need sanding advice please

spaceagent-9

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have to sand this plaster and water based painted compound curved surface. I have some medium sand paper, I thought about wet sanding but I don't want to go tthru my sand paper too fast, any tips on really getting this off fast with minimal effort?
 

zathros

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Wet sand paper, or "Scotchbrite". I would use a fine grit sand paper, that is designed for wet sanding. Good thing about this stuff is that you wet it, the debris comes off the sand paper but the sand stays on! Scotchbrite also works wet or dry. I used to get some beautiful finishes on Stainless Steel when running a part of a lathe, or had to take off that last .005" worth of metal left, and could not afford to take off too much. Great stuff. ;)

MROS3M109_xl.jpg
 

spaceagent-9

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I need to rough sand it first, actually I might huk it. I have learned so much that I figured out how to make a better one in less time. but thanks, yes I like these and sanding block of rubber sand paper too. and the sand blaster guns, but I haven't used on yet. perfect for baths, toilets, sinks and ceramic grout areas! just vacuum up and use again.
 

zathros

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I guess I need to know what kind of surface your working with, the base material. :)
 

spaceagent-9

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its dumpster material now, or maybe I will let me 3 year old nephew throw it in his pool. lol. im going with an enlargement of my Escape from the planet of the apes Icarus, see the build pics there for the basic idea, minus all the burns, and about 30 inches long. thanks tho!
 

mcusanelli

Well-Known Member
Dude,
Don't wet sand plaster!!! Start by using some medium sandpaper, like 100 grit, and scrape it with a sharp blade, alternating back and forth. That way you will avoid deep scratches.When you're close to the shape you want, scrape and use a finer sandpaper. That's how plaster masters for casting are cleaned up and polished. Plaster is a pain in the ass to work with, I used to use it to to make vac-u-form patterns with it, but it can be worked into a smooth surface with a lot of elbow grease. You can use Squadron White putty to fill in air bubbles or imperfections. Don't use anything harder than the plaster itself to fill it though, as it will not sand even. Remember when you are done, the surface is porous, so you'll need to seal it with something, like Crystal Clear, or something similar. Good luck!
 

zathros

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For plaster, a semi-moist sponge does wonders! It would help to put links to threads you reference as the search engine is broken, and a link makes it easier to find, I am horrible and tracing these things down myself. :)
 

spaceagent-9

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Moderator
thanks I did try that and it did work, but not enough. what I have to do is start over and use enamel paint. to be honest I didn't have a clue on how to build a large scratch build matte board/plaster model, I did everything wrong, started over, almost had it and then fudged it up again. but now I am making a huge 30'' approx. long Icarus I drew, as with my escape Icarus, and just got the funding approved ! so I will be wrapping this up in no time and be done with it.
 

mcusanelli

Well-Known Member
You can also try Balsa Foam, one of the best and awesome model building materials, comes in soft, medium, and hard, and many thickness'. Google it, and check e-bay and blickstudio.com, for the best buys. Styrofoam insulation is nice stuff too, comes in 1'', 2'' and I believe 3'' thickness. Once you're satisfied with the surface, prine it with acrylic gesso, and paint with acrylic / water based paint. Both are much nicer than plaster, which can be a real pain in 'da -------!
 
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