How would you sand this?

[cider]

I've got almost 2000' of 3/8" material with a round edge that needs a light sanding.  I was thinking about an LS130, but reviews are...mixed.  Another thought was to make a custom sanding block and roll up my sleeves.  What do you recommend?  BTW, I'm a hobbyist in a garage--not a professional

 

[TwelvebyTwenty]

In your position I'd be inclined the view it as two separate operations, for the flat portion use an RO sander for speed, and the top rounded portion do by hand with a foam sanding block.

 

[rst]

Sanding sponges and muscle

 

[johnredl]

Personally I’d use an RO150 with a flexible pad. That’s pretty much my most used sander and I use it more than any other. Even more than the Little 90

 

[Birdhunter]

I bought a LS130 For a major molding sanding job. It not a fast sander, but it did the job a lot faster than hand sanding. I made a sanding pad for the LS130 that fit the molding. I’ve used the sander a few times since.

 

[ear3]

Interface pad would definitely be my approach.  You will lose your mind sanding that much with the LS130.

Personally I’d use an RO150 with a flexible pad. That’s pretty much my most used sander and I use it more than any other. Even more than the Little 90

 

[cider]

Thanks for the advice, all!  Looks like there are some low-budget options I should try first.

 

[semenza]

I think the state of the material makes a difference here .................

            Is it already installed on a larger piece / furniture?

            Is it a 3/8" round over on a wider piece?

            Is it just a narrow piece of 3/8" rounded trim?

Seth

 

[Michael Kellough]

If it’s really only light sanding required you should be able to do at least 10 feet per minute by hand. Spend 30 minutes a day and you’re done in a week.

You need a very flexible and durable abrasive like the blue Norton 3X stuff. I’d get hook and loop 5” disks as they are readymade hand size. Get a soft foam 5” round hand pad with hook and loop. These usually have an elastic loop you put your hand through but I find that inadequate. I put two strips of double stick carpet tape on the back of the foam pad and renew when needed.

 

[Svar]

These usually have an elastic loop you put your hand through but I find that inadequate. I put two strips of double stick carpet tape on the back of the foam pad and renew when needed.

Do you stick tape it to your hand?  [scared] [big grin]. Have you tried super glue?  [poke] [big grin]

 

[cider]

I think the state of the material makes a difference here .................

            Is it already installed on a larger piece / furniture?

            Is it a 3/8" round over on a wider piece?

            Is it just a narrow piece of 3/8" rounded trim?

Seth

More like narrow trim; not furniture quality.  I made some of these portable gates for myself, and a friend wanted a bunch in a trade deal. 

Edit to add: materials aren't assembled, so it's just a bunch of narrow strips at the moment.

[attachimg=1]

 

[Michael Kellough]

These usually have an elastic loop you put your hand through but I find that inadequate. I put two strips of double stick carpet tape on the back of the foam pad and renew when needed.

Do you stick tape it to your hand?  [scared] [big grin]. Have you tried super glue?  [poke] [big grin]

Yes.

Been using psa abrasives on my hand for years but the shape of my hand isn’t always suitable and the paper backing of most psa abrasives isn’t always flexible enough. Hand sanding makes plenty of dust so start with a strong adhesive and you won’t have to renew as often.

 

[AlexThePalex]

By hand, sanding sponge.

[attachimg=1]

 

[semenza]

You can rule out the LS130. It won't work well on small, loose trim pieces. Or on those gates when assembled.

Seth

 

[jrfuda]

If it really is light sanding, a non-woven pad can do it really fast by hand and give you a great finish. Not 2000 feet, but I did maybe 120 feet of reclaimed tongue and groove pine (made new tongues and grooves since the old ones were destroyed when taking it down) and all of my final sanding was with non-woven pads. I did have to take mill marks off first (I was using the former back of these panels since the original fronts were painted). Anyway, by the time I got to the "only needs light sanding stage" all I needed to do was hit them with the non-woven pads and it was pretty simple, flat on the flats and went with the shape on the v-grooves. I bet I did not spend more than a minute of light sanding per 8 foot board. I finished the boards with general finishes pre-stain conditioner, stain, and several coats of enduro-var via HVLP and simply repeated the light sanding with non-woven pads between coats. It would have been a nightmare to try and sand both the flats and profiles repeatedly with anything else.

By the way, I own an LS-130, and the only thing I've ever used it for was restoring the bases of some 100+ year old wooden columns; had to make three sets of custom profiles to match the entire base. That was in 2015 and I've only ever used it again to touch up said columns before the painters came. I do not think the LS-130 would be a good choice.

 

[Alanbach]

I don’t know what sanders you own but in my shop I would grab my ETS EC 125/3 and an interface pad. One quick back and forth pass down the board and then tilt the curved edge up and angle the sander with the interface pad to sand the curved edge over one return pass. Obviously this is contingent on the piece not needing multiple passes / grits.