Hard or soft sanding pads

[ztifpatrick]

I tend to use the hard sanding pad on my 150 sanders, but I have to sand some walnut veneered ply with walnut edging. The edging is about 3/4" wide and practically flush with the top.  It does need some sanding and there is a fine line of glue showing. So what pad would use use to bring these two surfaces perfectly flush?
The issue to be avoided is of course sanding thru the veneer. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

I’d use a scraper to get rid of the glue and bring the edge band with sanding range. And stick with the hard pad.

When a real cabinet scraper isn’t handy I use a utility knife blade held a little off vertical as a scraper.

 

[ztifpatrick]

Scraper sounds like a good idea, mind you it's epoxy, but should be fine.  Anything that gets me close with minimum sanding.

 

[Packard]

I would probably hand sand with a sanding block.  I have 5” round sanding blocks made from some soft molded plastic.  It enables me to use the same sanding discs that I use on my sander.  They also make 6” diameter sanding blocks.

Not good for getting into tight quarters, but otherwise very nice.

Duragold stuff is very nice and inexpensive.  Available from Amazon.com.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dura gold sanding blocks&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I would definitely use the hard pad and probably a more course paper than most. The idea is to take off the high spots quickly and not just sand the top of it. That's what happens with a soft pad, it will just flex away, smoothing the ramp up to the edge. Sandpaper that is too fine sort of does the same thing.
Get in, get out and then switch to a finer grit. Don't sit in one place. Modern veneers are extremely thin, most of them 1/40th of an inch, essentially .025". You can go through very quickly and with a dark color, like walnut, you don't even have to go through, and you can still see it.
Personally, I use an MFK700 to get as close to perfect as I can, then all it usually takes is a quick swipe with some 120 on the ETS EC125 and hard pad.

 

[ztifpatrick]

Yeah, MFK700 is great for that, unfortunately 3/4" is too deep for it.

 

[Oldwood]

I would use the hard pad. It sometimes helps to put a pencil line just back of the solid so when it starts to fade you know you are sanding the veneer.

 

[NiteWalkerGR]

The hard pad lives on my ec 150/5. I use one of the thin or thick interface pads if I need to hit back some contours.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Yeah, MFK700 is great for that, unfortunately 3/4" is too deep for it.

It doesn't have to be, if you are willing to do a little modifying to the zero-degree base.
Paul Mercel goes into this in a video on Youtube. His channel name is half inch shy.
He did his with a coping saw IIRC?
I went a bit further, cutting it with a mini milling machine, but only because I have access to one. There are other ways to accomplish this.
Mine will take a 3/4" diameter bit with a full 1" cut length.

 

[ztifpatrick]

I did see that years ago,  and thought about it. It's a great tool and the extra length seems worth the effort. I must look into it again. Who makes the bit you use? 3/4" dia, what's the length of the cutters, 1"?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I did see that years ago,  and thought about it. It's a great tool and the extra length seems worth the effort. I must look into it again. Who makes the bit you use? 3/4" dia, what's the length of the cutters, 1"?

Yes, 3/4" x 1" with an 8mm shank. I get them from Lee Valley.  item # 18j0612  $21.90ea