stock sanding

[Jim Fitzgibbon]

When I block sand I have always just used a 2X4
block cut down & sand paper.It there a better
way or device to hold your sand paper?

I know you ole salts out there have all kind of tricks.
Fly :idunno:

 

[Black Hand]

I like a hard rubber sanding block from the hardware store.

 

[Paul R]

Sanding sponges work very well for curved surfaces. If you don't like the grit on the sponge, wrap a piece of desired grit sandpaper around it and sand away.

Paul

 

[rich pierce]

When I block sand I have always just used a 2X4
block cut down & sand paper.It there a better
way or device to hold your sand paper?

I know you ole salts out there have all kind of tricks.
Fly :idunno:

There's not much that's flat on some rifles. If you like sanding, I suggest using pieces of molding (house room trim is what I'm talking about) with convex or concave surfaces as backing for your sandpaper where the stock is not flat.

 

[tg]

You might try various shaped or made scrapers, you may be surprised at how well they work many cabinet/carpentry vendors carry them, I think they leave the finished project much more like the original, I burnish when done scraping to help close any pores.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I have never used a sanding block of any kind.

 

[Bill Hall]

I like to use a wooden block, say 8 to 10 inches long, for rough sanding, especially on the forearm and flat area under the butt. This is just to true everything up, and I will even smear soot on the wood so any "whoopdy do's" will show up. At this point, I will wrap sandpaper around a wooden dowel to get around lock panels and cheekpieces and such. After all these areas are sanded true, I will go with a finer grade of sandpaper and switch to a rubber sanding block, or just roll up sandpaper in a tube shape for curvy areas. When I get finer than 150 grit, I switch to using sandpaper in just my hand and fingertips.

I make an exception to this process when blending wood to metal, like poured nose caps and wedge escutcheons. Since wood usually sands away faster than metal, I will use a "flat backer", like a file wrapped in sanpaper, all the way to the final finish, with emphasis on the metal. This helps keep a straight line where wood meets metal, and maybe someday I will actually acomplish it. :rotf: Bill

 

[Zonie]

My sanding block consists of a piece of 1 X 2 X 3" long. I only use it on the lock panal, the side panel and on the rifles that have a flat surface on the bottom of the butt.
Oh, I also have used it on the flat where the finial of the butt plate rests if the butt plate needs that sort of shape.

I have also used the sanding block to back the paper when I'm enlarging the barrel channel to achieve a slightly loose barrel fit.

Stocks rarely have flat surfaces elsewhere and my hand to back the paper.
My hand has the choice of "going with the existing form" or "changing the existing form" by applying pressure in those areas where I want a change to be made.