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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: arkiewood on November 20, 2012, 09:17:21 pm

Title: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: arkiewood on November 20, 2012, 09:17:21 pm
I was sanding the imperfections out of some projects I did today. I don't have any mini files so my wife asked me if her emory board she uses on her nails would work?

I gave it a try and wow it worked great. One side was course and one was fine.
I trimmed one end very narrow with scissors to get in tight spots and it worked great.
Now I realize many of you already knew this and used it, but hey, 57 and still learning!!
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Billy in Va on November 20, 2012, 09:37:48 pm
Arkie  My wife is a retired beauty shop owner and they had a nail girl for a few years. I got all of the silghtly used emory boards of different sizes. I stil have a peanutbutter jar full.  You can pick them up at a lot of places very cheap.  I use them all the time
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: IBMer on November 20, 2012, 11:40:38 pm
Probably a bit more expensive than regular sand paper..      By the way, Harbor Freight tools has Diamond Pin Files for something like $5.00   The work great to get into very tight spaces and quickly remove material..
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: canadasgall on November 21, 2012, 06:02:47 am
i get mine at the dollar store they come in really handy
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: old wormy on November 21, 2012, 01:17:03 pm
I make my own sanding sticks by glueing sandpaper to tongue depressors and then trim the edges. Use many grits.
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Danny on November 21, 2012, 05:28:49 pm
Now thats a Great idea.  Using tongue suppressors....  Cool....  Have a Box full of um.
Surely will glue different grits on um.  Thanks for the hint....  Danny  :+}
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: chelcass on November 21, 2012, 09:14:50 pm
Hmmmmm, don't have any tongue suppressors, but I bet popcicle sticks would work.  Especially in small spaces.
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Dean A on November 22, 2012, 10:20:50 am
Arkiewood, thats the great thing about this hobby. Always learning new ways and new things and meeting new people.
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Graywolf on November 22, 2012, 10:43:38 am
Arkiewood, I'm 68 and still learning. I still have a lot to learn about this scroll saw...
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Jim Finn on December 05, 2012, 07:43:36 am
I also make my own  using tongue depressers.
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: yyyyyguy on December 05, 2012, 12:42:51 pm
Yeah but now when your wife is out of emory boards guess who's gonna get the blame ;D
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: troy_curtis on December 06, 2012, 12:47:10 am
This is a good thing to point out. Someone on here told me that once and it does work great. I am hoping that for Christmas I will get a small file set...but if not I can still use them emery boards. Good tip thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Candi_D on December 06, 2012, 01:02:34 pm
Does anyone use a dremel or is that too strong? My saw hasn't even arrived yet but I was thinking of what I could use for sanding and assumed a dremel on a slow speed would be good?
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: julief on December 07, 2012, 06:34:38 am
Candi, the dremel works great for shaping and some applications but for general sanding, you will want a sander.  Your blade should give you a nice smooth cut that will require very little sanding on the edges unless you are using a spiral blade (that will leave some fuzzies on the back).  A reverse tooth blade has a few teeth in the upward direction at the bottom of the blade so the bottom of your piece has a nice smooth back with no tear out.  I use reverse tooth blades most of the time.  The mini files are extremely handy when trying to clean up inside cuts.
I recommend a 1/4 sheet sander.  They are inexpensive and do not require specially sized sandpaper.  (You can cut a regular sheet into 1/4 to fit.)
You will eventually want a belt sander/disc sander combo and a sanding mop or two.  They are your best friends when sanding scrolled objects.
Title: Re: Learned something new tonight..
Post by: Candi_D on December 07, 2012, 07:28:59 am
Thank you for the info! I have a 1/4 sheet sander already so I'll research some of the others you've mentioned as I progress :) I have the FD blades arriving so that should help too!


Candi, the dremel works great for shaping and some applications but for general sanding, you will want a sander.  Your blade should give you a nice smooth cut that will require very little sanding on the edges unless you are using a spiral blade (that will leave some fuzzies on the back).  A reverse tooth blade has a few teeth in the upward direction at the bottom of the blade so the bottom of your piece has a nice smooth back with no tear out.  I use reverse tooth blades most of the time.  The mini files are extremely handy when trying to clean up inside cuts.
I recommend a 1/4 sheet sander.  They are inexpensive and do not require specially sized sandpaper.  (You can cut a regular sheet into 1/4 to fit.)
You will eventually want a belt sander/disc sander combo and a sanding mop or two.  They are your best friends when sanding scrolled objects.