From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Everything I know about bow building, I learned from someone else. So, I'm going to pass on a few ideas that may help some of you young builders in the area of sanding. If you've never made a bow, you don't know how much sanding is involved, especially if you are a perfectionist (I'm boarderline!) The quality of your work shows up in how well you sand and finish your bow. I hope these tips will be helpful, and please add your ideas or tips to the thread. We'll all learn something! Richard
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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The photo above is just a small sample of what I use. Do yourself a favor and go to your local auto paint supply store. The rolls of adhesive backed sandpaper and the Dura-blocks foam sanding pads are critical (for me, anyway). I usually have the sandpaper rolls in 180, 220, 320, and 400 grit. You can stick them to the Dura-blocks, blocks of wood, or anything else. My auto paint store also carries plastic mixing cups in various sizes, perfect for mixing Smooth-on for bow glue-ups. They'll also give you bamboo stir sticks free.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Various sizes of Dura-blocks. They are available in soft or hard. The rounds are perfect for sanding tricky grip contours.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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I got the bar sanders (previous photo) when I used to make Balsawood model planes and boats, but I still use them for bows. Here's a great tip: press two pieces of different grit sandpaper together to make a pad. I mark the grit on the top of each with a marker. I usually use 220 and 320, but that's your choice. I just discovered this myself and use it all the time now! (I'm sure others discovered it first!) You could make a long strip like this and snip off what you need with and old scissors.(Do not use your wifes good scissors!!)
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From: Phil
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Nemah ... thanks in anticipation of an excellent thread ... a question if I may
... Does the type of wood you're sanding have an influence on the sanding material you'd use. For example would you use zinc on one wood and sand grit on another.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Wow.....a professional question! Idunno! I just use the same old paper for everything....much simpler for me. Can anyone answer this question? A professional bowyer may know....it's just a hobby for me. Sanding pad marked and ready to go.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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My old faithful Dewalt 5" sander sitting in a stand I made yesterday. I got tired of holding it after turning it off and letting it stop spinning. Now I don't. Risers and limbs....use it all the time.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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And it holds the sander while you change sandpaper! (My wife is calling me to dinner....to be continued!)
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From: Gator1
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Richard you do amazing work. I always admire your bows.
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From: bodymanbowyer
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Richard your work is very similar to mine. Me being a bodyman and know what to do with sand paper. Great work you do my friend :-) JF
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Dinner's over and the dogs are walked! Sometimes I need a strip of emery cloth, especially when I do the nock overlays. I just tear whatever width I need from a sanding belt and have at it. I found a dozen of these belts at a garage sale for $1.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Sorry for the crooked photo. When I'm doing several bows at once, I lay out my sanding discs....easy to get to.....easy to choose the proper grit.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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I use these sanders A LOT! They are cheap and work great. Buy the one with the handle. Your hand will thank you. I have 3, all in different locations. I use one with 80 grit to rough sand all my risers.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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The sanders are both Black & Deckers. I use a Dremel tool a lot also, but not as much as the Foredom tool. I've had that Foredom over 25 years now....bought it when I used to carve waterfowl decoys. There are lots of bits to choose from, but carbide holds up better when you're grinding fiberglass or roughing out risers. I switch hand pieces and use the drum sanders for final shaping, then hit the riser with the B&D sander and 80 grit paper. From then on, it's all hand sanding. (almost)
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Foredom tool motor. I use 2 hand pieces: one takes 1/4" bits and the other....1/8" bits.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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I use my spindle sander to help rough out risers and taper the fade outs. It takes several sizes of drums and I use the 4" size the most. It also is great for sharpening my lawn mower blades!
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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After rough-sanding the riser, I use my Grizzly flap sander to smooth out things. It has pneumatic sanding drums on the rt. side, but I seldom use them, although I've seen where some bowyers use them to sand the glass limbs. I'm not good enough to even try that. Whenever you are sanding the fiberglass on a bow, ALWAYS! ALWAYS WEAR A RESPIRATOR MASK!!!! There is a great temptation to sand without one, but DON"T. Your life may depend upon it! And always wear glasses or goggles. I often wear a full face shield when roughing out all my bows.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Here's a photo of a possible use of a round Dura- Block.....getting into those tough spots. Just for show....no sandpaper. That's about it. Hand sanding requires patience. Never rush or tell yourself, "that's good enough, they'll never see that area",....but someone will. It's a mental challenge to finish completely......to YOUR satisfaction. I regret the job I've done on some bows, I was just in too much of a hurry. So force yourself to do the best job you can. Wear a respirator. Wear eye protection. Don't work when you're angry, tired, or frustrated. I hope this gives some of you a few ideas. Good luck! RKK
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From: Buzz
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Date: 15-Aug-18 |
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Great thread, thanks.
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From: Jeff Durnell
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Good thread.
Wow, that's a lot of sanding paraphernalia. I have two sanding blocks which are just scrap pieces of wood, and use them very little. I have them, but never use palm sanders, dremels, grinders, etc on bows. Tried em, didn't care for em. I guess I'd rather do all that stuff by hand with rasps, files, cabinet scrapers, then a little hand sanding. I try to keep the dust to a minimum. I like good rasps, and keep the ones I use on glass bows separate from the ones which are 'wood only'. Glass kills sharp tools, that's why folks tend to do more sanding on glass bows... and why I tend to build less of them and more wooden one's ;^)
For hand sanding, I like the stiff cloth backed sandpaper better alone than on a sanding block. It can be quickly torn to any width and length needed, and it's stiffer in one direction, more flexible in the other. I use that to my advantage all over the bow.
I agree on the cheap garage sale and Craigslist sandpaper, I've got boxes of new sanding belts and rolls for next to nothing. They don't fit any of my machines, but I tear them and cut them, and have used them for everything from hand sanding to replacing the strip in my thickness sander drum. Much cheaper than buying them premade.
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From: KyStickbow
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Awesome thread Richard!
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From: Phil
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Super thread ... thanks Richard
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From: MStyles
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Good info, thanks!
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From: crowfoot
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Alot of very good tips for bow building or knife making or whatever project you may be doing..
Thanks..Crow
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From: Tucker
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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I’ve learned that all sandpaper is not created equal... Most stuff sold at hardware stores, home improvement places, and lumber yards is garbage. (The guy at our local hardware/lumber chain told me the reason they sell the poor quality sand paper they do is because some manager/higher up the chain got a kickback fancy guided fishing trip if they would carry the brand offered by a sales rep. And it’s beyond his control to bring in better stuff.) For regular sanding,The one I like best is Siarexx . It’s been difficult to find, so I ordered online. Klingspor has been another brand that has been ok, but I think I like Sia better. I haven’t settled on my favorite wet/dry sandpaper for sanding finnish between coats and final coat. I have been using what local auto parts stores sell for auto body work. I’m open to suggestions on this.
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From: Nemah
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Thanks for the great info, Tucker. I'll give it a try! RKK
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From: Kodiak
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Like
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From: Kwikdraw
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Great stuff Nemah! Thanks!
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From: nibler
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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nibler is a Stickbow.com Sponsor - Website |
for belts and palm sander disks--- http://www.supergrit.com great service as well!---
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From: bodymanbowyer
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Autobody supplies has great continuous rolls that are sticky on the back. Holds up great. 3m in gold or Norton in a pinkish color. That's all I use great sand paper for Autobody repair and for bow building and refinishing. Big fan of it. Plus you can roll it on to a smooth finish nail for tight spot,then tear off a little as you go :-) JF
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From: fdp
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Date: 16-Aug-18 |
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Very informative thread.
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From: bodymanbowyer
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Date: 17-Aug-18 |
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WOW pictures were excepted. this is what I use, continuous rolls of stick-it sandpaper. JF
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From: bodymanbowyer
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Date: 17-Aug-18 |
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Norton is the pinkish color and 3M is the gold. You can even roll it on two a 1/8 finish nail. For tight spots, like string grooves :-) JF
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