Sanding Problems...

[Old Codger]

As a fairly new woodcarver I'm having problems sanding my small human and animal caracature carvings. I currently carve my project and then use a Dremel Sanding flat wheel (about 180 grit) to smooth my cut marks down and prepare it for finishing. My problem is, I can't get the dremel flat wheel into close spaces and hate using an individual pieces of sandpaper, fingernail board or small detail wood files. What do you use to sand areas prior to sealing and painting? Any/all ideas would be appreciated as I'm at a total lose and hate sanding, yet I want my projects to look more finished than just rough cuts... Oh yeah, I rarely use anything else than basswood for my carvings.... Thanks and safe carving to all!
Kenn

[Whittled Thumb]

I took a tip from Lynn, and I back cut as much as I can now. Other than that I just roll up tiny peices of sandpaper and use that. I've tried using my dremel and sanding wheels but its way to powerful and tends to burn the wood.

For me back cutting in the answer

[AlArchie]

"hate using an individual pieces of sandpaper, fingernail board or small detail wood files"

Looks like you have pretty well eliminated the options! There are two others that you haven't eliminated yet, though.

1. Sanding Sticks. These are small pencil like devices that hold a loop of abrasive cloth. They are pointed on one end and the abrasive band can be rotated to present a new surface when part of the strip gets worn.
Buy 24 Piece Standard Kit Sanding Sticks at Woodcraft

2. Small power sanders, some reciprocating and some belt type.
Proxxon Belt Sander, Proxxon Hand-held Power Tools, Proxxon Tools, Power Tools, Tools - McFeely's
Proxxon Pen Sander PS12 - 12 Volt

As you have stated that you hate sanding, maybe one of the power sanders would best suit your needs. A bit pricey, but from what I've heard, they really work well.
I'm partial to the sanding sticks and rifflers, myself.

Al

[SlowMover]

Look into 3M radial sanding discs (the one inch or 3/4 inch size for carvings). They are a little pricey, but not bad. Depending on how much pressure you put on them they can wear away pretty fast, but they do a great job down in crevices and small areas.

[Claude]

I agree with SlowMover - the 3M discs are great. Here's one source: BRISTLE DISC SET ALL 4 GRITS-Wood Carvers Supply

I've also purchased them from Amazon.

Claude

[breezly]

I agree with Slowmover and Claude the bristle discs from 3M are what I use handy for the crevices.

[Sharon of the Dell]

I've never carved basswood, so this might not help.
I use power to sand also, but I bought myself some cheap hand held diamond needle rifflers/files of various small shapes at harbor freight. One set has round and curved profiles and they work pretty good to get into crevices.I use them a lot on my hair sticks.
I also have the really small diamond bits to go in my dremel. A flame shape works good in some spots. But I usually resort to the hand ones because I leave burn marks too.
I like the sounds of the 3M bristle discs!

[Claude]

I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but using the 80 grit bristle disc and just touching it lightly to hair or a beard will make quick little "multiple grooves" that help the realism. Shape the hair and beard first with #9 gouges to get the "s curve" swirls and then add the hair texture with the bristle disc. One just has to be cautious to not hold the disk in one place for long, as the 80 grit will remove wood quickly.

Caution note: try this on scrap wood before trying on a carving!

Claude

[Old Codger]

Thanks everyone! I have looked at but never tried the sanding sticks or the 3M bristle discs, but will look into them. It's good (well not really good...) to hear that others are having the same problem I have and hate sanding also... I currently 'back cut' but there still are times where sanding is necessary to get the finish I want... I hate 'fuzzies' also and have made 'plastic brillo disks' but they always seem to leave the part of the brillo color on the wood...still, I appreciate all your assistance and ideas and will check them out. Safe carving to all of you!
Kenn

[Donna_T]

I'll just add that I use the radial disc on a very slow speed to clean up carving and, when used on slow, they don't obliterate your carving marks. But you can get down in cracks and crannies to clean all the "whiskers" out pretty well. Be sure to get a less agressive grit--they come in various colors and various grits--I like the softest and usually put 3 or 4 on a mandrel together to use for my clean up process.

Also, there's another tool I use with my power carvers and that is the little paper cones called "guge sanders". They, too, come in different grits--the larger one fits on the split mandrel--and the smaller ones fit on a screw mandrel. Again, you want to sand on slow speeds so that you clean your carving--now smooth it. They are especially good at cleaning up the grooves of your carvings.

I like using the radial discs to clean up hair and beards--just run it with the flow of the hair--not across it.

Donna_T