Need help Cleaning Up Inside Radius

D

docmott

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Dec 10, 2022
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After making a few knives with tight inside radius on the handles ive started to straighten them out. I have 1x30 and 2x42 belt grinders. im thinking of a carbide die grinder cutter on my air tool? but would be better to something fixed with a small radius? I just need some ideas. I did make something with a 1/4 drill bit wrapped with a piece of 2in 60grit belt. it worked.
thanks, doc
 
A small wheel attachment from a 2x72 grinder is ideal for that kind of work.

Eric
 
A lot of guys use the mini sanding drums with a Dremel or Foredom style of tool. You can also get sanding drums for a drill press.
Cut a slit into a wooden dowel or a piece of round bar, slide in your favorite abrasive paper, and chuck the other end of the dowel/bar into your drill press.

It won't work as well as a 2x72 with a small wheel attachment, and you'll likely need to change your paper often, but it's better than nothing.
 
Drew Riley said:
A lot of guys use the mini sanding drums with a Dremel or Foredom style of tool. You can also get sanding drums for a drill press.
Cut a slit into a wooden dowel or a piece of round bar, slide in your favorite abrasive paper, and chuck the other end of the dowel/bar into your drill press.

It won't work as well as a 2x72 with a small wheel attachment, and you'll likely need to change your paper often, but it's better than nothing.
Click to expand...
I like that, rod with a slit and old sanding belt.
thanks, dod
 
I would never change my design just to better fit my grinder. For shaping handles, you can put it in a rotating vise and wrap sandpaper around various rods, blocks, chainsaw files etc.
 
Richard338 said:
I would never change my design just to better fit my grinder. For shaping handles, you can put it in a rotating vise and wrap sandpaper around various rods, blocks, chainsaw files etc.
Click to expand...
im always adding new hand tools, mostly files. im doing what I can with the basic so instead of having a sharp inside radius I just open it up some. I like the idea of a steel rod cut down the middle and slide in so old sanding belt. if a 1/2in rod will fit my drill press I'll be in heaven!!
thanks, doc
 
is there any other than Aluminum Oxide drums out there? but that will work,
thanks, doc
 
I used to want small roller attachment for my 2x72...
Now I don't.


I walk the belt over my platen. I purposely "mistrack" it.
It alows me pretty tight radi that I can get to where I want.

A rotary tool/foredom would Rock, I'd love one for that, and handles.
 
If you post some pictures of your work, we'll have a better sense of what you are tackling.
 
I've used the simple two speed Dremel tools with the 1/2" drum sander quick replacement attachment for everything from shaping recurve bow handles to doing small radius sanding on knife handles in the past. Down side is replacement drums are kind of expensive, limited sanding grits and dust collection is almost impossible. I presently have a VSD NR knife grinder with a small wheel attachment that I use for quick touch ups when I miss some sanding scratch's from my preferred method below. .

BUT my hands down way to do all of the above now is with a oscillating drum sander. For three reasons. Dust collection works awesome on it for one reason. Two even though prefab drum sander replacements are expensive I've learned (from here I might add) that you can wrap standard sandpaper of what ever grit you desire cut to wrap around the rubber drum sander portion with rubber bands to hold each end down. Reason three is you have multiple sizes of drums to choose from. You just have to take into account direction of the turn of the sander and the sandpaper. So cheap sand paper replacements of any grit you desire, with multiple sanding drum sizes along with incredible dust collection with a standard shop vac.
 
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Crag the Brewer said:
I used to want small roller attachment for my 2x72...
Now I don't.


I walk the belt over my platen. I purposely "mistrack" it.
It alows me pretty tight radi that I can get to where I want.

A rotary tool/foredom would Rock, I'd love one for that, and handles.
Click to expand...
ok, I'll give that one a try. good idea!
doc
 
I use a bit of painters tape and and odd 3/16 in brass rod. Cut straps of sandpaper and tape it to to rod. I chuck it in a hand drill, and run it mostly in reverse. I hold the end of the rod in a slip pinch grip for more control and brass works well like this. Use it a bit, then tear off the last inch of paper to expose new grit. This works great for small radii.
 
Find a piece of rod in the diameter you want and get some long strips of sandpaper. Using the rod to hold the sandpaper into the inside radius simply pull the sandpaper strips out from under the rod. Then put the paper back down put the rod over it and repeat.
 
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