For the nooks and crannies I use the Lee Valley sanding grips. They are precise for fillets and they help with fatigue for those long sanding sessions we all love.
https://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=20183
How to sand down a complex rocket
- Thread starter neil_w
- Start date
Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
For the nooks and crannies I use the Lee Valley sanding grips. They are precise for fillets and they help with fatigue for those long sanding sessions we all love.
https://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=20183
Gary Byrum
Overstable By Design
Maybe you could check out a woodworkers store in your area and see if they carry them. You might want to test one out before you buy. My point is, the pensander might be a little aggressive for what you are doing on this build. All in all, it's a heck of a mini sander that I could surely like to have for a great many applications. As for the primer touch-up, try decanting some in a small vessel/cup, and let it reduce to a thicker consistency that you can paint on by hand. I found this technique to be quite successful when I needed just a few primer touch-ups.
vcp
Well-Known Member
A search for 'sanding' on Thingiverse turns up dozens of differently shaped 3D printable sanding blocks and sticks:
https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=SANDING&dwh=965b20d35d28836
https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=SANDING&dwh=965b20d35d28836
vcp
Well-Known Member
I am amazed at the variety of specialized sanding implements out there. I never knew about most of them. Cool stuff.
hcmbanjo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2009
- Messages
- 2,459
- Reaction score
- 416
I agree with Gary. The more complex the build, the more I fill and prep parts before gluing on the body tube.
Again, I agree, but on this build the vast majority of the complex parts needed to be fabricated or shaped (or at least final-shaped) in place on the rocket, precluding pre-finishing. It's the first time I've built something in this way, and I really had no choice for the most part.
vcp
Well-Known Member
I got the Proxxon sander today. About $40 on Amazon with no power supply. Fortunately, the pegs on the odd power plug are marked '+' and '-', and the pins are the right size so I can poke the positive pin into the center of a standard 2.5mm barrel connector of a 12V wall wart I already have. An aligator clip makes a (temporary) connection from the outside of the barrel connector to the negative pin of the Proxxon cable. Powers on just fine. I'll make up a dedicated supply with speed control later. (About $15 vs $$ for the Proxxon supply.)
I can see that this will be useful for fine finishing in tight spaces. Definitely not going to do much in the way of heavy sanding. It'll be good for what it's intended.
I can see that this will be useful for fine finishing in tight spaces. Definitely not going to do much in the way of heavy sanding. It'll be good for what it's intended.
vcp
Well-Known Member
Update on the Proxxon sanding tool. I ordered and just received a variable power adapter from Bangood. It was $10 or $12. Variable from 9-24V and rated at 3A, with a voltage display. I cut the odd plug off of the Proxxon (the wires are clearly labeled +/-) and wired it up to this supply. I used a wired barrel connector I had - that mates with the power supply standard 2.5mm output connector, so I can still unplug the Proxxon from the supply.
Works perfectly. Speed varies nicely when going between 9-18V. The only drawback is that I don't think the Proxxon is supposed to go above 18V, and this can go to 24, so I need to watch it (though I doubt it would hurt it short term).
Works perfectly. Speed varies nicely when going between 9-18V. The only drawback is that I don't think the Proxxon is supposed to go above 18V, and this can go to 24, so I need to watch it (though I doubt it would hurt it short term).
