico, but he bought a two inch ROS before he left. I think. Don't hold me to it. You could search for McKenzie or ros?

Grizz has only 5" ROS and 1/4 Sheet air sanders.Dickey38383.9886111111

[QUOTE=bpoling] [QUOTE=MichaelP] I use a combination of hand and my 5" RO with micro-mesh pads... [/QUOTE]

Did you say Micro Mesh Pads for a 5" RO? I have been longing for something like this!! .... where can such a product be found?

[/QUOTE] Brock you can get them from www. micro-surface.com 5" no-hole (I cut my own holes with a leather punch) hook and loop variety pack 1500 thru 12000 for $13.00MichaelP38384.395162037

Awesome.... Thanks!! ...   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

My Bosch ROS runs at 5000 - 16000 opm, for sanding wood smooth it is the finest power tool I have ever found. Anyone who doesn't have one or similar in their shop is just making themselves work. That, a bench disc/belt sander and papers on a variety of shaped hard closed cell foam blocks and I can smooth or shape just about everything I need.

By the way, when I built my 7-course lute I wanted to do the whole thing as authentically as possible. They didn't have sandpapers and power tools when these were originally built so I used only scrapers and shagreen (dried sharkskin) to smooth surfaces they worked really well but, they kind of make you appreciate modern technology.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Heck I remember my grandfather hand sanding cabinets with AA, AAA, and AAAA dry pumice. Talk about work. But you know we still have the Dinning set he made for my grandmother before their wedding. It was built with out any power tools except a band saw. The finish is goat urine stained Pecan and French Polished. It has some dings and wear marks from 75 years of use but the base surface is as flat and smooth as any I have seen machine planed. Of course he worked for three years on it, so my grandmother tells me.