I have an inertia sander, as well as as a power sander with the soft pads. But I still find that getting into that curve along where the inside bottom and the sides meet is still problematic for me. I was wondering if a sanding mop, or those domed sanding pads work well for that?
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Sanding Mops / Domed Sanding Pads
- Thread starter Joe Sheble
- Start date
I have not tried ball sanders or sanding mops. I am also curios if anyone finds them worth the extra cost.
The best sanding discs for tight radiuses I have used so far are the 1-1/2" green wave discs from wood turners wonders.
https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/green-wave-1-sanding-discs
They are oversized so the wave parts hangs over the edge of the backer pad. With the small discs I have not had good luck with the radiused holders or backer pads. There is too small an area of the hook and loop stuff so the discs fall off the backer pad.
I also have also had good results hand sanding with sanding sponges or wrapping sheets of conventional sand paper around a sponge.
The other part of this puzzle for me is trying to make my bowls with more gradual radiuses.
The best sanding discs for tight radiuses I have used so far are the 1-1/2" green wave discs from wood turners wonders.
https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/green-wave-1-sanding-discs
They are oversized so the wave parts hangs over the edge of the backer pad. With the small discs I have not had good luck with the radiused holders or backer pads. There is too small an area of the hook and loop stuff so the discs fall off the backer pad.
I also have also had good results hand sanding with sanding sponges or wrapping sheets of conventional sand paper around a sponge.
The other part of this puzzle for me is trying to make my bowls with more gradual radiuses.
Well, I never used an inertial sander, angle drill almost exclusively. I use a firm pad for grits up to 180 or 220, and a medium pad for grits up to 400. If I go over that, then I go with the soft pads. While the soft pads will form into that transition area, they don't have even pressure. The high spots, the bottom of the bowl, and the wall of the bowl will get most of the sanding pressure, and the curve of the transition area gets almost no pressure, so no sanding. With the firm pad, you may have to angle the pad to get it in there, but it keeps the pressure even. You can get a 3 inch pad into a 1 inch radius curve if you angle it properly.
robo hippy
robo hippy
It would be a huge help for us to know how tight that radius is in your bowls. Hard to give advice with the limited information we have. The reason I say that is I barely have any tradition from the base to the sides since I use an arch shaped bowl. But I see lots of new turners use vertical walls
Anywhere between 90 to 120 degree angles, sometimes wanting/needing the sharp juncture, other times more curved. The smallest soft pad I have for both my power sander and inertia is 2", and when I try to get into that corner, the wall and bottom where the edges of the pad rub cause issues.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
You can get flap disc sander that will reach into square shoulders. I buy discs that are over size for my 2" discs. Those reach onto fairly tight corners.