Hand sanding wood parts can be a labor intensive, inconsistent and inefficient process. This cost is multiplied when small and/or intricate parts need to be sanded. In order to prepare rough cut wood parts for staining or painting a significant amount of hand-work can be eliminated by barrel tumbling the parts.
Left: Rough cut (note flashing in slot)
Right: Tumbled finish
Saw or rough cut wood parts will have sharp edges and ‘flashing’ (note left side of picture) as well as a rough surface finish. Tumbling with an abrasive such as White Aluminum Oxide will ‘sand’ the surface area smooth, remove the hairs/flashing and round the edges (see right side of picture). Depending on the size and geometry of the part the tumbling can be done part on part. If the parts are too large to provide a smooth tumbling action or have intricate cut outs, slots or holes, Hardwood Media should be added to produce a consistent and uniform finish from batch to batch.
While barrel tumbling wood parts may not produce the final sanded finish, a large majority of the hand sanding can be eliminated and free-up time to work on more valuable operations.