Useful accessory for power tools

[Arthur 51]

HI all. I have some newel posts that need sanding and I'm not looking forward to it. But I'm sure I'd be happier about it if someone would add an accessory for a reciprocating saw machine. This would be a type of mandril which could grip sandpaper. I think the reciprocating action is a lot more suited to sandpapering where a newel has multiple radii..both concave and convex.

You could say. why not use a dremel type tool with the cylindrical sandpaper thing. But I' can't fancy that particular tool for this type of job

What do you think?

Arthur

[Stuart Noble]

Why do they need sanding? If it's just to remove paint, I'd think about chemical strippers. I chopped mine off and dowelled it back again when I'd had it stripped

A flapwheel is the only way I know to sand profiles, and they knock all the corners off the moulding.

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[Arthur 51]

If a flap wheel duffs up the corners then its not a suitable method. So the only way of sanding the detail on a newel is by hand. To do this you have to wrap a piece of sand paper around your finger and rub with a reciprocating action. Hence my suggestion.

Arthur

[George]

I presume you already have the paint stripped off? if not coat the newel post in paint stripper then cover in tin foil to keep the PS moist. Leave it for a couple of hours and the paint should flake off when you strip the tin foil off,you ight have to scrape the nichess of the newel but basically the majority of paint will come off without any effort.

All you have to do then is clean it up with coarse wirewool which will give a nice fine surface for staining if thats what you are intending?

[Stuart Noble]

I hear the Fein Multimaster can do anything

[Arthur 51]

I've got the paint off but the previously it was stained and varnished. I've used nitromors and wire wool and this isn't vicious enough to take the dull browny grey colour.

Arthur

[George]

Then use sharp(new)stanley knife blades as a scraper,the chances you getting the stain out are slim if it has penetrated the wood deeply?

[Arthur 51]

I used a sanding m/c on the flat parts and it came out without too much effort.

Arthur

[George]

The blade method should work fine,but...if not get a suade brush from a cobblers or key cutter shop which is brass bristles and wont har the wood. I use one when getting laquer and stain out of old clock case restoring.

[Stuart Noble]

In that case a little more Nitromors with steel wool might work. You need to rub it till the wood is dry and, hopefully, the steel wool then holds all the gunk. You get through a lot of wool but it usually gives you a clean finish. One of the problems with strippers is that the residue soaks back into the wood and solidifies again when the solvent has evaporated. Bleach (2 part woodworking) might help. Even if it doesn't lighten it sufficiently, it usually improves the appearance

[John Rumm]

A loop of narrow emery cloth looped round the post and pulled back and forth can work here. (a narrow sanding belt for a "powerfile" type of belt sander can work)

Multimaster with the profile sanding widget on it might do what you want.

[Arthur2]

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Spooky. I was thinking of that precise gadget last week but I gave up hope that anyone was as clever as me. You guys should buy shares in the people,; they are friggin phenomenal.

Arthur