Ouch - Lost another piece sanding!

[new2woodwrk]

Ok, so I have a drill press that I use for sanding with a sanding ball.

Sometimes, like yesterday I was sanding a small piece from a puzzle and ZZZZIIIPPP it was ripped out of my hands thrown across the shop to the nowhere to be found zone. Now I have a puzzle that will sit in limbo until I find that piece.

I used to have a "block" I made to keep the pieces from being thrown all over, but that was ruined and lost in the hurricane and not sure if that was the best solution.

What do/how do you all sand small parts?

I think the drill is too powerful for sanding, so i just ordered a Guinever Sand & Polish Motor

I'm thinking this maybe a better alternative without flinging my hard work all over the place.

Thoughts/suggestions?

Thanks as always in advance

[dgman]

First of all, slow down the drill press. Second, clamp a “backstop” to the drill press table.

[new2woodwrk]

17 minutes ago, dgman said:

First of all, slow down the drill press. Second, clamp a “backstop” to the drill press table.

Yah, that's what I had before - ok thx - I'll try that again and slow down the drill as well!

[Ron Johnson]

Card scrapers do a beautiful job. Quite, no dust, economical and safe. 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Ron Johnson

[jollyred]

I have found that the wheel going into the edges is the main way that it gets ripped out of my hands and thrown into that area of the shop that has a worm hole directly to the moon.  (that's the only way I can explain how I can never find that piece).  If possible, I will also sand along the edges instead of at right angles to them. Very light pressure is also a must, the wheel should just touch the piece without pressure.  Let the paper movement do the work, not pressure.

Tom

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

That polishing motor will be worse so I suggest you stick with what you have and yes slow the speed down some. Not sure why you need to use a flap sander on puzzle pieces. If you are just taking fuzzies off why not adhere a poece of sand paper to a flat board and just rub them with your fingers. Should take all of a couple passes. maybe I am not understanding what you are doing. But flap sanders are good for intarsia pieces and if that is what you are doing then yes you have the right tool.  

[dgman]

33 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

That polishing motor will be worse so I suggest you stick with what you have and yes slow the speed down some. Not sure why you need to use a flap sander on puzzle pieces. If you are just taking fuzzies off why not adhere a poece of sand paper to a flat board and just rub them with your fingers. Should take all of a couple passes. maybe I am not understanding what you are doing. But flap sanders are good for intarsia pieces and if that is what you are doing then yes you have the right tool.  

John, not speaking for the OP but I use the mop sander to soften the edges of stand up puzzles. It’s easier than hand sanding or using a round over bit in a router.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

35 minutes ago, dgman said:

John, not speaking for the OP but I use the mop sander to soften the edges of stand up puzzles. It’s easier than hand sanding or using a round over bit in a router.

Understood. Thanks

[new2woodwrk]

8 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

That polishing motor will be worse so I suggest you stick with what you have and yes slow the speed down some. Not sure why you need to use a flap sander on puzzle pieces. If you are just taking fuzzies off why not adhere a poece of sand paper to a flat board and just rub them with your fingers. Should take all of a couple passes. maybe I am not understanding what you are doing. But flap sanders are good for intarsia pieces and if that is what you are doing then yes you have the right tool.  

Like @dgman I use it also for rounding but in addition, I get spurs or sometimes there is tape residue I want to remove - I just thought it easier to use a mop/ball

 

[JimErn]

36 minutes ago, new2woodwrk said:

Like @dgman I use it also for rounding but in addition, I get spurs or sometimes there is tape residue I want to remove - I just thought it easier to use a mop/ball

 

tape residue is better removed, at least in my opinion, with mineral spirits, just wipe it down.

I use a corded drill, mounted on a board for the sanding mop, the mop hangs over the work bench.  I did this mostly cause I do not believe the bearings in a drill press are suited to lateral pressure, and it allows me to leave the mop mounted. Of course the corded drill bearings most likely have the same issue, but with corded drills less than $20 its a cheap replacement not to mention easier.  In my set up, I found that if I throw a sheet down under the mop, I no longer lose a piece since that makes it easier to find, corollary to Murphy's law.

I actually discovered that trick working on harleys, there are some tiny parts is some areas, invariably I would drop one into never never land, started putting down a sheet, and no problems since.

[don in brooklin on]

Been there done it with small pieces with Intarsia.

My dust collector behind my flex sander had bars across but that was not enough as it sucked in a little piece I dropped and the blades made mince meat out it.  I then but in bird screening at the back.  

With my mop sander I added a piece of carpet underlay to the left to catch the dropped pieces.  

 

[Denny Knappen]

Like Dan, I also use a Mac Mop purchased from Klingspor.  I use 220 grit and they last a long time.

[grandpuppies]

I have a good size cardboard box taped top the top of the bench top drill press. It fits loosely down the back and part way around the around the sides and has managed to catch all the pieces the mop tries to throw across the room after the first one or two it missed. I find I have altered the way I present the pieces to the mop, so if it does grab a piece it is thrown into the box. It helps to offer a pray or two in appeasement to the missing piece gods. When the box gets messy it is easy to replace with a new one.

[alfsgrandson011]

I have a ball and while ok I found you have to turn down you speed and then you can push into a little harder but really its just hang on. I found my dremel works well and some times just good old sand I also use a oscillating spindle sander. Just watch out what your doing case that will fly and then you are starting over for a new piece and that can be frustrating Sorry that happened I does for everyone that has one so ....  

[new2woodwrk]

20 hours ago, Denny Knappen said:

Like Dan, I also use a Mac Mop purchased from Klingspor.  I use 220 grit and they last a long time.

I went looking for those - do you have a link to that product? I can't find anything called a macro mop.

Thanks in advance

[don in brooklin on]

I buy mine from http://stockroomsupply.ca/shop/sanding-mops.html

They are in Canada but ship to the USA a lot as they are real close to the border.

I have both the Max Mop and the Sanding mop. I have the Sanding Mops in a few grits but the Max Mop is a spindle at 180. They are not cheap but I use the Max Mop a lot and have had a long time.

In USA available at https://www.woodworkingshop.com/search.aspx?q=max+mop

The sanding mop is https://www.woodworkingshop.com/search.aspx?q=sandin+mops

[Rolf]

I use a 240 grit by 2 inch wide Spindle mounted MAC mop, like Don I buy them from Klinkspore. Like all mops you need to break them in a bit. I find that this style lasts much longer than the stacked paper type. Certainly worth the extra cost . As you see it is connected to dust collection ( a must in my opinion) There is also a screen to so that my parts don't get sucked up. The small pieces end up in my cobwebs,  yes that has happened.  

[Denny Knappen]

On 1/5/2020 at 6:49 AM, new2woodwrk said:

I went looking for those - do you have a link to that product? I can't find anything called a macro mop.

Thanks in advance

Here is the link. There are several grits available.  https://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/mm07202/

[Scrappile]

One thing I have found on these Mac Mops, the grids sand much finer other sanding media of the same grids.  I have 120, 180 and the 240 grids.  I use, the 120 most often because it seem like is give a finish equivalent to around 200 grid.  I do love these Mac Mop.

[NC Scroller]

I also use a Mac Mop from Klingspor but I have mine mounted in a  old mini lathe using a drill chuck.  I have a piece of hardware cloth (screening 1/4" mesh) across the front of the dust collector port.  I use 180 grit.