Not long ago I started fooling around making pens since I have this great lathe and there's only so many inserts and grips that I can use at one time. Anyway, I bought a kit of sanding pads, I think there are 8 pads with grits ranging from 1500 to 12000, for use on pens. If you want your reel seat inserts to be glass smooth and beautifully polished, get a set of these. I bought mine from Woodcraft Supply for around $15.00 They're the same thing as Micro Mesh, but in a pad form. Use them wet and your wood will really shine and so will acrylic. Penn State Industries also sells a similar kit.

Thanks, Gerry!!!!!

Mike

Gerry--"wet" as in water, polishing wax, or oil? I started wet sanding with tung oil a while ago and couldn't believe the results compared to not using this technique. How long have these pads lasted for you?

Gerry, I also use micro-mesh and agree with everything you said. I get mine from www.internationalviolin.com They sell 6" x 12" sheets which I cut into 4 - 3" x 6" pieces. Breaks down to 9 dollars for a set of all nine grits. Great product.

Yeah Gerry I'm big on the micromesh too. i start with 220, go to 320, then 400, then 600, 800, 1200, 1500, 3200 and finish off with 4000. I'd be interested to learn what "wet" means as well: oil, water?

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

WET - usually means to use sand paper with water as you sand with it. Keeps the paper cleaner because the water will flush the grit out of the sand paper and keep the object being sanded cleaner.

This is traditional wet sanding with water. I keep a tray of water next to the lathe and keep the pads wet. I get sort of a slurry on the wood which I frequently wipe off with a cloth. I might have to try it sometime with oil, maybe Tru Oil?

Gerry--if the wood's NOT stabilized (no reall point in this process if it is, though lubricating your abrasive is always a good idea), try starting at the equivalent of 400grade sandpaper with something like Tung Oil sealer. Do the same at 600, then from 800-2000 use regular tung oil or better polymerized tung oil. VERY effective--lubricates the paper/abrasive well and really brings the grain and color saturation out in a piece of wood. That being said, I'm hoping to try Tru Oils sometime soon as well.

Just curious. If you use Tru oil or any oil for that matter, won't it plug up the mesh making it useless??

Mike