[email protected]

Sandra asked how people sanded wood before sandpaper was invented...
Here's what my search turned up, very interesting stuff. This is a small
segment of an ongoing conversation about different materials used.....


"I recall references to colonial cabinetmakers using sharkskin and a
particular variety of grass (it has a very high silica content) for
smoothing. No idea how old the technique is, and all my references are
packed away right now.

If you want to make your own glasspaper, I would use a thin layer of
hide glue to adhere a freshly crushed and screened frit (crushed/ground
glass.)

Charles Joiner
Who mostly uses sandpaper for sharpening tools these days.


Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1998 00:47:28 -0700
From: "J. Kriss White" <jkrissw@...>

At 10:48 PM 08/31/98 -0800, Charles Joiner wrote:
>I recall references to colonial cabinetmakers using sharkskin and a
>particular variety of grass (it has a very high silica content) for
>smoothing. No idea how old the technique is, and all my references are
>packed away right now.

I recall reading a 19th century book that described traditional (Meiji-era
and prior) carpentry techniques and tools in Japan, and sharkskin was
said to be used for sanding.

Lord Daveed of Granada, mka J. Kriss White,
Barony of Calafia, Kingdom of Caid


Subject: [medieval-leather] Re: FYI Polishes
Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 21:24:30 -0400
From: Peter Adams <adamspf@...>
To: [email protected]

I am not certain why Iím posting this, but I figured some of you would
find this useful or at least interesting.

The Horse Tail reed is also known as Dutch Reed, Turners Reed, and
Scouring Rushes. This is a very primitive plant which isolates silica
in crystaline form within its structure. It is somewhat friable in use,
but easily replaced. It grows in shady marshy ground, and looks like a
bunch (sometimes a WHOLE buch) of green straws sticking out of the
ground

My rather unscientific tests indicate that The samples I have are
approximately equivalent to 600-800 grit (at least American) sandpaper.

Another nifty polish I have used is wood ash, combined on a rag with
water. John Leader did extensive work on bone ash polishes, but I
havent read his work yet.

For the ardent recreationists among you, try polishing some brass with
wood ash some time, it gives a lovely satin finish.

Also for the SCAdians among us, Coopers Lake Campground in Pennsylvania
USA (home of Pennsic War) has several acres of equicitum- I cut some from
the roadside, and have not used it all yet. It dries, and can be
reconstituted by soaking. However DO NOT allow your animals to get
ahold of it, as equicitum also produces a plant toxin I canít name right
this minute but I believe to be in the family of aconitic acids, and
which is known to have produced sickness and or death in cattle who ate
it in their fodder.

It has been used since time immemorial as sandpaper, and for (oddly
enough, given the one name above) scouring dishes.

Eliptically,
Peter


Ren
"The world's much smaller than you think. Made up of two kinds of
people--simple and complicated.....The simple ones are contented. The
complicated ones aren't."
"Unschooling support at pensacolaunschoolers.com

Kelli Traaseth

Thanks Ren, this is interesting. The sandpaper question sounds like a question my children would ask me, so I love reading these types of things, I love history!

Kelli

starsuncloud@... wrote:Sandra asked how people sanded wood before sandpaper was invented...
Here's what my search turned up, very interesting stuff. This is a small
segment of an ongoing conversation about different materials used.....


"I recall references to colonial cabinetmakers using sharkskin and a
particular variety of grass (it has a very high silica content) for
smoothing. No idea how old the technique is, and all my references are
packed away right now.

If you want to make your own glasspaper, I would use a thin layer of
hide glue to adhere a freshly crushed and screened frit (crushed/ground
glass.)

Charles Joiner
Who mostly uses sandpaper for sharpening tools these days.


Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1998 00:47:28 -0700
From: "J. Kriss White" <jkrissw@...>

At 10:48 PM 08/31/98 -0800, Charles Joiner wrote:
>I recall references to colonial cabinetmakers using sharkskin and a
>particular variety of grass (it has a very high silica content) for
>smoothing. No idea how old the technique is, and all my references are
>packed away right now.

I recall reading a 19th century book that described traditional (Meiji-era
and prior) carpentry techniques and tools in Japan, and sharkskin was
said to be used for sanding.

Lord Daveed of Granada, mka J. Kriss White,
Barony of Calafia, Kingdom of Caid


Subject: [medieval-leather] Re: FYI Polishes
Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 21:24:30 -0400
From: Peter Adams <adamspf@...>
To: [email protected]

I am not certain why I�m posting this, but I figured some of you would
find this useful or at least interesting.

The Horse Tail reed is also known as Dutch Reed, Turners Reed, and
Scouring Rushes. This is a very primitive plant which isolates silica
in crystaline form within its structure. It is somewhat friable in use,
but easily replaced. It grows in shady marshy ground, and looks like a
bunch (sometimes a WHOLE buch) of green straws sticking out of the
ground

My rather unscientific tests indicate that The samples I have are
approximately equivalent to 600-800 grit (at least American) sandpaper.

Another nifty polish I have used is wood ash, combined on a rag with
water. John Leader did extensive work on bone ash polishes, but I
havent read his work yet.

For the ardent recreationists among you, try polishing some brass with
wood ash some time, it gives a lovely satin finish.

Also for the SCAdians among us, Coopers Lake Campground in Pennsylvania
USA (home of Pennsic War) has several acres of equicitum- I cut some from
the roadside, and have not used it all yet. It dries, and can be
reconstituted by soaking. However DO NOT allow your animals to get
ahold of it, as equicitum also produces a plant toxin I can�t name right
this minute but I believe to be in the family of aconitic acids, and
which is known to have produced sickness and or death in cattle who ate
it in their fodder.

It has been used since time immemorial as sandpaper, and for (oddly
enough, given the one name above) scouring dishes.

Eliptically,
Peter


Ren
"The world's much smaller than you think. Made up of two kinds of
people--simple and complicated.....The simple ones are contented. The
complicated ones aren't."
"Unschooling support at pensacolaunschoolers.com

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[email protected]

In a message dated 1/6/03 9:41:45 PM, starsuncloud@... writes:

<< Scouring Rushes >>

OH! I had heard of "scouring rushes" before but never thought that it might
mean people scour with them.

Thanks for finding that stuff! I feel much better.

Someone suggested wood against wood, with sand, and that's probably the
"sanding block" of ancient memory although now sanding blocks have sandpaper
fastened onto them. It would work if you just kinda had a sand base (in a
box or on the ground) and put sand on the wood, and rub it around with
another piece of wood.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/7/03 11:30:21 AM Central Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:

<< Interesting stuff and fun searching for it! >>

Yes, I agree!! I love questions that get me thinking....
I never would have thought of the sharkskin thing!

Ren
"The world's much smaller than you think. Made up of two kinds of
people--simple and complicated.....The simple ones are contented. The
complicated ones aren't."
"Unschooling support at pensacolaunschoolers.com

Karin

starsuncloud@... wrote:

>Sandra asked how people sanded wood before sandpaper was invented...
>Here's what my search turned up, very interesting stuff. This is a small
>segment of an ongoing conversation about different materials used.....


Hey Ren!
I believe I found the exact website that you found your info when I did a
search.
Here is the address for anyone else to see:
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CRAFTS/polishing-msg.text

Interesting stuff and fun searching for it!

Karin