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Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:21 pm
by Keith Walden
Ok, Im trying to build a Parlor size Guitar and may need thickness sanding for the body woods. Anyone provide this? Maybe I can get it local but if not Im looking for a backup. Please PM me with prices. Koa body and Adi top.

Re: Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:38 am
by David King
Keith, it would undoubtedly help to provide clues as to your geographic location.

Re: Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:01 pm
by Keith Walden
Im in Colorado, but I will mail it out if I have to. Not much else I can do. thanks

Re: Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:19 pm
by Bob Gramann
LMI will joint and sand wood you purchase from them. Alternatively, you could read the chapter in Cumpiano and Natelson on plate thicknessing and do it with a couple of handplanes (toothed and untoothed).

Re: Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:11 pm
by Randy Roberts
call a few cabinet shops in your area. They may well be willing to sand them down for you.

You should probably take a sled ( a board as wide as your top and back or as long as your side, usually plywood, for your pieces to go through on top of) as the sanders they would run your boards through might not be able to go as thin as your wanting accurately without something underneath to make the whole thing a little thicker.

Re: Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:45 am
by David King
Be aware that you'll want a finer grit than a cabinet shop might run for the last few passes or you'll be spending days hand scraping the scratches out. A belt abrasive planer aka Timesaver is what you want especially if there's a substantial amount of material to remove as it will do a better job getting your pieces to a consistent thickness. Drum sanders are fine if you're just taking off a 1/2mm or less. Koa has a tendency to scorch if the belt/paper is dull or they try to take off too much in a single pass. You just need to find the person who knows their equipment well enough and has experience with your particular woods. I've watched the place in town that charges $120/hour put a total numbskull kid on a job who then ruins hundreds of dollars worth of wood in instants with no clue as to the harm he's doing.

Re: Thickness Sanding?

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:49 am
by Olivier Vandebroucke
Yeah, Koa is quite sensitive, I've had this issue when working on a small jewelry box made of that for my wife...But if you (or the workshop) is using a new sheet of sandpaper, it won't be an issue: you don't seem to want to remove much, so it won't be enough to dull the paper.