disc sander abrasive

[Bigblackdog]

I have made myself an offset jig and a sanding disc for the lathe to use for squaring up blanks to the tube ends.

What grit abrasive is recommended for barrel squaring?

 

[Penpal]

I use 100 grit successfully.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

120 or 180 grit.

 

[Bigblackdog]

thanks. that gives me a few choices, although 100g doesnt seem so available here.

 

[Dalboy]

I would go with 120grit which means it is course enough to take material off but at the same time not leave too larger scratches. Scratches will still be visable but then it is the end that will be hidden when the pen blank is turned.

 

[silver]

As others have said.

Anything above 120 will do, take it from me anything lower is fatal.

Don't even think of 60. :

 

[Bigblackdog]

as an aside, i read or watched something where the author/presenter used a disc of sandpaper on the back of the barrel trimmer after the finish was applied, to re-square everything. Does anybody do this? It was commented that it did not remove much material at all, and that was not the intention.

 

[silver]

as an aside, i read or watched something where the author/presenter used a disc of sandpaper on the back of the barrel trimmer after the finish was applied, to re-square everything. Does anybody do this? It was commented that it did not remove much material at all, and that was not the intention.

I don't square up after finishing Mark, make sure it's done at the start prior to turning and finishing..

The only sanding of the end of the tubes after finishing is by hand on a piece of 600 grit to take off the rough edges after removing the bushes.

That's done by hand, holding the finished tube at around 60 degrees and rotate it to smooth the ends.

IMHO If you find that you need to square after turning then the squaring technique needs to be looked at.

 

[Bigblackdog]

I don't square up after finishing Mark, make sure it's done at the start prior to turning and finishing..

The only sanding of the end of the tubes after finishing is by hand on a piece of 600 grit to take off the rough edges after removing the bushes.

That's done by hand, holding the finished tube at around 60 degrees and rotate it to smooth the ends.

IMHO If you find that you need to square after turning then the squaring technique needs to be looked at.

I assume that it was finishing between centres, either with cone bushes or without bushes- to remove any finish at the end of the blank that wasn't even.

I think that you are correct though, and it is best done properly at the start and not worried about at the end.

I will try your hand technique at the end though.

 

[silver]

I assume that it was finishing between centres, either with cone bushes or without bushes- to remove any finish at the end of the blank that wasn't even.

I think that you are correct though, and it is best done properly at the start and not worried about at the end.

I will try your hand technique at the end though.

Even with bushes you can get a small "edge" to the finished blank that could look unsightly and make the fitting look poor.

Even turning with bushes if you finish with CA and use cones then I find that hand sanding its the right way to go as it also takes off any CA edges that may effect the fitting of the parts.

I take it as fitting two pieces of engine parts together, you would want to make sure they were clean otherwise you could end up with leaks.

 

[yorkshireman]

I always square the blank on the disc sander before turning. However just in case the tube isn't parallel to the blank I turn it parallel then take it off the lathe and touch it up on the sander before completing the turning. A bit fiddly but I was having a few issues caused by the occasional blank not being square and this has solved it.

 

[Penpal]

Square ends however you go about them are essential, my habit of using fine wet and dry to create a small champher on the ends has always paid off, you can feel irregularities and fix them.

Peter.