Sander question, cabinet related

WoodbyLee

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Jun 9, 2015
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I am looking to use pre-finished Baltic birch for cabinet boxes. Problem is I would need to sand off a strip of the finish to allow for good adhesion of the glue during assembly.  I thought I had seen a contraption somewhere to accomplish this with a power sander, but have had no luck finding it now that I want to.  Does Festool have a sander that accommodates a pad that can be cut down to 3/4" (18mm) wide? Any ideas will be helpful.
 
You could rig something out of the ls130 diy profile option, or use one of the preset convex pto files and make a couple of passes with it. Why not just a homemade sanding block? You could clamp a straightedge on one or both sides to make sure you don't sand outside the lines.
 
You can use a lacquer glue that way you don't need to sand it off, otherwise I'd ask why are you using (paying) for the pre finished if you don't require it
 
Though I have never worked with pre-finished ply yet, I have pondered this issue for a while as well.

My solution would be to use a router to cut a very fine dado.
 
      I have used the LS130 with the regular flat pad. If you get used to the control it is not hard to sand along the edge of a flat surface without going too far into the field. I have also done the same with a random orbit sander.  To be on the safe side a piece of painters tape about 1/2" - 5/8" from the edge protects the surface.

      Alternatively a custom pad could be made for the LS130 with a ledge / lip just under 3/4" wide. Could be put on both sides to double the use of the pad.

      A straight edge clamped in place to guide a random orbit sander. Rotex with the edge guard would work well in this set up.

      If you need to do a strip in the center of a field, then one of the convex pads on the LS130 works well with tape along both sides.

      I have also used a sanding block which is fine for a few feet, but gets old quick if doing a whole bunch of pieces. The pre-finish is pretty tough stuff to get through. I have used 60 - 100 grit for this task all seem to work well.

   

Seth
 
Anyway one looks at it, it is like a Greg Geffen song in that one is going against the grain.

As Seth mentioned you either need a stop or straightedge, or maybe tape.
Other than using one of the old school dado plane, maybe a router would take a hair off best? And there are 3/4 and 5/8" bits.

Or dowel biscuits if they do not really need glue on the entirety... i.e. Clampex.
 
I'm with the others who say hand sanding blocks, safest way to do it. Clamp two flat pieces of wood on either side to cover what should not be sanded, leaving a thin trench with the area you want to clear. Then bend some sandpaper over a thin piece (3/8 or 1/2'') of mdf to sand the finish away. Shouldn't take a lot of time per board.

Are you planning on using dowels?
 
Alex said:
I'm with the others who say hand sanding blocks, safest way to do it. Clamp two flat pieces of wood on either side to cover what should not be sanded, leaving a thin trench with the area you want to clear. Then bend some sandpaper over a thin piece (3/8 or 1/2'') of mdf to sand the finish away. Shouldn't take a lot of time per board.

Are you planning on using dowels?

I was origionally thinking of taling of 1/4" mm with a router.
Or maybe go 1.6-mm deep with a router and use a dado?
 
For removing just enough finish to create a 3/4" glue surface, you could use a rabbet or a plow plane.  Even a small block plane would work if you set a fence for it.  One or two vey light passes with a hand plane should make quick work of it.
 
Steve-Rice said:
For removing just enough finish to create a 3/4" glue surface, you could use a rabbet or a plow plane.  Even a small block plane would work if you set a fence for it.  One or two vey light passes with a hand plane should make quick work of it.

Score a line with a knife at your 3/4 measure, attach a  wood straight edge on the line and use a sharp shoulder plane set to a very shallow cut to take the finish off.
Tim
 
Holmz said:
Greg Geffen
Greg Graffin  [eek]

May be swimming upstream here, but a quick pass on a router table would also do it, and once set up you wouldn't have to worry about uniform removal.
 
Pre finished ply is great...all you need is a sanding block like this.
f87ac440b96239bad7082065dc9d2fce.jpg
 
Billedis said:
I am with Tom, much stronger using tongue and groove.  Bill

Agreed, but the OP really wanted a solution to adhesion for prefinished ply. Depending on the circumstances, you really don't need to glue these joints at all. Just screw them together and done.
Tim
 
Tim Raleigh said:
Billedis said:
I am with Tom, much stronger using tongue and groove.  Bill

Agreed, but the OP really wanted a solution to adhesion for prefinished ply. Depending on the circumstances, you really don't need to glue these joints at all. Just screw them together and done.
Tim

Just pointing out that a router could be easily set to mill just the finish off.

Tom
 
tjbnwi said:
Tim Raleigh said:
Billedis said:
I am with Tom, much stronger using tongue and groove.  Bill

Agreed, but the OP really wanted a solution to adhesion for prefinished ply. Depending on the circumstances, you really don't need to glue these joints at all. Just screw them together and done.
Tim

Just pointing out that a router could be easily set to mill just the finish off.

Tom

@tjbn
The only problem is that people believe sanding is the only way.
And scrapers, planes and routers are not sanders.
 
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