Been woodturning for over ten years and have never tried wet sanding. Saw this video and one other and earlier today ordered some Mahoney's walnut oil. Then realized I already had some citrus degreaser that all of us serious cyclists have for cleaning our chains. Tried it and WOW! The finish on a piece of cherry was fantastic. Thanks.
Having spent my entire adult life as a paint refinisher on "high end" motor vehicles, when wet sanding I always keep a block/bar of non perfumed soap & rub that on the wetted abrasive. It will keep the wet or dry paper from clogging & makes the whole job easier, rinse with clean water, dry thoroughly, seal, repeat the sanding procedure, then continue the process of polishing. It's cheap, doesn't cause skin irritation & gives a great final finish. It's maybe an old fashioned way but you only get out of the process what you put in. In simple terms; It's all in the preparation. Apologies if that was long winded, I could have shown what I meant in a few minutes. Great video though Sam & some useful tips. All the best from the UK 🇬🇧.
I've been using citrus cleaner for a couple of years now. As you said, it's a great product for sanding. I also use it to clean the crud off my table saw blades. Works fast and doesn't eat into the metal.
This was a really helpful video! Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your vast range of knowledge and experience. What a great new find from you... the citric degreaser. Nice stuff. I used it today on a cherry item. It did a great job! I have also been using a mixture of one-pound cut of shellac and walnut oil (a fast building, high sheen coat).
Nice tips Sam, thank you. I started wet sanding on the advice of my friend Brendan (Baconsoda) and, like Alan has already mentioned, he got me to use mineral oil and beeswax. The only problem I have with it is that it gunks up your sandpaper very quickly but it does fill wee voids or fine cracks. Thanks again for the video Sam and a happy and blessed new year to you and your family 🎉🙏🏻🎉🙏🏻
Thanks for the "quick tips" some great info in there. I found Klingspor paper about a year ago and won't use any other paper now. Same with the EEE-Ultrashine, gives a nice clean finish to the wood and brings out the color in it. Am going to find some of the Citrus Degreaser and give that a try for wet sanding. Thanks again.
Thanks Sam. I have never though of using some of the things you are using for the lubricant. I will give the Citrus cleaner a try and the paint thinner for clean up is a good idea. Ian
Good video. Thanks for sharing. Good to see you wearing gloves. Citrus / orange oil based cleaners are usually skin irritants or skin sensitizers.Good to always check the safety data sheet (SDS),
klingspor is the best. I have gone through a lot of sandpaper in my cabinet shop in the last 36 years and was not happy with the longevity of the paper until I switched to klingspor. It lasts WAY longer than any other paper I have tried. It's more expensive but the longer use more than makes up for it. I use a container of water to clean the sand paper. Just pop it in there and rinse it out. One thing about using water to rub out a hardening finish is to add a drop of dish soap to the container. This will keep the sandpaper from loading up with finish. Got this tip from a guy who does car painting. Not sure how what the tiny bit of soap will do to unfinished wood as far as repelling finish except for oil.
Hi Sam, Thanks for the information. I've seen your video before but this popped up again. Did you make those foam pads or purchase? I haven't seen any with the "quick release". If you built them, it would be a good option for a new video.
Great tips Sam, thanks for sharing! I've only recently got some of that EEE wax and shellawax, hopefully will get to test it out this week on a project.
Good video Sam. May I ask a question please? Do you dilute the citrus degreaser? I can get it easily here in Ireland but it comes as a concentrate so I would appreciate any advice please. Best Wishes, Brendan.
I like wet sanding, I just use ordinary sandpaper and I've not had any problems with it coming apart. My favorite sanding lubricant is tung & teak oil, I have also done well with BLO but prefer the other. Will using something with wax in it limit the finish options?
Another possible lubricant is walnut oil. If I'm going to use an oil finish, it's typically walnut oil and I like to wet sand with it. In between the grits, I "power wipe" the oil off by pressing a paper towel against the spinning wood -- just as you would when friction polishing. The heat from the power wipe helps the oil penetrate the wood more deeply and reduces the time it takes the oil to harden. But, if I'm turning stabilized wood or acrylics, I just use water.
Hello Sam, enjoy your videos. Question, wet sanded today for the first time ! 1 walnut and 1 ash bowl. Used Zep concentrate. It says 1 gal makes 16 gal. Do it use fill strength or add ??? what amount of water. The walnut is cloudy looking while drying. Do I clean it with anything, if so what b4 finish. Was planning of using an alcohol finisher ? Thanks in advance for you response...
Unsure if you will see this but thank you for this video. Besides cleaning off final sanding with turpentine can you use alcohol but if you do does that remove the impregnated “positive “ dust within the grain?
Thanks for the tips I need to try this. Question for ya... which product would you recommend for wet sanding if I want a lacquer or polyurethane as my finish?
Art, for Poly, I would use a citrus degreaser as I mentioned in this video. (You could use water-but be carful unless you let it dry really well, it could interfere with the next application of the poly) For lacquers, you could also use the citrus degreaser. But what i usually do is spray 4-5 coats of lacquer then I sand with soapy water, Make sure all the water and residue is cleaned off before applying for lacquer, Sam
Mike, Yes good idea to wear gloves. I do not dilute this product. I use it because it does not have water in it. So I don't want to add water. Other than water, I am not sure what I would dilute it with. Good question. Thanks Sam
I am new to turning so please bare with me. I have started to cast and turn hybrid pen blanks/bottle stopper blanks. I am having a hard time getting my finish down pat. Could you please tell me what you think would be the best liquid to use when I am sanding my blanks?
If the blank is 100% resin or a cast material I would just use water. When you say hybrid I assume it is part wood and part resin. I am still myself a little not sure what I should use to wet sand with. One could use water but you MUST let the surface dry completely before adding a finish. My next choice would be a citrus solvent of some kind. This can be found under the label, "citrus degreaser" in the cleaning section of your big box store or elsewhere. But when finished sanding, clean off the surface with mineral spirits. Sam
I don't think so. As along as I am using an oil for the final finish. But I would sand with something else is I am doing a friction polish or shellac/lacquer. Sam
Hi Sam. Your video was very informative. However, you did not say anything about impact on a dust collection system. I always use mine when sanding. Will wet sanding residue have any adverse impacts on my system? Thanks for all your great tips. Bill Kennedy. (Bill’s Bowls and other Cool Things)
It is hard to think of and mention every possible aspect of a given topic. I did not consider the impact of wet sanding? on my dust collection system. I can't imagine it would be much different than dry sanding. Is that what you are asking? When dry, wet sanding residue just is going to turn into dust, Sam
Hi Sam, thanks for all the helpful information. Do you have any advice on how to prevent swirl marks from sanding on the inside of bowls? Knowing at which grit to start and when to more to the next is sometimes a challenge for me. I'm a novice and my tool skills are not that good yet. As a result, I often have to start sanding pretty low. I often get unsightly swirl marks that were not made by the tool.
Tony, I assume that you are sanding with a drill and a sanding pad. One thing you can do is reverse the drill at each grit. But I think you explained it pretty well. I believe the whole key to it is your tool work. This will certainly improve with time. So if you can start sanding a bowl at 180 grit, when I am sanding a bowl on the Lathe. I slow the speed down on the lathe a lot. And then I adjust the speed of the drill accordingly. now that's about all I can tell you everything will improve with time just keep working at it. Sam
NIce video....longest Quick Tip video I have seen thus far! QUESTION: Did I miss it or wasn't it said......what is the name of the paper you use on your power sanding disks?
Joseph, this really depends on the project. There are times when I use a 2 inch disc and other times I use a 3 inch disk maybe for larger bowls. I guess if you had to pick one or the other, Perhaps the 2 inch disc would work for everything Sam
Shellac usually comes as a 3 pound cut (3 lbs shellac/ gallon of alcohol). One part Shellac plus two parts alcohol makes a one pound cut. The Clear Coat shellac is a 2 pound cut so 1:1 makes a 1 lb cut.
I think for cleaning the wood, either paint thinner or denatured Al... would work. But for both ventilate the area very well and/or use a respirator. Sam
I use Boiled Linseed Oil to wet sand. Then a good wipe-down with a clean towel and let it sit overnight and finally a lacquer finish. The BLO has no effect the lacquer, I think oil and oil based finishes would work just as well. One question on your tip. Doesn't cleaning with mineral spirits at the end remove the "Slurry" you mentioned earlier in the video? The length of the video doesn't bother me, all of the info was needed...OK most of the info. ;-D
You may be right on the paint thinner removing some of the slurry. But I am more concerned about any residue left on the surface that would interfere with whatever finish I use. Thanks for the support on the length of the video. Sam
I tried wet sanding with mineral oil, and also with water. My paper (auto body wet/dry) clogs up and becomes useless in a matter or seconds. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your videos, most informative,
John, thanks for the question I think possibly the mineral oil is simply too thick use for wet sanding. What Grit are you using when the paper clogs up. You may be sanding with too fine grit. I try not to wet sand with water. That would be introducing water into the wood which would interfere with a finish possibly. You could try wet sanding with paint thinner. But use good ventilation and latex gloves. You do have to keep the paper fairly wet which would prevent the clogging. Thanks Sam
@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER I was using 400 grit. I'll try paint thinner or something on that order with a courser grit. I have an attic fan in the end wall of my shop, so it moves not only fumes but dust and sometimes things I don't want moved. Also, recently bought some paint thinner (Klean-Strip® Green™ Safer Paint Thinner) that seems to be very unobtrusive, and that's not really the word I was looking for, but... Thanks
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Been woodturning for over ten years and have never tried wet sanding. Saw this video and one other and earlier today ordered some Mahoney's walnut oil. Then realized I already had some citrus degreaser that all of us serious cyclists have for cleaning our chains. Tried it and WOW! The finish on a piece of cherry was fantastic. Thanks.
Great job Sam, been turning since 2014 and never tried wet sanding until today and will never go back to dry sanding again.
Thank you Sam for posting the video you answered all my questions as far as wet sanding
Take care
Yiannis (Athens Greece)
Hello Yiannis, Nice to hear from Greece-be well. Sam in Montana, USA
Quick tip video...20 minutes... no problem if not quick I really love your stuff
This is a WOW finish.
Thank you Sam, that was so helpful. I do get problems in achieving the finish I want. I will try wet sanding. Best wishes from South Wales, UK.
Having spent my entire adult life as a paint refinisher on "high end" motor vehicles, when wet sanding I always keep a block/bar of non perfumed soap & rub that on the wetted abrasive. It will keep the wet or dry paper from clogging & makes the whole job easier, rinse with clean water, dry thoroughly, seal, repeat the sanding procedure, then continue the process of polishing. It's cheap, doesn't cause skin irritation & gives a great final finish. It's maybe an old fashioned way but you only get out of the process what you put in. In simple terms; It's all in the preparation. Apologies if that was long winded, I could have shown what I meant in a few minutes.
Great video though Sam & some useful tips.
All the best from the UK 🇬🇧.
Howdy, Brother! Your non perfumed soap was also a great tip. All the best from TX!
I like to sand my sprayed lacquer vessels with stay water. But not raw wood.
Sam
Great information here. SAFE TURNING, TO YOU SAM.
Very informative Sam. Thanks so much. Still lovin' your videos.
Excellent advice and tips Sam. Thank you,
Take care
Mike
Thanks Sam! Your tips are very informative and useful!
Take care, Dave
Thanks Dave
I spoke with Mike the other day. Sounds like he had a tuff day....Sam
I've been using citrus cleaner for a couple of years now. As you said, it's a great product for sanding. I also use it to clean the crud off my table saw blades. Works fast and doesn't eat into the metal.
This was a really helpful video! Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your vast range of knowledge and experience. What a great new find from you... the citric degreaser. Nice stuff. I used it today on a cherry item. It did a great job! I have also been using a mixture of one-pound cut of shellac and walnut oil (a fast building, high sheen coat).
excellent video thank you very much for sharing your knowledge
Nice tips Sam, thank you. I started wet sanding on the advice of my friend Brendan (Baconsoda) and, like Alan has already mentioned, he got me to use mineral oil and beeswax. The only problem I have with it is that it gunks up your sandpaper very quickly but it does fill wee voids or fine cracks.
Thanks again for the video Sam and a happy and blessed new year to you and your family 🎉🙏🏻🎉🙏🏻
Great presentation as always. I will try the degreaser as a lubricant. George
Thanks for the "quick tips" some great info in there. I found Klingspor paper about a year ago and won't use any other paper now. Same with the EEE-Ultrashine, gives a nice clean finish to the wood and brings out the color in it. Am going to find some of the Citrus Degreaser and give that a try for wet sanding. Thanks again.
Thanks Sam. I have never though of using some of the things you are using for the lubricant. I will give the Citrus cleaner a try and the paint thinner for clean up is a good idea. Ian
New to this, great tips
Great tips Sam!
Good video. Thanks for sharing. Good to see you wearing gloves. Citrus / orange oil based cleaners are usually skin irritants or skin sensitizers.Good to always check the safety data sheet (SDS),
klingspor is the best. I have gone through a lot of sandpaper in my cabinet shop in the last 36 years and was not happy with the longevity of the paper until I switched to klingspor. It lasts WAY longer than any other paper I have tried. It's more expensive but the longer use more than makes up for it.
I use a container of water to clean the sand paper. Just pop it in there and rinse it out.
One thing about using water to rub out a hardening finish is to add a drop of dish soap to the container. This will keep the sandpaper from loading up with finish. Got this tip from a guy who does car painting. Not sure how what the tiny bit of soap will do to unfinished wood as far as repelling finish except for oil.
Thank you very much for that Sam. Regards, Júlíus
Thanks Sam, learned a lot.
I also like to sand with a mix of mineral oil and beeswax. Any sandpaper will do since mineral oil will not degrade it. Good run down Sam
Alan
I never thought of that. I will try it. Thanks Sam
Have you noticed your quick tips are 10-15 minutes longer than most start-to-finish videos,....good job!!!
I guess I don't know what quick really means. Sam
Hi Sam, Thanks for the information. I've seen your video before but this popped up again. Did you make those foam pads or purchase? I haven't seen any with the "quick release". If you built them, it would be a good option for a new video.
Great tips Sam, thanks for sharing! I've only recently got some of that EEE wax and shellawax, hopefully will get to test it out this week on a project.
Thank you for the video.
Great tip I was wondering if I could use shine juice
For wet sanding? Shine juice may dry too quickly. Sam
Good video Sam. May I ask a question please? Do you dilute the citrus degreaser? I can get it easily here in Ireland but it comes as a concentrate so I would appreciate any advice please.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
Instead of going through many sheets of paper I used to use a piece of wood when making spindles. Amazing what wood on wood does at 2000 rpm.
I like wet sanding, I just use ordinary sandpaper and I've not had any problems with it coming apart. My favorite sanding lubricant is tung & teak oil, I have also done well with BLO but prefer the other. Will using something with wax in it limit the finish options?
Another possible lubricant is walnut oil. If I'm going to use an oil finish, it's typically walnut oil and I like to wet sand with it. In between the grits, I "power wipe" the oil off by pressing a paper towel against the spinning wood -- just as you would when friction polishing. The heat from the power wipe helps the oil penetrate the wood more deeply and reduces the time it takes the oil to harden. But, if I'm turning stabilized wood or acrylics, I just use water.
Hello Sam, enjoy your videos. Question, wet sanded today for the first time ! 1 walnut and 1 ash bowl. Used Zep concentrate. It says 1 gal makes 16 gal. Do it use fill strength or add ??? what amount of water. The walnut is cloudy looking while drying. Do I clean it with anything, if so what b4 finish. Was planning of using an alcohol finisher ? Thanks in advance for you response...
I’ve used boiled linseed oil to wet sand, that works ok if you want an oiled finish.😊
Would BLO make a good lubricant for sanding? Or does it interfere with later finishes?
BLO would work fine. As far as interfering with the final finish. It depends on what the finish is. Sam
Great lesson! I m from Europe, is the citrus solvent a degreaser? Thanks
Yes it is just that-a degreaser. I get it at Lowes. Sam
Unsure if you will see this but thank you for this video. Besides cleaning off final sanding with turpentine can you use alcohol but if you do does that remove the impregnated “positive “ dust within the grain?
This is a good question. I would assume that some of that positive dust would be removed. But perhaps it does not matter so much with dense wood. Sam
Thanks for the tips I need to try this. Question for ya... which product would you recommend for wet sanding if I want a lacquer or polyurethane as my finish?
Art, for Poly, I would use a citrus degreaser as I mentioned in this video. (You could use water-but be carful unless you let it dry really well, it could interfere with the next application of the poly) For lacquers, you could also use the citrus degreaser. But what i usually do is spray 4-5 coats of lacquer then I sand with soapy water, Make sure all the water and residue is cleaned off before applying for lacquer, Sam
Super informative! Do you think wet sanding with that citrus degreaser would work on a pen that I'm planning to finish with CA afterwards?
Ron
I don't see any reason it would not work. I usually clean of the surface with a little paint thinner , then let it drill for a while. Sam
do you dilute the citrus degreaser or use full strength (and of course wear gloves)?
Mike, Yes good idea to wear gloves. I do not dilute this product. I use it because it does not have water in it. So I don't want to add water. Other than water, I am not sure what I would dilute it with. Good question. Thanks Sam
I always thought 1000 grit was extremely fine!! guessing you could make glass with 20000 grit!?
I am new to turning so please bare with me. I have started to cast and turn hybrid pen blanks/bottle stopper blanks. I am having a hard time getting my finish down pat. Could you please tell me what you think would be the best liquid to use when I am sanding my blanks?
If the blank is 100% resin or a cast material I would just use water. When you say hybrid I assume it is part wood and part resin. I am still myself a little not sure what I should use to wet sand with. One could use water but you MUST let the surface dry completely before adding a finish. My next choice would be a citrus solvent of some kind. This can be found under the label, "citrus degreaser" in the cleaning section of your big box store or elsewhere. But when finished sanding, clean off the surface with mineral spirits. Sam
Does sanding with the wax/oil combo interfere with your final finishes?
I don't think so. As along as I am using an oil for the final finish. But I would sand with something else is I am doing a friction polish or shellac/lacquer. Sam
Thanks!
Two questions. Have you tried wet sanding with abranet and what about sanding sealer instead of, or in conjunction with wet sanding?
I have not sanded with arrant but i am sure you can. I think a thinned down sealer would be fine.
Sam
Hi Sam. Your video was very informative. However, you did not say anything about impact on a dust collection system. I always use mine when sanding. Will wet sanding residue have any adverse impacts on my system?
Thanks for all your great tips.
Bill Kennedy. (Bill’s Bowls and other Cool Things)
It is hard to think of and mention every possible aspect of a given topic. I did not consider the impact of wet sanding? on my dust collection system. I can't imagine it would be much different than dry sanding. Is that what you are asking? When dry, wet sanding residue just is going to turn into dust, Sam
Hi Sam, thanks for all the helpful information. Do you have any advice on how to prevent swirl marks from sanding on the inside of bowls? Knowing at which grit to start and when to more to the next is sometimes a challenge for me. I'm a novice and my tool skills are not that good yet. As a result, I often have to start sanding pretty low. I often get unsightly swirl marks that were not made by the tool.
Tony, I assume that you are sanding with a drill and a sanding pad. One thing you can do is reverse the drill at each grit. But I think you explained it pretty well. I believe the whole key to it is your tool work. This will certainly improve with time. So if you can start sanding a bowl at 180 grit, when I am sanding a bowl on the Lathe. I slow the speed down on the lathe a lot. And then I adjust the speed of the drill accordingly. now that's about all I can tell you everything will improve with time just keep working at it. Sam
Thanks so much for the advice, Sam! I really appreciate it!
NIce video....longest Quick Tip video I have seen thus far!
QUESTION: Did I miss it or wasn't it said......what is the name of the paper you use on your power sanding disks?
I did not mention the name of the paper. I get them from Craft Supply USA
Sam
Hi Sam. Do you find yourself using the 2" or the 3" discs more often?
Joseph, this really depends on the project. There are times when I use a 2 inch disc and other times I use a 3 inch disk maybe for larger bowls. I guess if you had to pick one or the other, Perhaps the 2 inch disc would work for everything Sam
Great information. Do you apply the finish right after you finish sanding? Or, do you let it dry?
I do finish soon after. But I really clean the surface with paint thinner 2 or 3 times. Sam
How much denatured alcohol do you add to the store bought Zimmer shellac to bring it to a one pound cut?
Shellac usually comes as a 3 pound cut (3 lbs shellac/ gallon of alcohol). One part Shellac plus two parts alcohol makes a one pound cut. The Clear Coat shellac is a 2 pound cut so 1:1 makes a 1 lb cut.
Can you use something like Tried &True or Waterlox over Triple-eee?
I am sure you can.... Sam
I wish people had to leave a comment when they gave a video a thumbs down!
I agree. Or I have thought of just giving my video a thumbs down to at least be the first. Doesn't bother me. Thanks Sam
Would it be worthwhile to use a sanding sealer first?
Not sure. I would sand at least a little before I sealed the wood. I think it would make the sanding more difficult. Sam
How is denatured alcohol different from paint thinner for cleaning? A safety thing? just curious. Great tip.
Sam Croninger Thinners are solvent/petroleum base so can leave residue or staining.
So wouldn't that be paint thinner? That was why I thought Denatured alcohol might be better. Does alcohol leave any residue?
I think for cleaning the wood, either paint thinner or denatured Al... would work. But for both ventilate the area very well and/or use a respirator. Sam
@Wyomingwoodturner can you wet sand stabilized wood?
Sure, I think you can wet sand anything. Sam
Nice video, But what if you don't have reverse on your lathe
Yep that is a problem but not a big deal. I think you can compensate.....But not really sure what you can do. Sam
Just stand on the other side of your lathe
I use Boiled Linseed Oil to wet sand. Then a good wipe-down with a clean towel and let it sit overnight and finally a lacquer finish. The BLO has no effect the lacquer, I think oil and oil based finishes would work just as well.
One question on your tip. Doesn't cleaning with mineral spirits at the end remove the "Slurry" you mentioned earlier in the video?
The length of the video doesn't bother me, all of the info was needed...OK most of the info. ;-D
You may be right on the paint thinner removing some of the slurry. But I am more concerned about any residue left on the surface that would interfere with whatever finish I use. Thanks for the support on the length of the video. Sam
What's the grit value of paper towel???
875
I tried wet sanding with mineral oil, and also with water. My paper (auto body wet/dry) clogs up and becomes useless in a matter or seconds. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for your videos, most informative,
John, thanks for the question I think possibly the mineral oil is simply too thick use for wet sanding. What Grit are you using when the paper clogs up. You may be sanding with too fine grit. I try not to wet sand with water. That would be introducing water into the wood which would interfere with a finish possibly. You could try wet sanding with paint thinner. But use good ventilation and latex gloves. You do have to keep the paper fairly wet which would prevent the clogging. Thanks Sam
@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER I was using 400 grit. I'll try paint thinner or something on that order with a courser grit. I have an attic fan in the end wall of my shop, so it moves not only fumes but dust and sometimes things I don't want moved. Also, recently bought some paint thinner (Klean-Strip® Green™ Safer Paint Thinner) that seems to be very unobtrusive, and that's not really the word I was looking for, but...
Thanks
A 20 minute "Quick" tip?
Yea, I got carried away. It will not happen again. Sam
WYOMINGWOODTURNER Sam, keep telling yourself that. Please don’t change
Das