Cutting Planks

[sfotinos]

All,

It seems like there should be a simple answer to this simple question, but I'm struggling with this simple processes of building.

 

How does everyone go about cutting their planks?  My example would be planking between gun ports.  I cut one side and then mark for the next, cut as close to the mark as I can but the cut end needs cleaned up.  I have tried sanding (always round off the end a little, even using sandpaper on a hard surface), disk sander (usually then take to much off), table saw (all the way across the room, inconvenient).

 

Seems there should a very simple way of finishing off these planks I'm just not thinking of.

 

Can you tell how you do it?  Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks

Shawn

[Jaager]

I would go with the disk sander. A miter gauge - to keep it either square or at the required angle -and a very light touch.

220 grit on the disk.

[Dowmer]

Shawn, if you are talking about the short pieces between the gun ports, I cut them slightly long, then install them on the ship.  The plank will protrude into the gunport slightly.  Once all the planks are installed for that side of the port, I then use a small fine file.  With careful strokes I file it flush being sure to keep the file 90 degrees to the side. Depending on the size I can also use a very sharp xacto blade or scalpel to trim if needed until the blade is held flush against the side of the gunport frame.  I hope that makes sense?

 

 

[mtaylor]

I do what Downer suggests.   There are sanders with miter gauges (small sanders from places like MicroMark) but they seem to "eat" too much material.   

[wefalck]

I also had the issue with disc sanders taking off too much too quickly and made myself a little sander that allows to sand plank ends square and at angles:

 

 

 

I also constructed a miniature disc sander around a surplus watchmakers lathe. It is powered by a relatively slow-speed motor with controller. In this way the grinding process can be controlled better. For grinding I use either cheap diamond grit discs or flat discs with fine sandpaper glued on.

 

 

 

[jhearl]

Another option from Micromark called Sand-It.

[sfotinos]

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[puckotred]

5 hours ago, wefalck said:

I also had the issue with disc sanders taking off too much too quickly and made myself a little sander that allows to sand plank ends square and at angles:

 

 

 

I also constructed a miniature disc sander around a surplus watchmakers lathe. It is powered by a relatively slow-speed motor with controller. In this way the grinding process can be controlled better. For grinding I use either cheap diamond grit discs or flat discs with fine sandpaper glued on.

 

 

 

Love your tools!!!

[Tigerdvr]

4 hours ago, jhearl said:

Another option from Micromark called Sand-It.

I have something older but similar to your Sand-It. Do you find that you are only using a small portion of the sandpaper before you have to replace it?

Thanks, Harley

[Altduck]

Harley,

 

I guess you could put narrower strips of sandpaper on if you never or rarely sanded thicker work.

 

Also, I see that Wefalck in his (typically beautifully made) tool stopped the sandpaper at the top of the work table so as not to sand the edge of it, whereas the sandpaper on the Sand-It as shown in the photo has the sandpaper all the way to the bottom of the sliding block, as seen at the end of the miter gage slot.  Over time, it seems that edge would become uneven, especially if the sanding block is not given full strokes all the way across.

[kurtvd19]

The sand it is an aluminum extrusion with ridges at each corner.  The sandpaper is attached to the recessed area between the raised edges with the raised edges contacting the guide surface.  The sandpaper never contacts the tool surfaces.

Kurt

[wefalck]

I didn't know about the 'Sand-It' sander when I made my own, but it follows the same 'guiding principle', namely the sandpaper is set into a recess, so that the sanding-block is guided as if in rails. One needs to clean the rails and the block frequently, so that the abraded material doesn't grind them down.

 

When designing the sander, I figured that my material would be rarely thicker than about 4 mm, so a sanding strip of 5 mmm width would be sufficient and provide for an economic use of the sandpaper.

 

Recently I started to experiment with sanding strips as used by dentists or dental technicians to smooth the side of teeth. These are plastic strips of about 5 mm width that are impregnated with diamond powder. They are available in various grades. I got them through ebay.

 

There are also steel-strips on the market that are impregnated with diamond powder. I found these very useful for various applications, but still have to design a method to fix them flat on the sanding block - I didn't envisage glueing them.

 

Glueing the sanding strips flat onto the block is an issue. Using spray-adhesive may be the answer, but I have not used it yet.

 

A short while ago I also bought a cheap needle file in China, about 20 mm wide and 200 mm long, which I want to use on the sanding device. Still have to figure out how to cut the file to size without ruining my cutting tools   When filing wood and plastics, these diamond files should last forever. Perhaps one could be stuck to the 'Sand-it' sanding block. Alternatively, there are also now on the market various cheap diamond pads of different grade - apparently they are used to sharpen angling hooks and knives.

 

P.S.: Thanks @Altduck for your kind words on my tools 😇

Edited September 19, 2018 by wefalck

[Jaager]

"a cheap needle file in China, about 20 mm wide and 200 mm long, which I want to use on the sanding device. Still have to figure out how to cut the file to size without ruining my cutting tools"

 

I would try a cut-off wheel  and use the tip that was in Ships in Scale 28/5 (Fall 2017) by Monroe Mechling = use a thin  coat  of 5 min liquid epoxy on both sides of the disk to strengthen it.

[barkeater]

I essentially do what Downer said at the top of this thread. I also work wearing 5x glasses. I wonder whether or not those having problems are using magnification as they allow me to see when I'm getting off course on a butt end much easier and prevent me from getting to far afield before making a correction. Just a thought.

[Altduck]

18 hours ago, kurtvd19 said:

The sand it is an aluminum extrusion with ridges at each corner.  The sandpaper is attached to the recessed area between the raised edges with the raised edges contacting the guide surface.  The sandpaper never contacts the tool surfaces.

Kurt

Ah, Yes - I see that now.

Thanks, Kurt

[Jaager]

If you have a straight edged piece of wood on either side of the face being sanded, the tool is

kept square, straight and an even plane is filed or sanded.

The jig pieces can be fixed with Scotch double sided perm. tape   (Iso alcohol neutralizes the adhesive) or made a single unit using

a small bolt and nut and up side spacer the thickness of the plank.

[druxey]

I cut the planks either side of a port slightly overlength then, using a sanding stick with beveled sides away from the sandpaper face, gently sand to the frame edge. To keep the port square athwartships, the stick is rigid and long enough to pass through the port opposite. 

[Ondras71]

Hello. I was also dealing with how to make clean edges on the gunports. On the internet i found a simple way of hand-making this. I mark the ends of the boards with a hole-shaped cork, cut it out roughly and then grind it with sandpaper on a strip. After some testing, it works....

 

 

 

 

I use the Proxxon TG 125 / E front disc grinder to grind the board ends. If needed, I slowly turn it by hand taking less material... O.

[Ondras71]

With the Proxxon TG 125 / Ebrousím these surfaces ..  O.

Edited September 24, 2018 by Ondras71
repair

[sfotinos]

Thanks everyone for the great insight!

 

I found my problem was not with how I was cutting or sanding these planks.  It had everything to do with apparently I cannot see.  Slip on the old optivisor and I wow I can really get these dead on now.

Thanks again.

Shawn

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday Shawn,

I recently obtained a lamp with a magnifier in the middle, 5 8 and 10 magnification. As I age I need all the help I can get. My glasses aren't made for all this miniature stuff.

All the best with your build,

Mark

[VinceMcCullough]

Another approach would be to use a shooting board and a small plane. The plane should shave VERY small amounts off the end of the plank, and if it’s sharp, it should give you a very clean end.

[BETAQDAVE]

On 9/19/2018 at 12:50 AM, wefalck said:

Glueing the sanding strips flat onto the block is an issue. Using spray-adhesive may be the answer, but I have not used it yet.

    Try using rubber cement.  I have that micro-mark sander and use the cement with it alot as it has good adhesion and yet is easily removed for changing grits.  I find that it also works great for gluing paper patterns to wood, plastic or metal for shaping as any residue left over is easily rubbed off with your fingers. 

[Jaager]

Dave and I are totally in sync on rubber cement - just be careful of the paper - the 5X, 7X, 10X  type

while they hold up well, they have a gummy backing that is incompatible with the cement.

You want a raw paper back.  That paper works well for my sleeveless drums and sanding blocks with

mechanical hold.

[john_wilmer]

I have used my full-size shop disc sander and simply moved it gently by hand with great results.  I also used a finer grit sanding disc.  Of course I realize that this doesn’t answer the problem of walking across a shop every time.  An old pattern-maker trick is to mark your cut line with a knife.  This creates a more exact stopping point for whatever you are using.  The wood grains are already severed at the surface and that will help with the appearance of the board end.  There are special wood working marking knives, but an exacto blade will work fine.

 

This might be your simplest solution.  

[vossiewulf]

Bringing this back as I don't see what I use, which are small disc sander mandrels for rotary tools. They're better than a full disc sander as you use finer grits and you can also cut two angles at once. I use mine in a micromotor but they will work with any rotary tool that can handle a 1/8" bur.

 

These work extremely well for me, and are quick too.

 

Edited January 25, 2019 by vossiewulf

[Thistle17]

And all this time I have been thinking I am inept! I find comfort in the responses and of course guidance. On Cheerful there is to be a 1/64 rebate around all gun ports. What I have been doing, before all these very good ideas, was taking my Lee Valley miniature chisel (the 1/8 one) and honing it to near scalpel sharpness. This works most effectively on the vertical rebates before I go any further. Then I gently carve away, bevel side up, the plank ends to the proper relief. For the sills and lintels I do use the chisel, bevel side down to clean up the corners.

 

A very, very sharp chisel will cut the end grain very cleanly (best results can be had with boxwood).

Joe