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Sanding Tiny Areas


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Not for the first time, I've come up against the problem of sanding -  in my present case a poor paint job -  areas of a few square mils too small and enclosed  to use my fingers and a piece of abrasive paper with any real precision.  It's particularly hard to get into corners properly.  At the moment I'm using a length of  stripwood 5mm square to one end of which I stick a tiny square of abrasive paper.  It does the job, but I find myself  all the time having to cut off the bit of abrasive when it gets clogged or worn and replace it,  and I have a lot of these areas to do. It must be a common problem and I'm sure there'll be members who've come up with a better solution, or perhaps know of a tool someone sells to do such jobs properly.  

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I use Mc Donalds style wooden coffee stirers (other makes are available) and I and the relatives  "grab a hand full each time we go.

 I stick half a dozen each to different grades of sand paper usually about 10mm at both ends and cut them out with a scalpel when the glues set, I also have a pencil that's never had a point cut on it and I glue a mini disc of sanding paper to this as well trimming this with a scalpel, this you can "roll" between your fingers to get a sanding action.

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48 minutes ago, PAL said:

Not for the first time, I've come up against the problem of sanding -  in my present case a poor paint job -  areas of a few square mils too small and enclosed  to use my fingers and a piece of abrasive paper with any real precision.  It's particularly hard to get into corners properly.  At the moment I'm using a length of  stripwood 5mm square to one end of which I stick a tiny square of abrasive paper.  It does the job, but I find myself  all the time having to cut off the bit of abrasive when it gets clogged or worn and replace it,  and I have a lot of these areas to do. It must be a common problem and I'm sure there'll be members who've come up with a better solution, or perhaps know of a tool someone sells to do such jobs properly.  

Use wet and dry paper instead, and use it wet. Have a cup of water on your workbench and just dip the sanding stick into the water each time it gets clogged. 
 

Andi

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If you have access to a 3D printer, or someone who does, this little gadget could be just what you need:

 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3954248

 

Basically a printable "pen" which you load with a thin strip of wet & dry, which threads across the top of a little nib (different sizes included). When the paper is worn, unscrew, pull the paper through a bit, and use a fresh part. 

 

It does need a carefully calibrated 3D printer to make the fit of the nib and the threaded screw on parts accurate - mine turned out a little "over exposed" and therefore tight, but it does still work. 

 

Very handy little gadget that I'm surprised no one has made commercially! 

 

J

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8 hours ago, PAL said:

or perhaps know of a tool someone sells to do such jobs properly. 

You could give these a try. I picked them up at a railway exhibition in 2018:

1824553649_2017-AlbionAlloys-PlasticSandingNeedles(exhibition)_1.jpg.b01b91e0e96619adb31f9ec5df6544a0.jpg

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On 05/10/2020 at 14:25, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

, if you want to do untold damage to your finger ends, but it does stop you picking your nose or touching the missus!

 

Mike.

 

Gloves! - free from the supermarket! (Grifone friendly price!)

A mask is not a bad idea either.

Edited by Il Grifone
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2 minutes ago, ColinK said:

I got these from an exhibition a few years ago. May have been from Squires.  The sanding band is about 5mm wide.

 

7A09C292-B228-431A-9EDF-7FE81DABCCA5.jpeg.d89dd85baf0bd513d93cb5bfe09debf6.jpeg

i think the clue as to  the place to get them might be on the bag... 

https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-detail-sanding-pen-kit-410218

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To directly reply to the original question, I use one of these to get into every nook and cranny, removes excess solder, dirt, paint etc.

 

https://www.eileensemporium.com/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=2146&name=triangular-scraper&Itemid=189&category_pathway=1066&cookie_24916cc8a3acf77041d393848d96444c=accepted

 

Mike.

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My rather belated thanks to all contributors. The main problem it seems to me is the angle at which you're forced to work to keep control, not far off 90 degrees to the surface you're working on,  so most files and sticks aren't suitable.

 

Dagworth:  I thought the wet and dry would come off with repeated wettings but I now find that ordinary Evostik will keep it on ad inf.

 

Hibelroad: the glass fibre pen is a clear alternative but it gives me the Itch very badly, and I can't seem to get on with gloves. 

 

Enterprising:  this looks promising. I don't live too far away and I'll go and have  look at it,  as they don't give dimensions or say what the abrasive surface is.

 

Jim: Thanks for the link to the Proxxon thing but  the business ends do look rather too big, don't they? And nowhere can I find any details on the sizes.

 

Torper: I couldn't get your picture up. I had a look at CM3's site but could only see files and sticks.

 

Colin and Theq: The Axminster pen seem to me to be just the job - a very neat little tool. The only thing that gives me pause is the price - £30 with refills at over £6 a time.  I'll probably get one in the end but it'll have to wait for  that time for incautious/indefensible purchases - after a good Sunday lunch when I've had one or two.

 

Further contributions most welcome.

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20 minutes ago, PAL said:

Enterprising:  this looks promising. I don't live too far away and I'll go and have  look at it,  as they don't give dimensions or say what the abrasive surface is.

 

It's not an abrasive surface, it's a triangular scraper, imagine three scalpel blades together.

 

Mike.

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5 hours ago, PAL said:

Torper: I couldn't get your picture up. I had a look at CM3's site but could only see files and sticks.

 What picture?  Anyway, I thought you were looking for some fine abrasives and the CM3 site has micro fine sanding film, micro finishing cloth abrasive pads, polyester abrasive sheets "for ultra fine finishes", and various other odds and ends as well as files and sticks.  Whether any of these will be what you're looking for of course I don't know. :)

 

DT

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I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with these Albion Alloy filing sticks when I tried them a while back. I hoped they would be useful for removing rivet detail from plastic kits but found that the abrasive surface rubbed off more or less straight away. For some reason I had thought they would be made of solid material with embedded abrasive grit that could be carved away and reused but in fact only the surface skin is abrasive. Perhaps I was expecting too much but I think lolly sticks and glued-on strips of wet-and-dry would work better and cheaper.

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