Sanding With a Black and Decker Mouse
Tumbler Sanding
Desiree McCrorey

From Polymer_Clay_People at Yahoo Groups 
September 2004

I'm a lurker who's finally got what I think is a worthwhile 2 cents to add to the discussion. After decades of having a whale of a good time with my paws, they *really* don't enjoy anything that puts pressure on the finger tips, which sanding always seemed to. That made sanding both boring *and* painful, a combination that I find totally resistable. Holding onto a stick, however, is no problem. The wheels turned and here's how I make my sanding sticks:

Materials:

• Wet/dry automotive sand paper in 400, 600, 800, and however many more you're drawn to.
• Craft sticks the size of tongue depressors
• Mounting tape, the sort that's sticky on both sides and has a sort of a foam between the sticky.
• A sharpie pen
• Scissors (The fiskars that adhesives don't stick to make it easier)
• A bottle of goo gone is fine, too. (Or just live with the sticky...)

1. Put a strip of the tape down on the craft stick, about half the
length of the stick, which gives you plenty of room for a comfortable grasp.
2. Trim away the excess tape.
3, Peel the paper from the tape and lay the exposed sticky part down on the back of the sand paper.
4. Trim away the excess sandpaper.
5. Write the grit number of the sandpaper on both sides of the handle, because you won't have a clue otherwise.

When the sandpaper's had the biscuit, and the stick's dry, of course, I lay some fresh sandpaper down on the other side. These are pretty darned cheap to make, are on a par with falling off a sycamore log as far as easy goes, and are great gifts if you're lucky enough to have friends who'd use them.

Ellen Rumsey Bellenot

Making a Better Dremel Mandrel
Making a Better Buffing Wheel
Desiree McCrorey

From Polymer_Clay_People at Yahoo Groups 
September 5, 2004

I am one of those people who love Future, and I don't use any thing else.  I had an accidental test that proved to me how strong it was once it was heat set.
I had a set of beads that I had taken into work to match glass beads to.  these beads had been sanded and then had a couple of coats of future applied to them.  once completely dry I heat set them.  I had the beads in my jean pocket and forgot about then.  a few days later I was washing a load of jeans in the machine.  when I pulled all the jeans out to put them in the dryer I saw the beads in the bottom of the machine.  I just knew they must be ruined, how could they hold up to the heat of the water, the soap and the roughness they must have endured with all those heavy jeans in there...well, the beads were in perfect condition.  the Future was still on there, no white spots, nothing wrong with their perfect finish. 
that was enough proof for me!

kellie
www.kelliesklay.com