I usually sand all my boards to 320 grit but I haven't found a way to sand the rails to make them look like the deck and bottom. I guess I'm a little scared to use the sander in fear of burning through. I've thought about maybe using a smaller orbital sander.
I'd really like to hear some of your techniques
Thanks in advance
I start mine with my sander with 80 grit - work them from the bottom as I sand that then flip it over and once I've sanded the deck I work down from the top to meet in the centre of the rail where I come up from the bottom. Very important to keep the sander runing slow and moving quickly along the rail with light touches. I then sand by hand along length of whole rail with 80 grit. I go throught the grades on top and bottom but only sand the rail by hand with 120 and 240. I finish at 240 and laquer with speedcote. I then flat that off with 1000 grit wet and dry (used dry). It seems to work and I don't get any scratches showing through the laquer.
Cheers
Rich
yeah, that was another questions I had....I'm a board whore and I love to go to shops and look at boards and I always wonder if these bigger name manufaturers are spraying their boards with a clear laquer to make them look that perfect.
use a foam polishing pad for the rails - glue on the 320 with spray glue or feathering adhesive.
i like to hit the rails with 320 on a soft power pad first to even everything out but you need a light touch for that!
after the 320, put a scotch brite pad on an old power pad or on a velco pad and run that over your board for a really nice finish. you can use polish with the scotch brite for a slick finish that will hide weave but this will show off any scatches/bumps you have made so you need to be on your game for that! some of the stock boards are sprayed for a nice finish or to seal artwork but you cannot beat a true sanded finish by a sander who knows what he is doing!
Block mine by hand
80 for the deck and bottom then 100 step down to whatever you want
100 on the rails then down from there with folded paper
Ive done it with a power sander on longbords but I get a flatter surface by hand with a block
shortboards I do by hand
For my personal sanded finish boards, I use worn #220 on a really soft pad, light touch, just enough to remove the shine, then it is hand sand only enough to remove any look of machine marks or shiney’s
…hello man,
sorry for my rant
but how somebody who s a newbie
that still green in the labor put something like “atomsurfboards”?
I mean, I see in daily basis these things
also some have teams !¿?!
in my opinion, is better to pave the road under the radar and really be a good worker and try to be a good designer
then step by step build (and will come) a “—board” approach
hope you undertand these in a good way
well, know I've only been doing this for about 5 years and I went without a name for the first three years. I'm not sure if I would be considered a newbie or Green but I understand what you are saying.
Everything I've learned about shaping has been by trial and error or something I've read on this site. I've never sat in another person shaping room or another person glassing room. I've sold many boards over the years and I've never had a complaint about how a boards looks when it is handed over to them. I only asked the question because I was curious how other people sanded their rail. I hand sand my rails and it turns out fine but I was wondering if most people use a sander of some kind.
Reverb, I'm sorry if you feel like I haven't paid enough dues to have a "Brand" but when I started getting request outside of Friends and Family to make boards I thought it would be best.
I would write more but I've got to head down to the pier and scout out for new team riders....J/K no team
…nice sense of humor
good luck man
Worn 80 grit on a hard block to get the bumps down, 100, 120, 150 on the soft block, 220 on the soft pad/light touch/low rpms, 320 the same way, 400 wet sand all over by hand…