Help with sanding unstabalized wood. Is too fine a bad thing?

[Tiiiiiiiim]

I'm an apprentice fine furniture maker and we rarely finish higher that 150# before sealing and polishing. For things like Laquer or 2 pac it's all about how fine you sand it between finish coats. Finishes like oils you can sand as finely as you want because it's a penetrator.

 

[Tiiiiiiiim]

While on the subject of finishing wood I have a question about sandpaper. Does the type of abrasive such as aluminum oxide and silicon carbide make a difference when sanding wood? Is one better than the other? If so which one and why?

Thanks, Darrin.

AO is better for wood. It lasts longer and the grit doesn't clog as much in my experience. SC has a high Friability. Cuts well but wears quickly.

 

[GrizzlyBear]

Thanks for the continued responses!

 

[Larry D. Davis]

Larry,

I see you have listed, two different residence locations; would you explain this.

Regards, Fred

Sure. Short answer is retirement and long answer is retirement evolution

I "retired" about 2.5 years ago from 24/7 business and bought a house in north Georgia near my son and family. My shop buildings (including the acrylic impregnation room) and warehouse are still in Eugene, OR where I return a couple times a year to work and fill large orders for some of my old, loyal clients. I keep a motor home parked at the shop. I'm slowly evolving out of the warehouse, but with so much inventory and no real plan it's daunting. My main passion and business other than gold mining is fine figured wood and exotic burls so having this "private" wood play ground is sweet. I'll leave Georgia end of Feb and exhibit at KNIFE EXPO 2011 in Pasadena (my 12th year) then head up to Oregon to cut and fill a full container of guitar wood shipping to Scotland; process a 6,000 piece knife handle order for one of my mail order customers, custom acrylic infuse (stabilize) orders for other mail order companies and production knife companies, exhibit at the OKCA knife show in April, run my sawmill milling some quilt and curly maple logs; break down approximately 12,000 pounds of large whole amboyna burl on the sawmill and so on and so on. I'll be back in Eugene in July getting tonewood ready to exhibit at the Guild of American Luthiers convention in Tacoma then (hopefully) I'll have a plan to close the warehouse and move stuff to Georgia...evolution.. I closed my last retail store eight years ago. Life is good and I only do fun stuff these days.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Sure. Short answer is retirement and long answer is retirement evolution

I "retired" about 2.5 years ago from 24/7 business and bought a house in north Georgia near my son and family. My shop buildings (including the acrylic impregnation room) and warehouse are still in Eugene, OR where I return a couple times a year to work and fill large orders for some of my old, loyal clients. I keep a motor home parked at the shop. I'm slowly evolving out of the warehouse, but with so much inventory and no real plan it's daunting. My main passion and business other than gold mining is fine figured wood and exotic burls so having this "private" wood play ground is sweet. I'll leave Georgia end of Feb and exhibit at KNIFE EXPO 2011 in Pasadena (my 12th year) then head up to Oregon to cut and fill a full container of guitar wood shipping to Scotland; process a 6,000 piece knife handle order for one of my mail order customers, custom acrylic infuse (stabilize) orders for other mail order companies and production knife companies, exhibit at the OKCA knife show in April, run my sawmill milling some quilt and curly maple logs; break down approximately 12,000 pounds of large whole amboyna burl on the sawmill and so on and so on. I'll be back in Eugene in July getting tonewood ready to exhibit at the Guild of American Luthiers convention in Tacoma then (hopefully) I'll have a plan to close the warehouse and move stuff to Georgia...evolution.. I closed my last retail store eight years ago. Life is good and I only do fun stuff these days.

Retirement is highly overrated as a time to spend watching grass grow and for polishing a rockers runners. A guy can do that after hes dead or near that anyway.
Sounds like you are busy doing what you like to do and I applaud that. To few get to do that.
I retired six years ago; built a new shop, invented a neat knife making gadget that my son and I manufacture.
I even make a few knives now and then.

The best of luck to you in 2011.

Regards, Fred