This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?

In article ,
says...
This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?


I reckon you would fill the grain with abrasive and wood dust in a nice
slurry and have the devil's own job trying to get it out.

I can't imagine that being a good solution, either. The polishing
compounds (powdered) that they use for lapidary work are very fine and
would stay in the grain of the wood.

This would be even more apparent in areas that have the things we
woodturners like such as occlusions, swirly grain, etc.

I don't know how you could wash out the particles of polish.

Robert

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:02:08 GMT, "Bob Daun" wrote:

This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?

I think you'd just end up with a mess in the bowl bottom and a job cleaning the
buff or wheel..
Much easier to throw the bowl back on the lathe in a vac chuck or jumbo jaws and
sand it, or even hand sand the sucker..

I find that on bowls, the inside is the easiest part to sand.. using either a 2"
or 3" holder and H&L sanding disks..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Feb 25, 1:02 pm, "Bob Daun" wrote:
This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?


Hello Bob,

You've heard the negative comments and I agree with them 100 percent.
Another solution to the problem you describe is GUINEVERE a tool made
in Sweden and imported by Arthur Aveling at King Arthur's Tools. Their
web site is: www.katools.com I believe. We purchased one of these
last year. It is just the thing to do sanding of bowls, etc. while you
hold them in your hand. I don't remember the price. It is not a cheap
tool, but it does do the job very nicely.

Mildred and I first saw it demonstrated on the Norwegian Woodturning
Cruise in 2004. The carver who was using it made fine crafted spoons
and scoops all done with this sander. There it was called the Kirjes
Inflatable Sander. More Woodturning carried a story on this system in
the March-April 2007 issue. Arthur renamed it Guinevere when he
started importing it last year.

It is just the thing for sanding a piece that is off the lathe and
can't be remounted. It does what you want to do.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com

"Bob Daun" wrote in message
et...
This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought
to my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most
sanding devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work
if one took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some
fine abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is
relatively easy to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to
be used in rock tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?

Try the standard solutions first. I don't think you need an expensive setup
like Fred mentioned. I'm using the same flex shaft on an old washing
machine motor for considerably under the price. Have to say the inflatable
drum with the sandpaper condom is not for normal use, since it's both
expensive and fragile. I use it for goblets and other places too narrow to
work a flex edge into.

This Mac Mop idea works great for bowls. Expensive, but lasts a long time.
I got a "Big Buffer" JET double-ender for some of my other work and found
the pneumatic drum to be great for outsides and the mop for out or in.
http://www.woodworkingshop.com/ search on "mac mops." If you want to test
the waters gradually, try search on "contour sanding" which will have
sanding mops, sanding stars or even mini mops which will touch up
decorations or carving with almost no contour degrade. While you're
ordering, get a bargain box.

It looks like the domed inflatable is just the ticket. I ordered just
the inflatable dome, one set of coarse sanders, and the cloth covers.
I'd bet I can make the sanding domes and the cloth buffing covers
relatively easily and more cheaply once I get the pattern. Looks like
it can be used in any chucked device (handheld drill, flex-shaft,
mounted chuck.

Fred, what is the size of the dome inflatable sander. I couldn't find it,
getting old I guess.........Ralph

"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...
On Feb 25, 1:02 pm, "Bob Daun" wrote:
This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased
the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I
can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought
to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively
easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?


Hello Bob,

You've heard the negative comments and I agree with them 100 percent.
Another solution to the problem you describe is GUINEVERE a tool made
in Sweden and imported by Arthur Aveling at King Arthur's Tools. Their
web site is: www.katools.com I believe. We purchased one of these
last year. It is just the thing to do sanding of bowls, etc. while you
hold them in your hand. I don't remember the price. It is not a cheap
tool, but it does do the job very nicely.

Mildred and I first saw it demonstrated on the Norwegian Woodturning
Cruise in 2004. The carver who was using it made fine crafted spoons
and scoops all done with this sander. There it was called the Kirjes
Inflatable Sander. More Woodturning carried a story on this system in
the March-April 2007 issue. Arthur renamed it Guinevere when he
started importing it last year.

It is just the thing for sanding a piece that is off the lathe and
can't be remounted. It does what you want to do.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com

In article , Bob Daun
wrote:

This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?


After reading all the replies advising against, I feel compelled to
point out that in 'French Polishing' you actually want the abrasive
(pumice) jammed into the wood grain to act as a filler. Depends on just
how much sanding you need to correct, and what type of finish you want,
but I can imagine certain situations where a dedicated felt or flannel
wheel with a tiny amount of FFF or FFFF pumice might be just the ticket
for the inside of a bowl. YMMV.

If you do experiment with this, report back with your results...

-j

Thanks for all of your replies. I forgot about the potential problem with
the black carborundum powder used by rock polishers. I took a look at the
GUINEVERE system and it is really interesting but I am not quite ready to
take that plunge yet. Guess I will stick with hand sanding or the use of my
Dremel foam rubber tip or the same thing on my electric drill for the larger
sizes.

Bob




"JoanD'arcRoast" wrote in message
. ..
In article , Bob Daun
wrote:

This is just a general interest question. A few weeks ago I purchased
the
Beall Bowl polishing system and am very pleased with the performance. In
the process of polishing some bowls, I found one that for some reason or
other I didn't have the inside sanded very well prior to finishing. I
can
go back and re-sand the inside if I so choose but this brought a thought
to
my mind. It is not easy to sand inside bowl surfaces with most sanding
devices (electric drill, dremel, etc.) I wonder how it would work if one
took one of the Beall balls, moistened it with water and added some fine
abrasive and use this to sand the interior of bowls. It is relatively
easy
to get very fine abrasives from places that sell them to be used in rock
tumblers. Anyone tried anything like this?


After reading all the replies advising against, I feel compelled to
point out that in 'French Polishing' you actually want the abrasive
(pumice) jammed into the wood grain to act as a filler. Depends on just
how much sanding you need to correct, and what type of finish you want,
but I can imagine certain situations where a dedicated felt or flannel
wheel with a tiny amount of FFF or FFFF pumice might be just the ticket
for the inside of a bowl. YMMV.

If you do experiment with this, report back with your results...

-j