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So, I've stumbled into this luthier thing from a guitar players perspective with very little wood working experience. I've been hand sanding everything because sand paper is relatively cheap and easy to use. Also it seems like the best way to sand with the grain which seems important. But I'm getting a little tired of sanding and I've seen a lot of guys online use random orbital sanders. So is this an acceptable sanding method? It seems like you would get all kinds of scratches across the grain, random or not that's bad isn't it? Can you use a ROS through all the grits and come up with something that is ready to be finished? If so, are there recommendations on specific tools or how much to spend? I hate buying cheap disposable tools, but also don't want to spend an unnecessary amount of money.

I've been where you are and I do not miss it at all. I have only built a couple guitars now, but I knew after completing my first one that I would not continue to hand sand the plates. My second guitar was made out of Katalox. The back plate only had to be brought down a little bit to hit the proper thickness. I timed it. 13 hours with a sanding block. I used 80 grit most of the time.

I have a ROS and palm sander and they are less strenuous than hand sanding for sure. Though, maybe its me, but it still seems like it takes forever using those. Also the noise gets to me after a while and they really can throw a bit of dust too.

Hand planes might be an option to look in to. Maybe a No. 4 or 5 Stanley? I have never been good at using them, though I continue to buy them . You can find them relatively cheap at flea markets and sometimes ebay or craigslist.

Craigslist was my saving grace in the end though. I scored a Ryobi 16-32 drum sander for $125. That, of course, would be my highest recommendation, but they are normally dramatically more than that which is often a problem. Though that 13 hours of back sanding could be completed in a couple minutes without breaking a sweat.

I'm sure someone way more knowledgeable and helpful will step in and say something.


Good luck!

Just saw this was posted in Electric guitars and basses. Sorry, don't know if I will have been of any help at all, as I have no experience there.

I have noticed some noticeable scratches for those types of sanders if I press too hard or lift up on corner of the sander and cause the opposing end to drive into the wood. You could always start out with course paper on the sander and work you way to a finer grit. Then switch over to hand sanding towards the final grits.

You have to be real careful with a ROS on a guitar, especially the soft top. It can be done, but you can also create an uneven surface due to the different density of the spruce compared to hardwood inlays, purflings, etc. I have one but still do most of my sanding by hand. Might use the ROS on rosewood back though.

Sand up through the grits to get rid of visible orbital sanding scratches. The ROS will not work very well on guitar sides or necks, however, I am sure that there are people on here that will say that it can be done. I just don't think it is ideal.

I use a scraper and hand sand.

For solid body electrics too?

I've used a cheapo ros. Now I have a Festool. It's like a pinto or Porsche. But the pinto will get you there. They come in different orbits and at least the high-end ones tell you how big. It's like 2 3 5 or 7 mm, the bigger orbit being more aggressive. Ideally it would be nice to have 2.

They can work fine if you work out your system. I like to hand sand with the grain in the end.



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Pat

Would this also be the "amount of eccentricity"? (Makita's words...)

Apparently, yes.

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Pat

Are you trying to thickness a plate by hand or are you preparing for applying a finish?


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Used a D/A all the time. It takes years of skill to use it properly for some tasks like sanding sides. If you are finish sanding wet, you need to use an air powered D/A. The smaller the orbit the better
You must go through the grits. I went to 220 before filling, and sanding finish to 2000 grit before buffing.

I'm thinking for sanding electric guitar bodies, getting them ready for finishing.

In that case I’m afraid there really is no substitute for hand sanding. Don’t be afraid to do the real work with corse paper and a semi rigid sanding block (120 with a block of rigid insulation foam, for example) until everything is flat and level. Then quickly work through the grits just to take out scratches. Don’t try to level the terrain with fine paper.

I joke with students that the number one woodworking skill you need for lutherie is patience.


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Agree totally. I spent 20 years using a 5" Bosch ROS then one day broke down and bought a 6" Festool (and dust collector). I now have 4 different Festool sanders that I use all the time. They changed not only the way I worked with wood but my attitude about sanding. I used to hate it. Now it's almost enjoyable (if that is even possible.)

I have used the Festool 150/3 ROS for both top and bottom plates w/o any issues. I sand with 220 after the plate comes out of the drum sander then move to 320.

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Julie Moriarty
http://JulimorCreations.com