Popular Woodworking 2006-11 № 158, страница 47
The following advice is what I've learned as I've perfected my own power sanding routine, and it is honed by the fact that I've had to teach more than 25 of my employees how to sand like I do. Everybody who has worked for me immediately learns two things: how to clean up the workshop and how to power sand. These sanding methods are fast and no-nonsense - I need to make money at this; it's my profession. And, my techniques produce quality results. Since I started in this profession, only one customer - one - has complained about the quality of a project's finish. Basic Equipment: Safety Because sanding is dusty and nasty work, you have to protect yourself. I've tried different dust-collection systems that attach to my sanders; none has been satisfactory. They get in the way of my work or they fail to actually collect much dust. As a result, here's what I do to combat sanding dust. • I always wear a dust mask. After trying many brands, I have settled on the 3M-brand 8210 "Plus" N95 face mask. These masks aren't cheap (a little less than $ 1 each) but they work. They really work. Here's the proof: I'm quite sensitive to dust (sanding oak and walnut will give me a headache), but I recently had my lung strength and capacity tested by a physician. After 23 years of sanding with a mask, I came in second place compared with every person they had ever given the test to. Please, wear a dust mask. • To carry dust away from my work, I use box fans that I've taped furnace filters to. Don't bother buying the fancy filters with the pleated paper-like fabric - you can't blow the dust out of those to clean them. Get the very inexpensive filters that look like they are made of spun insulation. This 3M mask is great, especially because it really covers my beard. They are quite durable, too - you're more likely to ruin the mask by storing it user-side up (so the inside becomes clogged) than you are to rip it or clog it through standard use. i\ - ^d^K A couple box fans with furnace filters taped in place can work wonders in your shop. When the filters get clogged, blow them out with compressed air. These work great (I use them on my furnace, too). • I also use a simple bench brush to whisk away dust that has accumulated in the cracks and crevices of a workpiece. It also removes grit that has loosened from the sandpaper. If you don't remove this grit, it can scratch up your surface while working at the next higher grit, which is a real problem. Every month or so, I'll also open all the shop doors and windows and blow out as much dust from my shop as possible using compressed air. A home-shop woodworker can do this a lot less frequently. Hearing protection also is essential; sanders are noisy critters. Sandpaperand Pads I use four grits of sandpaper for everything I build: #100, #120, #150 and #180. I used to sand to #220 grit, but I found that it burnished the surface of the wood and reduced the amount of stain penetration. And if you are going to paint your project, you can stop at #120 grit. When you order sandpaper, be sure to order twice as much #100-grit paper as the other grits. The #100-grit stuff does all the heavy A simple bench brush removes dust and grit from your work. Always brush off your work before you switch grits to remove errant grit left from the paper. Here you can see my four pneumatic sanders and the job-site lamp I use at my sanding station. The lamp rakes light across my work, pointing out flaws. popularwoodworking.com i 63 |
