[darnley]

I thought this question might fit better in the Beginners section as it is probably pretty basic, but I had once read that you should never use carving tools after having used sandpaper on a piece as you cannot get all the grit out and the tools will become dull very fast.
Yet lately I have read a number of projects where the board, particularly a rough hewn board, is sanded first before any tool is used, and also of projects where some sanding is done part way through the carving.
So is sanding an issue? Is there one correct way to make sure that all the grit is removed before using a tool again or is that necessary? Is it not such a problem after all?

[Clifford_Parker]

I often sand my sticks and then wipe them down with a tack cloth before carving and I don't think my tools dull any faster than they do when I'm carving basswood blocks or cottonwood bark.

[mark yundt]

As for me,,I hate to carve a sanded piece for this very reason. Yeah,,you can get most of the grit out of there,,,but it still seems to wipe out your tools just the same. I guess in a way it seems a bit odd to sand a piece smooth just to carve it all up again. I'll plane a piece first rather than sand it.

I just did several carvings in Teak,,Man,,with all the silica in that stuff your tools are dull in no time at all. So even just a bit left over from sanding I can do without.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Mark is on the mark with this one. Sanding will definitely dull your tools. More importantly, why would you want to sand your piece before it's finished? There have been a number of threads posted and I'm sure there will be more in the future about how to clean a carving once it's finished. As a sanded surface picks up dirt like your Honey's Hoover why not put the paper away until the knife is finished? That way you stand a better chance of keeping the edge on your blade and the dirt off your carving.

[Paul_Guraedy]

There is seldom, if ever, "one correct way" of doing anything. Although I seldom sand until nearing completion, I do not hesitate to sand whenever I think there is an advantage. I also often use handtools after I have sanded an area. I, too, have not found a problem with sharpness. It could be my technique of using a couple of stropping swipes when I pick up a tool that I have not used in a while (sometimes minutes) and I strop often while carving.
Admittedly, I have never used a tool after sanding with coarse grit (under 100). This could make a difference I guess.

[Irish]

I do sand, tool some more and then sand some more.

If I were doing character carvings where I was working 99% of my cuts on easy to reach outside areas I probably would not need to sand. But as a relief carver that loves to deeply undercut often that is the only means of removing excess wood and fibers.

I should note here that I do not use any sandpaper under 260 grit on a Work in Progress (WIP). Usually I am in the 300 or more grit area. For me ... this is my style of carving and not meant as an all incompassing statement that everyone must always follow ... any sand paper of rougher grit will do more damage to a WIP by leaving those fine scratch lines in the wood then is worth their time in removing the fibers. And I hate having to sand away the sand paper lines from a too harsh grit paper.

So for me 180 through 220 grit is for prep work of the blank board, 240 - 320 is for cleaning up the under cuts and I use an extremely fine grit cloth for the dressing out stage during finishing.

As good brushing with an old tooth brush often removes any excess sanding work including the particles from the paper. If you have an air compressor - use it! That will blast out some much dust and grit that you often can not reach. You can buy canned computer air at Staples which is a lot cheaper than an air compressor.

Scotch tape folded over the end of a nail file sanding board also can be used to reach those hard to get to areas.

Because I only use fine papers once the carving is started I have never noticed any dull tool syndrome because of the sanding process ...

BUT! I hone often!!!! If I am getting any dullness because of sanding the honing is removing it immediately .....

Susan

[mdallensr]

One of my goals in woodcarving is to produce a carved surface that is the best, finished surface possible. I seldom sand my carvings, but have done the backs of spoons and some other decorative pieces to show off the wood grain and color. When I'm carving acanthus, scrolls, volutes, and other decorative details, it's nearly impossible to sand them without removing detail, so it just isn't an option for that kind of work. I guess I'd rather have someone look at one of my carvings and know it's hand carved, rather than asking if it is. Mike

[Shimmy]

I seldom ever sand my carvings .If I do a spot or 2 I use a toothbrush and then my shop vacuum.

[AlArchie]

There may well be other approaches to this, but when I'm carving fish, I first shape the body with my knife, and then sand it to a "finished appearance" before I do the gills and mouth detail, again with my knife or gouges.

Fins need to be carved and sanded to shape before detailing with my knife and v tool.

When I'm doing hardwood fish (birdseye and tiger maple, etc) most of the initial shaping is done with sanding drums, then finished by hand sanding to a smooth finish before I take a knife or gouge to the body for gill and mouth detail......same with the fins.

Also when working on walking sticks, I first strip bark, carve to a rough preliminary shape, then sand the whole thing smooth before I even begin to apply the pattern and carve.

Can't say I've ever had a problem with dulling my tools, but I do take care to clean the work before carving. And my final pre-carve sandings are usually done with the foam backed sanding pads.....not much chance for grit to be deposited from them, and if there are any coarser remnants of the coarser sandpaper, the pads generally remove them.

All that said, I think I agree that if it's not necessary, don't sand before carving.

Al

[mdallensr]

Al, I can think of others as well. Slick decoys, aquatic animals with a wet appearance, greenware, etc. However, in our weekly carving class, we don't allow sanding since we're not wearing dust masks and it makes a mess we don't want to deal with. We do some de-fuzzing with a Dremel bristle wheel, but don't go farther than that in our group. Those who need to sand do it later, at home. Mike