deep sanding.

[crazylegs]

How does everyone sand the inside of a deep vessel. I am doing a vase and am not happy with the inside. I have tried various sticks and rods to get inside but nothing is very satisfactory.

[Bryan Milham]

How deep?

I have a couple of methods depending upon depth and whether someone can get there fingers to that area?

[bodrighywood]

Like Bryan I have a number of various things I use including stixks with velcro and one made from an old wire coathanger that I can bend around corners. I use a coarse grit e.g. 120 as a rule and if necessary go up to 240. Don't bother beyond that though.

Pete

[crazylegs]

about 10" deep so fingers only halfway.  I have used coarse grit but am struggling to get rid of these coarse lines. The top is only about 3" or 4 " across so just too small to get my hand in. ( Point to remember here !! ).

[Bill21]

Are you sanding with the grain or across with the lathe running?

[crazylegs]

Both I initially sanded with the lathe running to get rid of most marks working through the grits the sanded as best as I could with the grain. I just can't get down the bottom to get rid of the last few. It is not bad but I want better.

[Bryan Milham]

I'll try to remember to take a photo and describe one of my sanding adaptors tomorrow, you might find it interesting or a start to design something for yourself.

[Woodcrafts]

I have seen several turners use a squash ball glued on the end of a dowel. I made my own version using PU glue to both stick it there and expand to fill the hollow. If you want a larger version, use a tennis ball. Cover the ball with stips of male Velcro strip and you've got a sanding ball on which you can fix velcro backed abrasive. And as things wear out, the male strips can be replaced.

[Wood spinner]

You could try one of these with some foam / velcro on the handle
stick the blade in a drill chuck and away you go 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LONG-REACH-300MM-X-2-POZIDRIV-BLADE-CRV-SCREWDRIVER-ELECTRICAL-PLUMBER/274106953005?hash=item3fd20c2d2d:g:B8wAAOSwijBd267D

[Bryan Milham]

Okay, photos taken, lets see if I can explain these and how they work.

They can be made any length, mine vary between 5" to 7" long, one for bottom work, one for side work. They both have a medium density urethane type foam on them as a backing and that is covered in the 'Hook' part from a 2" Hook & Loop (Velcro).

The Side Sander uses 'Loop' backed abrasive paper and it must overlap itself, or it will catch an end and pull itself off of the jig.

The End Sander uses standard 2" sanding disks.

Using them means they do the rotation in the chuck and you move the work in question, so don't run them too fast and keep the work moving. It also means if you have a problem with tear out, you can work that area more and not have to sand the whole internal circumference.

Any questions, please ask

[crazylegs]

Thanks, I never thought of doing it that way. Makes sense to use the lathe.

[fuzzyturns]

Firstly I would say try and get your turning as clean as possible with sharp and adequate hollowing tools. I realize that depending on the shape and wood in question, this may be a challenge. Secondly wherever possible, use a long flat bar tool rest to reach into the opening and scrape with a freshly sharpened scraper. Finally, I have had very good results with the long handle sanding arbor from Simon Hope. You can put a small arbor on top of the handle (for the bottom) and adjust the angle. This will work down to diameters of around one inch. Smaller than that, and its back to sticks with velcro.

[Clarenceman]

What hollowing tools would you make sure to have in a situation like this, Fuzzyturns?

[Twisted Trees]

If you have a small opening 80 grit is more than enough for anything beyond finger length, only you will know

[crazylegs]

I will have a look at the Hope one. I use an axminster but it is quite bulky but need to investigate a long bar.