Trimming with sandpaper

**Thomas Meek** · #1 10-07-2009, 09:09 PM

What sandpaper is best for paper? Before I started in this hobby the idea of using sandpaper to shape paper parts of paper models would have made me laugh. But no more.
I am fitting the fuselage formers to the skin of an airplane and have tried using sandpaper for the final shaping. I have tried No.320 wet-or-dry black metal-finishing paper and it does work. Everything now fits perfectly.

Unfortunately it mashes down the edge of the former as much as it sands off. I can fix this by sort of chamfering the edges to remove the burr, good metal-working practice, but in paper the whole process lacks a certain elegance, if you know what I mean.

I am thinking that perhaps a more open type of paper, such as a garnet Paper might work better. Is this true? I know that many of you use it but I looked in the Tips and Tricks section but didn't find a thread on sandpaper.

Can anybody recommend a type and grade of sandpaper that will cut cleanly without mashing up the edge? Any other tips re: sandpaper? I'm sold on the concept, just need to find out how to actually do it.

**shrike** · #2 10-07-2009, 09:35 PM

Get thee to the Sally Beauty Supply store (there are 4 in or near Ft Wayne) and buy an assortment of foam cored fingernail files. Available in grits from 100 to 600, at less than a buck they are rigid, washable and handy. I use them a LOT for fitting formers, making wheel and dealing with the occasional ragged fingernail.

The finer grits seem to raise a little less of a burr than the coarse ones, and the rigid stick allows for much better control.

For the burr that is raised, I just use a sharp blade laid flat on the former and slice off what sticks up.

**Thomas Meek** · #3 10-07-2009, 10:21 PM

Many Thanks to you Mister Shrike. I shall hie me to Sally's on the morrow. It is people like you who are the life of this place. I have a feeling that my work is going to improve noticably very soon.

**B-Manic** · #4 10-07-2009, 10:53 PM

I use the foam cored fingernail files also. They work very well.

**CharlieC** · #5 10-07-2009, 11:17 PM

The main problem with sandpaper is, as you've identified, the tendency to squash the paper fibres rather than cut them. This seems to vary a lot with different cards. If you use sanding sealer on the parts you are going to sand the squashing is much reduced and gives a fine finish without the card tearing.

The downside is that sanding sealer isn't good indoors - the solvent really smells bad.

Regards,

Charlie

**Jim Nunn** · #6 10-07-2009, 11:21 PM

Thomas,

Sounds like some for your sanding issues are paper related. Denser the paper stock will not tend to mash down. This is one of the reasons I make up my own 0.5 mm and 1 mm backing card stock. As for grit size I use 80 grit on very thick parts (1 to 1.5 mm) and 220 for general use and 400 for polishing.

Jim Nunn

**SCEtoAUX** · #7 10-08-2009, 05:58 AM

Here is another vote for those foam core fingernail files. I have an assortment of grits and they work great.

Another thing to consider is one of those glass fingernail files. Purty good stuff too.

**Ron0909** · #8 10-08-2009, 06:14 AM

Back in the day I used to use the solid black mounting board available in art supply shops. It's dense as can be and sanded really well. Tough as nails to cut though. Lately I do what others have mentioned and use the foam core nail files. For quick turning and shaping I use the mesh sanding stuff that drywallers use in place of sand paper. Takes a wheel down in seconds on the rotary tool.
Ron

**Texman** · #9 10-08-2009, 06:29 AM

You can also use some superglue on the former edge to harden it before sanding. You just have to sand before it completely cures, or it become near impossible to shape.

**Thomas Meek** · #10 10-09-2009, 06:17 PM

Shrike
B-Manic
CharlieC
Jim Nunn
SCEtoAux
Ron0909
Texman;

Thanks to all of you; each had good solid information to share in answering my question.

I finally got to Sally Beauty Supply this afternoon and all was as Shrike said. I got four sanding sticks that cover the range between 100 and 600 grit. You didn't tell me that each file has two different grits, one on each side, so at 85 cents each it was a pretty good deal. I also picked up a cardboard garnet paper nail file with coarse and fine grits.

Played around with a couple reject formers I fished out of the trash and I gotta say this is better than anything else I've tried. For burr removal, a couple strokes with the 600 grit seems to clean things up pretty well.

Thanks again for all your help. This is definitely going to make certain tasks easier; Maybe I'll try another ship... Anyhow if my builds don't get better, at least my nails are goona look great!