Wood Art Sanding Tools
Within woodworking it is common to find some tools that are better than others. Yet within wood art there are specific nuances which will apply to maintaining the beauty of the artwork.
Due to this many of the sanding tools one could normally use cannot always help here. Their application can destroy the carved artwork or harm the desired outcome.
The following context surrounds more refined wood pieces in carvings used for decoration. Excluded would be larger sculptures or the trendy “chainsaw carvings”.
I have seen wood artists carve three dimensional flowers to life like resemblance. Delicate pieces need delicate tools. Here is where you can discover a new set of sanding tools for those creations.
Rules For General Preparation Still Apply
If the wood art you have in mind originally comes from slabs, panels, or smaller pieces of lumber, all general preparation rules apply. In other words, the typical sanding methods one would normally use in woodworking does not change.
If you are creating box art or wall art here is a tip. Get those surfaces as smooth as you can early on before art is carved. It will help you in the later finishing process.
Taking advantage of this opportunity to use the belt or palm sanders here is a time saver. If your art is to be carved in other ways which involves more material removal it may not be worth all the sanding at this point.
This is especially true with sculptures or other three dimensional pieces. A two dimensional plane allows you to cheat a little up front whereas sculptures require you to pay your dues to the end.
Sand Paper
There is no doubt old fashioned manual sanding by hand is the best method to use. There is no other way to gain that tactile control or feel. Tactile feel of the work is what you never want to lose at this level of woodworking.
Power tools are not recommended for fine sanding. You will destroy the art in short order. While there are a few exceptions, this is the general rule.
Typically once you are at a point where the goal is smoothing carved art, the grit of sand paper to use is quite fine. Common woodworking normally sees anywhere between 120 grit to 220.
When dealing with wood art you may find that you need paper ranging between 300 to 600 and even 1500 grit depending upon the feature. This fine grit is not as common to find in some hardware stores.
In truth fine grits are for smoothing, heavier grit sandpaper can often be used in shaping wood. When your desire is to protect the contour of the wood yet smooth its surface, fine grit is always needed.
Some automotive grits can be great for this. There is a wide variety which can be found online and applied to wood. You can find sheets upwards of 1500 grit or finer with ease.
Detail Sander
This term is not a common one known to everyone. A detail sander is much like a pen or pencil. Yet on it is a “belt” that is very narrow. It is used for sanding in hard to reach places where sand paper can have a difficult time reaching.
These little sanding sticks come in handy yet are not the be all end all. There are weaknesses in that they can have trouble still reaching into tight spots.
Where they really excel is in smoothing edges of contours within raised lettering, or edges which are no wider than the belt of the sander.
While these may have a limited scope they are good to have on hand and are cheaply had. When you need the tool it can save you and is easier than trying to use a finger behind the paper.
Wood Riffler
Here is another term many may not know. A wood riffler is essentially a wood file. While it is made of metal it does an exceptional job at smoothing really tight spots and is a common tool in wood carving.
The better riffler files can be worked from both ends. They do not have a handle but you really do not need this. The key to this tool is the tip by its shape and how coarse the teeth of the file are.
As these are not common in all woodshops you may be wondering as to the best place to find them. Online shops such as Lee Vally or Rockler will have them if you wish for a better set. Cheaper variations can be found in other locations.
Keep in mind it is a file. It can smooth but also remove material. It is best to have a set with a wide range of options for different uses.
Needle File
A needle file is a spin off of a wood riffler. The difference is that they can be smaller and more refined. Rockler carries these as of the time of this writing.
With this tool the files come with a handle. Each file is interchangeable with the handle much like modern screwdrivers can accept different bits.
These can also be had for much less up front investment when compared to a riffler. Nevertheless keep in mind the scope of your work and what you actually need.
Nylon Brush
A nylon brush comes in handy for general debris remover which will not impact the finish of the wood negatively. Never use a brass brush. Believe it or not I generally use a tooth brush.
Since this tool cannot sand why do I include it here? When you are attempting to smooth the grain and remove pesky fibers a nylon bush can aid in exposing them visually.
As you get older it can be harder to see. After you brush the surface the fibers will sand out rather than be laying down in the grain. This also makes it easer to use your tool of choice in smoothing once you better see what you need in the application.
Dremel Sanding
Using a dremel for sanding is really situational based upon need. The first thing I do not like about this in wood art is that it is a power tool. You lose tactile feel.
Yet there are situations where this single tool can come in handy. The one benefit to this tool is that they offer a wide variety of sanding heads. I would treat it as more of a polishing tool than actual sanding more often than not.
The design of some of the dremel heads make it useful in clearing out general debris, smoothing some fibers on harder to reach contours. In more complex wood art where larger designs are used it can be helpful.
Why A File For Sanding?
You must understand the nature of what some of these files are. The teeth of some of these files are more akin to sandpaper than what one would be accustomed to. Nevertheless it is not sandpaper.
You will need some practice in using these well in order to achieve the desired effect. There are a few tricks to know.
The file will remove unwanted fibers and roughness. After this it is easier to wedge a small piece of fine sandpaper into the wood and polish.
If sandpaper will not fit then here is where the file may work where nothing else will. Essentially it is sanding for smoothing the contour but not removing material.
The file still has the ability to shape the wood. Its teeth, while fine, can cut deeper than anticipated if pressure is applied. Take care when using this as a method for smoothing those trouble spots and hard to reach corners.
Powered Sanding Methods
Any powered sanding method is really not advised for fine wood art. There are instances where it can be used when it is not applied to contours.
To use tools like mini orbital sanders you will need a space large enough to fit the head and move it with the grain. For some sculptures this would be fine. On panels where wider spaces exist this too is okay.
Yet often enough I find hand sanding the preferred method of application. The problem with powered means is the lack of control in how much material can or will be removed.
Additionally there could be problems which arise from patterns which the sanding tool leaves behind in the grain. While it may be fine for the initial pass over the wood surface, ultimately a finish sanding will be done by hand.
My Preferred Sanding Tools For Woodworking And Wood Art
In general woodworking I prefer tools which get the job done quickly. What is commonly known as palm sanders in their various forms is an easy go to. Ultimately some hand sanding from paper and elbow grease always comes into play.
Woodworking typically requires less refinement from fine tools. Chairs and tables need more attention to detail but rarely does anyone need something like a riffler.
Within wood art the whole game changes. In detailed wood carving is where files, rifflers, and the more refined needle file becomes important.
The smaller the art is the greater the need for these tools become. My process is quite easy but not all of these are found in hobby shops.
When I begin a project electric sanders are my broadsword in preparing the surface. In my box art I still use the electric sander to smooth off any rough edges. Even with 2.5d carved art it will not cause damage in most cases if one is careful.
The trick is to not overdo the sanding and only take it as far as it is needed. In my wall art I prefer to hand sand only once art has been carved. Rarely do I ever use an electric tool.
Beyond this point is where rifflers, files, and other similar sanding tools are used. I continue to hand sand along the way but adjust the grit moving to a finer paper.
When To Avoid Electric Sanding Tools In Wood Art
There is more behind avoiding electric sanding tools when making wood art than it destroying the contour of a carving. Texture of the wood can be impacted as well as what it can cause to a finishing process.
In my work it is common for me to have portions of the carving “rough finished” while others are still rough and untouched. It depends on the effect or color variation I wish to put into the grain.
If an electric sander removes material from what is rough finished it can cause serious problems in the overall outcome. This is why I call these tools the broadsword.
The question becomes, can you control the outcome of using the tool? If the answer is yet then by all means apply the power. If it cannot be under your complete control then use manual methods. It is not worth risking the finish of the wood art to an error which you cannot recover from.
Short Yet Effective List Of Tools
The list of tools to use for sanding something like wood art is rather short, but they are very effective. There is no need to spend a fortune on all the gimmicks which you can find out there.
The amount of work you will put into your sanding efforts will depend heavily upon your wood carving method. A cnc will produce more sanding for example. While hand carving with chisels will produce less.
Even with smaller tools like gouges you will find cleaner cuts in those hard to reach places. This is due to the nature of how the tool cuts.
A bit which is spinning to cut will produce a rougher surface with more fibers to be dealt with. A gouge for example is making a similar cut but in one direction along that line within the grain.
It is for this reason you will find some techniques better served depending upon the method of which the art was carved.
Despite the method one may have used, the short list of tools I have given are generally the best used for almost all methods of wood carving.