Sanding sticks question!

muir318 · Post by **muir318** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:09 pm

Hello again guys,
As i have stated on a few posts on here i am new to building.
I thought i would write to ask if sanding sticks are model specific ones or are they just run of the mill nail files/buffers?(they look like nail files/buffers to me)
I intend to go buy some tomorrow but thought i would ask here first as i don't want to be spend more money on "model" sanding sticks if i can just pop into a pharmacy etc and buy nail files for a fraction of the price!

Thanks in advance for all answers

Ziz · Post by **Ziz** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:46 pm

Nail files/emery boards are easy and cheap to get but a friend showed me how to make my own.

Get some square, rectangular and round wood stock from your hobby shop or craft store like Michaels or AC Moore. Cut into lengths about 2" long. Cover one side with double stick scotch tape. Apply to sandpaper of choice. Trim.

Now you can make custom sized, shaped & grades of sanding blocks, sticks and rods to suit any modeling task.

JasonJDF · Post by **JasonJDF** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:52 pm

I do the same thing as Ziz but use the 3m foam double-sided tape. It creates a softer surface similar to the sanding sticks sold in hobby shops.

irishtrek · Post by **irishtrek** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:57 pm

Years ago I bought a bag of assorted grades/sizes at a dollar store and I've still got then even though I no longer use them because they got filled with sanded plastic.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:26 pm

The nice thing about the sanding sticks you get at the hobby shop is that you can wet sand with them. Not so with the nail files. Get them wet and they just get soggy and the sand falls off.

JasonJDF · Post by **JasonJDF** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:40 am

I use good hobby sanding films instead of just sandpaper. They are thinner and don't have any problems with wet sanding. The only issue I have is sometimes the end begin to lift up but you just trim it off and a fresh end is ready to go.
If you really want to get fancy and make sticks just like the bought ones you would want to use a piece of thin styrene sheet at the core, then sandwich it with the double sided foam tape on either side and then the sanding films. This is nice because it flexes more than wood and you can put different grits on the same stick.

Kekker · Post by **Kekker** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:32 pm

You can get wet n dry at the car parts places in the body work section. They're a variety of grits, usually from 120 or so on up to 1200-1500. Since this is the range I mostly use for model work (220 is about as low as I go on plastic), they work great.

The good part is you can super glue them onto old sanding sticks after the old grit has worn away. Or glue onto other things. A steel ruler works out great for a nice flat platform, or brass strips or tubing.

The stuff from the car places comes in pretty big sheets, too, so you get a lot for your money.

Kev

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:37 pm

I'll use anything that stands still long enough. Home-made sanding sticks (CA+tongue depressor+sanding film), sanding & polishing sticks, wet sanding paper from the hardware store (Harbor Freight carries 1200grit), sanding films (up to 30,000 grit), my jeans (great for using polishing compound), etc.

The sanding sticks from the hobby store will last, and last, and last... unless you're working a lot of resin with tends to wear down the coarse grits pretty fast. There's a reason I have a home-made 60 grit sanding stick.