Folded Sandpaper Works Better

Sheets of sandpaper aren’t easy to work with. It’s tempting to scrunch a sheet up so you can get a better grip, but if you do that, most of the...

Rules for Sanding Wood

Material and finish choice help dictate grit progression. The objective of sanding wood is to remove mill marks, which are caused by woodworking machines, and to remove other flaws such...

Spindle-Sander Sharpening

Here’s a simple way to sharpen chisels using a 3″ sanding drum mounted in an oscillating spindle sander or a drill press. Cut a squared-up 2×4 the length of the...

Contoured Sanding Block

To sand a lot of molding, glue 80-grit sandpaper to several inches of the molding. Rub a block of Styrofoam on the sandpaper until the block conforms to the molding’s...

The Sandpaper Files

This sandpaper storage system is about as simple as it gets. It’s just a stack of folded envelopes bound with a big rubber band. Each envelope is marked with a...

Fine Sanding Myths

Why are you working harder than you need to? Sanding is boring. It’s boring to watch, it’s boring to do, and I find it boring to write about. But myths...

Launder Your Sanding Belts

When I’m sanding pitchy wood or removing old finish, my sandpaper gets really gummed up and I can’t get it clean with the rubber eraser-type cleaner. I used to throw...

Sanding Help from the Garden

In my work as a luthier, I sand a lot of curved surfaces. I’ve found that I can make perfect sandpaper backing pads from “kneeling cushions” sold for garden work....

Festool Edge-Sanding Guide

Tool: Edge-Sanding Guide Shop Now  Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $99 Sanding the edge of a table or interior of a face frame with a power sander can be a fraught affair....

EKASAND Dust Extractor and Sander Review

Deluxe Sanding and Dust Collection Tool: Dust Extractor Shop Now Sander Shop Now  Manufacturer: Uneeda MSRP: $1289 (dust extractor) $499 (sander) You may not be familiar with Uneeda, but the...