Step one. Bought the van.
Hello Everybody, First post. I camp a lot in tents but after spending three days straight in a tent in the rain at Dolly Sods I swore I'd make a change. Here it is. Bought it Wednesday. Dro...
Forum Discussion
The picture where you show your sanding block has me wanting to pass on some knowledge gained from having shaped and fiberglassed hundreds of surfboards.
Assuming you do not have tiny hands, the Ideal sanding block, IMO, is a truly flat piece of 1/2 5/8 or 3/4 inch thick many layered stable plywood that nicely fits one full sheet of sandpaper. Approximately 11 x 6 x 5/8 inches The sandpaper need only be bent over the sides and overlap to the top about a half an inch. It is important to pull the sandpaper tight when you do the initial creasing of the sandpaper.
This wide block is easy to keep flat, or at the desired angle. Just holding it in your hand keeps the sandpaper tight to the block.
On one side of the block I have slightly rounded edges the other is perfectly square, for getting into corners when needed. I generally have 6 grits of paper ready to wrap around the block. 36,80, 100 150 220, the goal moving to the higher number grit quicker.
After I have a nice flt piece of plywood, I like to cover it with poly urethane, so when I am wetsanding, it does not absorb water and swell and warp.
I have found in some stages is is beneficial to have 1 layer of that anti slip material one puts in cabinets/ drawers/ shelves and under carpeting, between the block and paper.
Just folding sandpaper and not using a block is rarely a good Idea. Instead of taking down the high spots, one tends to push them around the work. It also wears down the sandpaper faster.
Worn sandpaper not only requires more pressure and effort, it produces more heat, which can be highly undesirable.
I have found the best sandpaper easily obtainable is the Norton 3x in the 60 80 120 150 grits. The other stuff is a waste of time money and effort in my opinion. 3m is always good, especially in the higher grit numbers.
I do use files a good amount but find they do not always cut fast enough or become clogged to easily on wood or fiberglass, then I take the edges off the worn out sandpaper from my blocks and bend them tightly around the file, for those tighter areas.
I have done a bunch of laminate work, trimming with the router, and using both a file and my sanding block with 220 grit paper. I prefer the 220 grit(preferable slightly worn) and the block, and only using it pushing toward the work. and running a finger over the edge after each pass to make sure I go no further than needed.
I also have some custom made sanding blocks that I apply "Grip tape" to, like what they put on the surface of skateboards. I also use "feathering disk adhesive" to attach paper to some sanding blocks. This sticky glue never dries, and you can peel the worn paper off fairly easily (easier when warm/hot)and apply new paper, about 3 to 5 times before an application of more adhesive is required. This works good on surfaces where you are prone to rip the sandpaper, rendering it useless.
Since sandpaper is not cheap, this are the methods which promote the longest life of the paper, and these methods and variations of them are used in most every surfboard building and boat building factory on the planet
Assuming you do not have tiny hands, the Ideal sanding block, IMO, is a truly flat piece of 1/2 5/8 or 3/4 inch thick many layered stable plywood that nicely fits one full sheet of sandpaper. Approximately 11 x 6 x 5/8 inches The sandpaper need only be bent over the sides and overlap to the top about a half an inch. It is important to pull the sandpaper tight when you do the initial creasing of the sandpaper.
This wide block is easy to keep flat, or at the desired angle. Just holding it in your hand keeps the sandpaper tight to the block.
On one side of the block I have slightly rounded edges the other is perfectly square, for getting into corners when needed. I generally have 6 grits of paper ready to wrap around the block. 36,80, 100 150 220, the goal moving to the higher number grit quicker.
After I have a nice flt piece of plywood, I like to cover it with poly urethane, so when I am wetsanding, it does not absorb water and swell and warp.
I have found in some stages is is beneficial to have 1 layer of that anti slip material one puts in cabinets/ drawers/ shelves and under carpeting, between the block and paper.
Just folding sandpaper and not using a block is rarely a good Idea. Instead of taking down the high spots, one tends to push them around the work. It also wears down the sandpaper faster.
Worn sandpaper not only requires more pressure and effort, it produces more heat, which can be highly undesirable.
I have found the best sandpaper easily obtainable is the Norton 3x in the 60 80 120 150 grits. The other stuff is a waste of time money and effort in my opinion. 3m is always good, especially in the higher grit numbers.
I do use files a good amount but find they do not always cut fast enough or become clogged to easily on wood or fiberglass, then I take the edges off the worn out sandpaper from my blocks and bend them tightly around the file, for those tighter areas.
I have done a bunch of laminate work, trimming with the router, and using both a file and my sanding block with 220 grit paper. I prefer the 220 grit(preferable slightly worn) and the block, and only using it pushing toward the work. and running a finger over the edge after each pass to make sure I go no further than needed.
I also have some custom made sanding blocks that I apply "Grip tape" to, like what they put on the surface of skateboards. I also use "feathering disk adhesive" to attach paper to some sanding blocks. This sticky glue never dries, and you can peel the worn paper off fairly easily (easier when warm/hot)and apply new paper, about 3 to 5 times before an application of more adhesive is required. This works good on surfaces where you are prone to rip the sandpaper, rendering it useless.
Since sandpaper is not cheap, this are the methods which promote the longest life of the paper, and these methods and variations of them are used in most every surfboard building and boat building factory on the planet
