Difficulty sanding small parts flat

[tippie53]

There is a way to hand sand things flat but you need something that is flat to begin with. In the case of the heel I used to do this on my table saw table . Tape a piece of sand paper to the table If your headstock is shaped clamp a straight board to the headstock so your heel is perpendicular . Set that on the sandpaper and keep the headstock on the table but rub the heel on the paper. That can true up your heel for the cap.

[Bruce Dow]

great topic.

I have had many a "do over" because of over-sanding.

I was working on my heel cap yesterday. I want it flush with the height and angle of the back.

I have not yet started finishing, but I have fitted the neck.

Here's what I did...

1) gave a quick touch of the heel to the belt sander to flatten it such that the heel cap would be "a little proud" to the back

2) glued the heel cap on

3) put the neck in the dovetail, sanded the heel cap to finished thickness by "shooting" my sanding block off the back of the body.

It worked for me.

[John S]

For heel cap sanding I made a 90 degree jig that I clamp the neck into, making sure that the intended sanding plane is perpendicular to the base. Then it's simply a matter of sanding up to the line on my disk sander (having made sure that its table is 90 degrees to the abrasive disk). I nibble away the heel cap gradually. Clamping the neck about in the middle lets me check my progress so that the purfling under the heel cap matches the side purfling on the back of the guitar. The heel cap surface comes out dead flat.

John

[deadedith]

A very good idea - I like it - I'm gonna use it. Along with Ken C's method, I feel I have a fighting chance..
Thanks
DaveB

[Ken Hundley]

I do the same thing with the heel area....I "hollow it out" so that only the outer edges of the neck shoulders are actually touching the body. If You have to do any flossing, it goes a lot quicker this way as there is far lass material to move. If you're not careful, though, it can go too fast. Don't ask.

As far as sanding parts flat, I have never hasd any luck moving a block on the part, it always ends up curved. I have tremendous luck taping the sand paper to a peice of 12"x12" marble tile I have from a bathroom floor, and rubbing the part on that. PERFECTLY flat.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

John,
So simple, and it looks to work great.
Thanks for sharing, this is probably a tough area for all of us.
I imagine there will be lots of heels sanded on the disc sander after this.

Kevin