Found this in April 2016 American Woodturner magazine. A recommended sanding technique. Tape abrasive to your fingers and then sand in tight places. Seems like a great technique to me?
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Sanding techniques.
- Thread starter Glenn Lefley
- Start date
I came across some 1 inch drum sander sleeves. They don't fit any of my other tools, but they do fit my fingers. They work great for getting into some tight spaces.
Reminds me of the sanding glove, but double stick tape would be a cheaper option if you didn’t need this very often. https://www.thesandingglove.com/default.asp
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I use spray adhesive and glue sandpaper to sticks that in custom cut to fit those tight places. The sandingglove is excellent.
I've been interested to try a sanding glove, but they have been out of stock for several years. Last time I asked, the company was not sure when they would be available again. I got the impression it wasn't a high priority. Maybe if a bunch of people asked for it, they would take some action.
Brian Horais
In Memoriam
I like using the Abranet mesh sandpaper for sanding interior and small spaces. You can roll it up and put your finger inside the roll for interior sanding or fold it up for detailed sanding in narrow spaces. The Abranet brand of mesh sandpaper is not inexpensive, but it lasts a long time and is probably the most durable of the various mesh sandpaper brands (I've tried them all).
Just be careful about sticking your finger into a small hole and having the paper grab onto the turning and your finger at the same time. You can get a painful twisted finger, been there - done that, or worse yet, a broken finger.
I like a dowel with a piece of foam and the flexible cloth backed sandpaper glued to it. Very easy to do and works great.
Any "stick my finger in it" sanding I do is with the motor off.
That is sort of what I was thinking, the aaw complains so much about safety and techniques. I even see that you are not allowed to do demos unless you wear proper face protection. But then they print an article showing a technique where by you stick your hand or fingers in a tight place to sand a turning object. In my opinion that is really dangerous and not something that should be printed without a safety note or disclaimer. A beginner is going to see that, do it, and then rip a finger off or at the least dislocate or break a few digits.
Owen, you beat me to it! That picture showing the turners fingers in that narrow groove are almost guaranteed to grab hold of the fingers and I question anyone who would publish some thing like that.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I do a huge amount of hand sanding. Most.pieces I makeare reasonably small 6" and under. Power.sanding doesnt work. I've reallyn ever had a problem. Not saying g it couldnt happen. As my friend used to say some people can break a chrome trailer hitch. So you do need to be careful.
I agree. My observations were that a person with lathe knowledge knows the risks. A new beginner reading the only woodturning publication in the us, sees these sanding practices in print starts sanding like this thinking it’s normal.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Glen thats.what we call trial.and error. When you do it wrong the first time you hopefully learn from it and wont do it again. 
. I'm still trying to figure out how early man learned what mushrooms were.edible.
. I'm still trying to figure out how early man learned what mushrooms were.edible.
Agree with Glenn. Having lost one finger to a seconds in attention on a radial arm saw, I am very sensitive to where I put my fingers. Especially when there are other ways using sticks, dowels, forceps, etc. we all do things that we think are safe, but really are not, but we should be very careful of doing things in view of new turners that are not safe. I see well known turners on YouTube all the time wearing long sleeve shirts, loose clothing, watches, rings etc. a lot do demos where they will say you should always stop lathe when moving tool rest, but then they ignore there own advice and move the tool rest with lathe running. Demos and videos should always consider that they will be viewed by newbies and someone could get hurt by following wrong advice,
.ok, will get off my soapbox
.ok, will get off my soapbox
You don't tape the sandpaper to your fingers though do you? That seems like a one and done lesson to learn.Glen thats.what we call trial.and error. When you do it wrong the first time you hopefully learn from it and wont do it again.
Dave Landers
Beta Tester
That's why you need "friends"
I think I remember this from day 2 of my demonstrator training course - "always say 'don't move the tool rest with the lathe running' while moving the tool rest". If you don't say it while you do it, nobody will remember
. JK
When I write my articles for Woodturning Magazine, safety always comes first. Absolutely prohibited to stick your fingers or finger inside a revolving piece of work on the lathe. They have countless stories of people getting hurt by doing so.