Surprise!

[Gramp's shop]

I was pretty pleased with myself for scoring some nice reclaimed cherry for a couple of projects -- coffee table and TV stand. All the hardware had been removed and I checked the boards carefully before machining and there were no incidents.

My glue-up of the coffee table top was a tad awry and I took the piece to the local guy I use for cleaning up my mistakes on his 42" wide sander, only to learn that he never lets his machine touch reclaimed wood. Surprise!

I understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to risk a big buck machine on a $10 job either.

So now I'm doing my own cleanup with my 3x21 belt sander. It's gonna be a long night. I've gotta learn how to surface a panel with a hand plane.

Larry

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------------- From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit paper to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the long board to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew

[knuttle]

It has been some time since I saw them but they were having belt sander races. So I don't see how you would think they are dangerous ;-)

[WW]

-------------------------------------------------- From the boat builder, consider a long board for fairing a flat surface.

Use a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood, 4" wide and 36"-48" long.

Mount a handle on each end and use rubber cement to glue 24-36 grit paper to the ply.

Sand on the 45 degree bias, first "+" then "-".

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the long board to knock them down.

Those damn belt sanders are a disaster waiting to happen IMHO.

Have fun.

Lew

Lew.. Never had the need for this but this is a great idea you have and I shall remember it. WW

[Sonny]

I agree not to use a belt sander.

Cut a 4" wide sanding belt to glue to the shooting board (2X4, one face jointed or planed, is what I use), rather than sheets of sand paper.

Sonny

[Richard]

Great big positive integer on the "disaster waiting to happen" part.

There is a big difference between a smooth surface and a fair surface. You can make it smooth with a power sander. But it won't be flat.

Use the long board and make it flat.

[Sonny]

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the long board to knock them down. Lew

I like that tip. I never thought to use an aluminum bar for that kind of marking. Sounds a lot easier than trying to eyeball dips and highs, from a side viewing with a straight edge, and, then, trying to marks the spots exactly.

Sonny

[CW]

Use a 3/4" aluminum angle as a fairing batten. The knife edge of the aluminum angle will leave black lines on all the high spots so you can use the long board to knock them down. Lew

I like that tip. I never thought to use an aluminum bar for that kind of marking. Sounds a lot easier than trying to eyeball dips and highs, from a side viewing with a straight edge, and, then, trying to marks the spots exactly. =====================================================================================================================================================

Should work for at least the first mark. After that, the oxide on the aluminum wears off and it no longer makes a mark.

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------------------------- "S> I like that tip. I never thought to use an aluminum bar for that > kind of marking.

----------------------------------------------------------- I have a couple of angles I use for battens.

A 3/4"x3/4"x1/16"x 96" aluminum angle for compound curve surfaces and a 2"x2"x1/8"x96" aluminum angle for flat surfaces.

The 2" angle also serves as a straight edge guide for hand power tools such as a circular saw, jig saw, etc.

Lew

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------------------------------------------ You forgot to tell my angles.

Mine just keep marking.

Lew

[Gramp's shop]

Happy ending: Well, I worked over one side with 80 grit on the belt sander= and came to the conclusion y'all were right. Then I remembered another mi= llwork shop I used 30 years ago and they were happy to run my piece through= their machine. $25 minimum for 10 minutes work but I now have a top I can= work with.

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

[Just Wondering]

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