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Traditional "Sandpaper"
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Booshway
Picture of Josh Crain
posted
A while ago, somone started a discussion asking what was used in the place of sandpaper back in the day. I just found this discussion on the Anvilfire website from 2001. I thought some of you might find it interesting.

http://www.anvilfire.com/iForg...r/jdscrape/index.htm

~Josh


"Return unto me, and I will return unto you," saith the Lord of hosts.
~Malachi 3:7b
 
Posts: 297 | Location: MI | Registered: 18 August 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Josh Crain
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P.S. I've also used a knife blade for scraping to "sand" wood. It works pretty well.


"Return unto me, and I will return unto you," saith the Lord of hosts.
~Malachi 3:7b
 
Posts: 297 | Location: MI | Registered: 18 August 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Around these old hills folk went out and grabbed up a piece of sandstone. Used it on the puncheons of the floor, etc. This was done at least into the 1930s - by my grandmother, for one. Then it was swept out with a cornshuck broom.

Fiddlesticks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Fiddlesticks,


As long as there's Limb Bacon a man'll eat! (But mebbe not his wife...)
 
Posts: 4816 | Location: Buffalo River Country | Registered: 23 October 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Graybeard
Picture of Seepwater
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For larger pieces of wood (ship's decks) they use a prayer book and a holy stone....


shoot first ask questions later
 
Posts: 220 | Location: Lyman, WY....just 6 miles from Ft. Bridger! | Registered: 09 November 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of woodman
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Scraping was most likely the most used method of smoothing wood. A thin piece of metal with a hook formed by burnishing the edge into a slight hook will smooth wood with very little effort. Woodman
 
Posts: 357 | Location: Colorado Territories | Registered: 20 March 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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sharkskin was used for sandpaper in some places, but I'm not sure when or for what...


"I thought when you said you chased tornadoes, it was just a metaphor."
--soon to be ex-fiance in Twister
 
Posts: 247 | Location: Boise | Registered: 12 November 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Pare-
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Sand paper has been used for quite some time. On some trade lists are wood scrapers and emory paper.

http://user.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/html/diana.html

Pare-
 
Posts: 104 | Location: Little River, I.T. | Registered: 06 February 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Pare-
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Posts: 104 | Location: Little River, I.T. | Registered: 06 February 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of woodman
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In America the first patent for sandpaper was issued in 1834. The first sandpapers we're ln use in China in the 13th century.
Sca
raping was still the most common form of smoothing and leveling wood up and into the 1900's.There is a sheen that wood develops from scraping that no amount of sanding can duplicate. The advent of sanding is part of the mass production part of woodworking. Woodman
 
Posts: 357 | Location: Colorado Territories | Registered: 20 March 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Josh, et al- For cheap and very workable scrapers use scrap glass. The cut edge is very sharp and holds for a decent period. Cut some scrap into strips about 5" wide, then the same length. Wrap three sides with tape (don't ask me why!) and you are all set. When one side gets dull, remove the tape from one of the other sides and use that one.

Does a beautiful job, and in most cases, is free.

You got to like that.

Col Boone
 
Posts: 728 | Location: Volcano, Hawaii | Registered: 22 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
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I Cn remimber my grand pap wittlin out an axe handel with his pocket knife then useing coure sandstone to work it then fineshing up with a peice of broken glass to finish it off and after he did that you`d be hard put to tell iffen that handle was a factory done peice or not, he was a good ole southern mountain man, made a liven farming and useing hand tools,especialy axe`s broadaxe`s etc. and he alway`s used hickory wood for the handle`s on them.
 
Posts: 196 | Location: kenai peninsula alaska | Registered: 09 April 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of woodman
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The only problem with using glass is that it can break and give you a nasty cut.Also you can not shape it for scraping a curved or profiled surface.
The replacable blades for Japanese style handsaws can be cut into strips then ground and filed to any profile make a good scraper. A commercial card scraper depending on brand will cost 2 to 5 dollars.I still have the first one I bought 20 years ago.
 
Posts: 357 | Location: Colorado Territories | Registered: 20 March 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Brick dust and rotten stone were widely used also.
 
Posts: 1487 | Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas | Registered: 08 October 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of woodman
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Brick dust and rottenstone we're predominatly used to level finishes..ie french polish used on period fine furniture. French polish is the applicatipn of thin layers of shellac using a pad of cheesecloth. Woodman
 
Posts: 357 | Location: Colorado Territories | Registered: 20 March 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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While far from a master of anything I have gravitated to useing glass and then a piece of antler to burnish. At 55 years I got into this rifle building thing a little late,but I hope I live long enough to learn half of what some of ya know.


I never have been much for drinking the kool-aid.It's not in my nature.
 
Posts: 336 | Location: Central Pennsyltucky | Registered: 12 January 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pilgrim
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In the cutlery industry in Sheffield they used leather covered wheels and coated the leather with various abrasives. Produced a mirror type polish on metal.
 
Posts: 54 | Registered: 14 November 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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