Using Sanding Sponges and Papers

by Judy Larson

Sanding sponges and pads come in a variety of grits, shapes, and sizes. They are invaluable during all the steps of making a piece of jewelry, whether it is made from sheet metal, wire, metal clay, polymer clay, or resin, because they can conform to the shape of the jewelry piece being made. Match the grit to the stage the project is in, working from the lowest number, which is the most coarse and can remove layers of the medium being used, to the highest, which is the finest and polishes the medium being used.

Instructions

Keep sanding sponges, pads, and papers on hand in grits from 100 to 12000. Most of us do not use the highest grits very often, but you never know when you will really need one of the grits to finish a project.

Judy Larson's Using Sanding Sponges and Papers - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Filing, Finishing, sanding sponges

Whether sanding sponges or sandpaper, usually the piece is too large to easily use. After deciding what sizes you use most often, draw a grid on the back of the sponge or sandpaper.

Label each grided section with the grit of the sponge or sandpaper. This is important because it can be difficult to tell the grit of a sandpaper or sponge by eye, especially the finer the grit.

A large size sanding surface may be needed at some point, so only cut one section into smaller pieces. I like to bag my grits separately, but you may like to store successively finer grits together because that is how you use them. As always, do what works for you.

Sanding sponges in a variety of grits and sizes are available at beauty supply stores. The flash shiner has three finishing grits and puts a nice finish polish on metal jewelry that can not be put in the tumbler.

I cut all the sheets of sandpaper in a package into eighths. The pieces fit perfectly into snack bags and try to keep them in order, coarsest to finest, in a box in the drawer of my work desk.

Materials

No materials listed

Tools

SANDING SPONGES ASST- 5PC- 1EA GRIT 100-400

ABR-600.90

ABR-600.90
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

Add to Bag

WET/DRY PAPER 9 X 11 ASST- 20PC- 2EA GRIT 180-3000

ABR-500.90

ABR-500.90
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $24.95
Gold Club Price: $18.71

Add to Bag

Add All Items to Cart

Category: Tools
Technique(s): Filing / Finishing

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!

Using Sanding Sponges and Papers

Materials

Tools

Reviews

Judy Larson

Other Tips by Judy Larson

Supplies

Resources

About Us

Connect With Us