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How do you keep abrasive grit off your ways when sanding?

Raul McCai

Raul McCai

Joined
Oct 29, 2014
Messages
469
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Location
nj
I never thought about abrasive grit with my old Walker Turner lathe.

I now cover my new lathe with craft paper off a large roll from the BORG. But I bet there's other ways of protecting the ways.

I did some sanding on my brand spanky new 3520B.
Then I moved the tool rest.
I heard the grit - - - - Looked and saw the scars.
No, I didn't burst out in tears, but it was frustrating.
How could I be so stupid? Almost two decades in machine shops and this is what I do?
Well to be fair, the only time I exposed tool room machinery to grit was with a Dumore Tool Post Grinder. And of course I covered the ways.

Well I broke the 3520B down used a wrench to remove (lift off) the rest instead of sliding it off & wiped all the surfaces clean and from that point on I cover the ways with craft paper when I sand.
I'll keep the same hunk of paper around for a while because I'm cheap. It seems to work.

What do you do?



As an aside:
How do you store your abrasive disks? I made a little box about 12" long with dividers for each grit. It's a solution, not the best, but a solution.
 
I have had a 3520a for about 12 years now and have never put anything on the bed to protect it from abrasive other than a very frequent coat of WD40 to keep it lubricated
 
Hmm, I haven't had a problem with it either. When I sand out bowls, I have a hood that covers the ways and most of the bowl, so not an issue there. Other than that, I would use my hand to brush it off. The particles that fall off don't usually land on the ways anyway.

robo hippy
 
Ditto,

I have had my 2436 18 years. Never worried or thought about sanding grit.

I now use Ballistol to protect the ways.

I do use a paper or cloth towels for the rare occasions that I glue or paint something on the lathe.

Al
 
I should say that I do protect my metal lathe from all abrasives. I put towels over the ways and the. Always wipe down and lubricate the ways.
 
Never Worry About It

Oneway 2436 for 8 years. Never worried about grit on the ways and never had a problem. Always enough shavings on the ways to prevent grit or other foreign particles from reaching the ways. Only time I protect the ways is when I am applying sanding sealer, lacquer or similar finish to the piece mounted on the lathe. - John
 
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Raul,
Guaranteed solution: crate it back up nice and secure and then enjoy looking at it. New cars end up getting stone chips, parking lot dings, tree sap stains, UV fading, and the occasional scrape. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but like the new car, your new lathe is going to get chipped, stained, scratched, and dinged. Neither cars nor wood lathes are tool-room machines doing precision work - once you accept that, I believe, you will enjoy the craft of wood turning and not the obsession of lathe protection.

Maybe I’m just fickle; the wood bowls I like and appreciate the most are those with all of the wear, marks, dings, and stains of use.
 
I though about your post again.

I don't get much grit coming off my sanding media.
Some might but is quite minimal.

Consider using a higher quality paper and discs.

If the media is braking off it won't do a very good job of sanding.

Al
 
Is it grit or just saw dust???? On my OneWay at the end there are bolts. I know they are made just for my hand held "broom"- raw hide shoe lace-, and I sweep the ways often. If saw dust and maybe some juice (finish, sealer, wet wood) combine you can feel it drag as you move the tool rest . WD 40 to ways, and wipe the tool rest on the bottom. Get a ding, and you won't be so paranoid as has been mentioned!!!!
I don't believe I have "registered" in my brain grit from the paper. Gretch
 
lathe way covers

Raul McCai said:
I never thought about abrasive grit with my old Walker Turner lathe.

I now cover my new lathe with craft paper off a large roll from the BORG. But I bet there's other ways of protecting the ways.

I did some sanding on my brand spanky new 3520B.
Then I moved the tool rest.
I heard the grit - - - - Looked and saw the scars.
No, I didn't burst out in tears, but it was frustrating.
How could I be so stupid? Almost two decades in machine shops and this is what I do?
Well to be fair, the only time I exposed tool room machinery to grit was with a Dumore Tool Post Grinder. And of course I covered the ways.

Well I broke the 3520B down used a wrench to remove (lift off) the rest instead of sliding it off & wiped all the surfaces clean and from that point on I cover the ways with craft paper when I sand.
I'll keep the same hunk of paper around for a while because I'm cheap. It seems to work.

What do you do?



As an aside:
How do you store your abrasive disks? I made a little box about 12" long with dividers for each grit. It's a solution, not the best, but a solution.
Click to expand...


Coming from a machine shop background one of the first things I did was make an assortment of ways covers. Use scrap plywood or whatever is handy. Make a top plate that reaches just outside the outer edges of the machined surface of your ways. Make a bottom guide the width of the distance between your ways. and fasten it down the center of your ways covers to hang under the bottom and locate the covers and hold them in place. Cut the covers into lengths from two inches up to a foot or more.

A half dozen pieces and mixing and matching them should cover all situations pretty well. Don't go for a precision fit, these are just slapped in place to protect from grit, finishes, glues, nasty sap. Another advantage, they make clean up at the end of the day far faster.

It is true that the lathe is a tool to be used but no reason to not protect it when easily possible. Being lazy, speeding clean up is enough reason for me to use the covers.

Hu
 
Raul McCai said:
As an aside:
How do you store your abrasive disks? I made a little box about 12" long with dividers for each grit. It's a solution, not the best, but a solution.
Click to expand...

Raul......Sounds like your solution is as good as mine. I have some slots cut in a 2x4 which hold each grit that is currently in use. Actually, I think it works pretty good. One for sandpaper in use, and another for sanding discs in use. Bulk discs are in peanut cans, in a drawer.

As for the other question, I don't cover my bedways either. My Australian Woodfast lathe has been in use since 1992, and it has plenty of scratches, dings, abrasions......don't bother to worry about how it looks anymore......!
 

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odie said:
My Australian Woodfast lathe has been in use since 1992, and it has plenty of scratches, dings, abrasions......don't bother to worry about how it looks anymore......!
Click to expand...


It's like that shiny new pair of shoes. The first scuff hurts.
Like the guy said: "I never believed in the death penalty until some one keyed my Porsche."
 
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