pipemakersforum.com

I find that the sandpaper wrapped around my french wheel doesn't last long before disintegrating around the leading edge, while sanding. Do you guys have the same problem? If not what type of paper do you use that makes it last longer?

Back it with evenly applied (edge-to-edge), premium-grade duct tape first.

LatakiaLover wrote:Back it with evenly applied (edge-to-edge), premium-grade duct tape first.

Tim West told me about this trick at Columbus a couple of years ago. He said it extended the life of the paper from about 5 pipes to 15 before any shredding occurs.

Rad

Five pipes? !! What on earth are you doing to your wheel?

I use cloth-backed sandpaper in huge sheets, and just cut my circles from it. It's quite tough, and handles like burlap. I've never used the duct tape trick, but I only need to change my sandpaper perhaps a couple times a year - I think I used the same rough grade wheel for most of 2007. My ultra-smooth wheel (which is now REALLY ultra smooth) has been in use without a paper change for probably four years now or more. These days it shines equivalent to my white compound wheel.

I use a slightly different setup, but my experience is similar to Trever's. I use the cloth-based, cushioned abrasives from Abralon. Everything above 360 has been in use for about two years now, and I think I only had to change the rougher grades once last year.

My grinder belt, however, where I do most of the rough shaping, gets changed every 5 pipes or so. It tends to load up something awful at the speeds it runs. I have the parts to make a new one that runs much slower, but not the time to get it built.

KurtHuhn wrote:My grinder belt, however, where I do most of the rough shaping, gets changed every 5 pipes or so. It tends to load up something awful at the speeds it runs. I have the parts to make a new one that runs much slower, but not the time to get it built.

Have you tried a sanding belt cleaner, a big eraser looking thing?

TreverT wrote:Five pipes? !! What on earth are you doing to your wheel?

I use cloth-backed sandpaper in huge sheets, and just cut my circles from it. It's quite tough, and handles like burlap. I've never used the duct tape trick, but I only need to change my sandpaper perhaps a couple times a year - I think I used the same rough grade wheel for most of 2007. My ultra-smooth wheel (which is now REALLY ultra smooth) has been in use without a paper change for probably four years now or more. These days it shines equivalent to my white compound wheel.

Hi Trever,

The duct tape trick is for paper sand paper. Cloth backed sand paper wouldn't need it, I don't think.

Rad

Frank wrote:

KurtHuhn wrote:My grinder belt, however, where I do most of the rough shaping, gets changed every 5 pipes or so. It tends to load up something awful at the speeds it runs. I have the parts to make a new one that runs much slower, but not the time to get it built.

Have you tried a sanding belt cleaner, a big eraser looking thing?

I have one, and I do use it, but a 36" belt running at 5500SFPM is just too fast. It's great for metal, but wood tends to glaze the belt something fierce, even briar. Ideally I'd like a 72" belt that runs at half that speed, and that should bring the longevity of belts *way* up.

After reading all the replies, I definitely know that I'm doing something wrong. At the most, I get two pipes out of the paper I use. I rigged my own version of a french wheel. I use a metal grinding disk and wrap, sandpaper on it. The final product looks just like the "Pro French Wheel". Maybe the coarseness of the metal disk causes the paper to wear faster. Possibly?
I thought that cloth backed sheets are only available for metal sanding. Where do you get yours, for wood.
the comment on the duct tape wrap, can someone elaborate on it. Do you wrap the whole disk, or just the edge.
Thanks for your help, everybody.

Tano wrote:Maybe the coarseness of the metal disk causes the paper to wear faster. Possibly?
I thought that cloth backed sheets are only available for metal sanding. Where do you get yours, for wood.

You need to consider a couple of things:

The quality of your sandpaper. The same brand name can be crap if bought from a place like Home Depot, while it could be excellent from a supplier who specializes in abrasives. Norton is a prime example.

There are no rules as to which abrasive can & cannot be used on a particular material. Some are better for use on one type of material than another, but not exclusively.

The name brand cloth backed "sandpaper" from these guys is top quality: http://www.trugrit.com/ I have been buying all my sanding belts from them for years. I'm sure other folks have their favourite suppliers.

Hey Tano,

What you do with the duct tape is cover the back of the sandpaper with it before you fold it onto the french wheel. All it does is give the sandpaper more durability.

Rad

Thanks Frank.
I read you Rad.