# Barrel Trimming on a Disk Sander (Velcro or Adhesive?)



## TonyL (Apr 20, 2015)

I love using a disk sander on my lathe. However, sometimes I want to use 40 grit, sometimes 180 depending on how much material I want top remove and whether the sanded surface will be exposed.

Here's the question, I would think the adhesive (non hook and loop aka Velcro) would furnish a more square cut than the hook and loop variety given the compressible fabric (Velcro) in between the disk and the abrasive.

Thoughts?

Yes, I can create another sanding disk, but can't change that that as fast as a Velcro backed abrasive. I also may want to use other grits.

Thank you!


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## KenV (Apr 20, 2015)

Tony --  I played with this for a couple of days, and unless you have and maintain a very light touch, you will get dubbing at the edges and less than crispy sharp trimmings.

I was working with segmenting.   

The softer the wood, the worse the effect.  

If it is "good-nuf" for your work, that is what everyone gets to choose for themselves.

I do not use velcro where I need to keep crisp sharp surfaces.  I do use it where I can accept some shallow waves or some irregularity in the surfaces.  

I use 80 grit pressure sensitive sandpaper on the 12 inch jet disk sander.

On the  6 inch lathe disc, 80-120 grit works well. PSA adhesive

I have a 6 inch psa random orbit and a 5 inch vecro random orbit - 

Bowls I always use velcro sanding discs on an interface pad.


Some days precision wins out over what is fast and convenient.


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## TonyL (Apr 20, 2015)

Thanks Ken. I want precision. It's inexpensive enough to make another disk and buy another plate. That is what I will do. Thank you again.


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## Charlie_W (Apr 20, 2015)

Tony, 
I agree with your thinking.
If you are only wanting a small disk to square the ends of the pen blanks, I suggest you turn several morse taper sanding centers each with it's own grit. Easier to pop them in and out than to change paper.

Something similar to this MT2. Turn it any diameter you choose. I just use double stick tape from Woodcraft for the sandpaper on the face. 

You could also add sandpaper on the outer diameter to create a drum sander. A diagonal seam will remove the bump of a lap or butt seam.
My 12" delta disk sander is for big sanding but I sand the blank ends radially for my final clean up or after CA.


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## randyrls (Apr 20, 2015)

Tony;  I agree on the velcro vs adhesive idea.    Some time ago I made a few face plates to which I attach a 6" wooden disk.  When I need to replace the sand paper, I use a heat gun to remove the sandpaper.  I may sometime use aluminum plates for the face plate.
The face plate


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## KenV (Apr 20, 2015)

Tony  --  I have a Jet 1014vs in Tucson for snowbirding and turning.  The lathe here is 1 1/4 threads and I have not found the right kind of nuts for it.

I buy the nylock 1 by 8 nuts here in Alaska for about  $1.25 each.   I use a torch to melt/soften the nylon ring and remove it -- about 1-2 minutes is all it takes.

I drill a 1 5/8 hole and epoxy the nut into a block of baltic birch plywood or MDF  using the nylock end at the outside (next to the headstock)  This provides the thread relief to allow the thread to seat against the headstock flange.  

True up the face (use the trick the segmented turners use at the end -- piece of plywood or MDF with sandpaper stuck to it for final smoothing).

Stick on sand paper and go.  All the face plates are in Tucson but for two wayward nylock nuts.


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## wyone (Apr 20, 2015)

So just a question.. is there a trick to turning an accurate MT out of wood?  What type of wood do you use?


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## JimB (Apr 20, 2015)

I bought a 1x8 beall tap from woodcraft and make my own faceplates from wood for making small sanding discs.


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## Charlie_W (Apr 20, 2015)

JimB said:


> I bought a 1x8 beall tap from woodcraft and make my own faceplates from wood for making small sanding discs.



Yup! Drill, tap, add thin CA to threads, after dry, tap again.


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## TonyL (Apr 20, 2015)

Thank you all. And special thanks for the pics. I need to learn some new skills first!


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## monophoto (Apr 20, 2015)

Tony

In reading your original post and the responses, my sense is that you and most others were thinking about using an abrasive disk on the lathe to emulate a standard disk sander, that is, with the blank moving on a table across the face of the abrasive.  

But there is another option that I read about recently and that seems to be a better solution for squaring blanks on a lathe.  Instead of a large face-plate with abrasive, mount a standard 2" sanding mandrel in either a scroll chuck on the headstock spindle.  I then put a transfer punch in a jacobs chuck in the tailstock, choosing a transfer punch that fits inside the brass tube without excessive 'wiggle'.  Slide the blank over the transfer punch, and then move the tailstock until the end of the transfer punch almost touches the abrasive pad.  Then, with the lathe running, slide the blank toward the headstock to abrade the end.   The abrasive will smooth the end of the blank exactly perpendicular to the axis of the blank, but because the axis of the blank is exactly on the axis of rotation of the abrasive, the edge of the end of the blank remains sharp.


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## Charlie_W (Apr 20, 2015)

wyone said:


> So just a question.. is there a trick to turning an accurate MT out of wood?  What type of wood do you use?



Mitch, ....no trick. If you can make a pen, you can make a MT center. In both cases, you are just cutting your wood to fit the metal.
As far as material, something dry and hard and of course do not attempt with cross grain pieces. The strength is in the grain.
For the ones in the pic, I have used maple and a couple were from an old hoe or rake handle. I think they are probably hickory or ash.
Use your existing center to make a fitting jig like the one in the pic. Turn your piece to fit the jig keeping your max diameter in mind.
Then, for a final fit, rub some pencil lead in your headstock taper, insert the new piece and rotate slightly by hand (lathe off) to mark the high spots. Turn or sand to fit. The better the fit, there will be less lateral play and it will have more hold.
Now, turn the protruding end to fit your needs. Sanding or a closed end mandrel.


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## wyone (Apr 20, 2015)

Thank you so much Charlie..  I was actually reading your description and thought..  I have a patio table umbrella that has a bad umbrella portion that I need to cut up and throw in the trash..  now I am thinking..  I wonder what that wood is.  It is not that large in diameter, maybe 1 1/2 inches, so it much be some sort of hard wood.    

I like the fitting jig idea.. I think that is what I needed most.. I was trying to figure out how to use calipers and measure the length. and well forgot to go back to basics and think.  what is the easiest way to duplicate..  and it is with a jig of some sort.  

Thank you so much!


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## TonyL (Apr 20, 2015)

Charlie, Louie, Ken.... all super ideas...I am lucky that I can turn pens with a skew. I may just buy another 1221 face plate. However, all of your ideas a better, more versatile, and I am sure less expensive, and probably fun to learn. Thank you. Three months ago, I swore I would never use a skew, now I own 5 and that is all that I use. That forced me to learn how to sharpen, now I am "addicted" sharpening on a CBN wheel (D-way) and hone on a leather strop. Eleven months ago, I used (bent many mandrels with a mandrel saver is more accurate) a mandrel and could NOT comprehend TBC or without - now I do both. I finally figured out how to install my Nova chuck..after not realizing that I needed the pens jaws - now I have them and use them. 

When you guys say just do this an do that...you are right, there is no reason why I can't and should not. However,  I grew up in a concrete jungle...if I wasn't a good baseball player I would have never seen grass. My idea of a hand tool was the 18' crow bar I kept under the front seat of my car...and it wasn't prior nails out of  2 x 4s. Finally someone event the crookhook (which replaced the crow bar..I also had a lead filled billy club ... my friends dad made lead toy soldiers. LOL.  I think you get the idea.  I will go back to this and will learn how to do it. I hope I made you laught...but that is the truth. Your advice will not be in vain.

I love this forum...going to Richmond for one reason...to meet these great folks. We have plenty of shows and workshops (and very nice people) down here, but I want to meet you (plural). 

Thanks again!


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## jttheclockman (Apr 20, 2015)

You are correct to worry about using velcro sandpaper and getting accurate sanding. I use the faceplate that came with the lathe. Most lathes come with a blank faceplate. I have shown these photos before but what I did was doublestick a piece of plexiglass to the faceplate. Now I can use stickyback sandpaper of any grit size. all I need to do is cut a small piece. What makes it ideal is I can unstick and move it around or change grit. I too use the transfer punches in a drill chuck in the tailstock. Works great.

In this photo I happen to find another use of the faceplate and that is to attach my jig so I can thin a quarter using the lathe. This works well.


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## TonyL (Apr 20, 2015)

Nice idea. I am using them one that came with my 1221. I guess there's enough adhesion to prevent the plexi from flying off.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 21, 2015)

TonyL said:


> Nice idea. I am using them one that came with my 1221. I guess there's enough adhesion to prevent the plexi from flying off.




Absolutely. That is carpet tape . That is stickier than any sandpaper.  Remember too you sand at slow speed.


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## TonyL (Apr 21, 2015)

Thank you.


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## Charlie_W (Apr 21, 2015)

One of our club members did a demo on turning a platter using only double stick tape! No face plate screws, no chuck/tenon, no centers. Just tape...start to finish! As long as you have one flat side to start with for your initial stick. A tail smooth center as a pusher would probably not ba a bad idea while shaping.


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