Woodworking with The Wood Whisperer Seriously Marc, where id you get the wheel and hardware. I'm planning on building a leg vise and the handle and hardware options seem limited and expensive, oftern more than the rest of the pench combined.
I just pulled this video up because I working long curved templates I needed for a job. Your design worked great! The oscillating spindle sander left bumps and this flex sanding block removed them very quickly. I didn't have 1/8" plywood so I spray glued 3 layers of some scrap mahogany veneer together and it worked fine. Thanks for the tip. This made the finished product so much better.
I use the spray adhesive on sandpaper to attach it to wide and even very small strips of wood to do hard to reach with fingers detail work. Most of the time I spray a nice layer on the sandpaper and leave that to dry for 15 minutes, It sticks fairly well and is still removable and even reusable. This method also works great on paper templates you need to reuse a few times.
Hey Marc, a while back I needed a flexible sanding block for a rocking horse project and this one has been working well. As far as less aggressive and re-positionable adhesives, try 3M Spray Mount 6065 or what we used before hook-and-loop in the body shop - 3M Feathering Disc Adhesive, Type 2 8051.
Great idea. Using that 1/8" plywood sanding strip is a lot better than using your hand trying to do it. You can cover more area with your sanding strip. Thank you for the video tutorial. Have a Blessed and Wonderful Week. Mike Brady
Nice! I have to mention that we get huge sheets of cork-faced plywood here in Finland. The plywood was a little thick to start out with, but passing it through the thicknesser with a second board under the cork worked a treat :-)
I can remember these being used when my father was making instruments (a pianola if I'm not mistaken). What I can recall is that they had only one handle in the middle and not at the beginning and end. They were smaller too though... anyway, maybe for people looking for a smaller sized sanding strip. Thanks for sharing, also good to make from scraps laying around.
You can make these by taking a trip to the hobby shop where they have birch plywood as thin as 1/32 inch. You can also attach the sandpaper to the handles with a common office stapler. Works real good with balsa handles.
Great job! As a marine fairer I've made and used 100's of combinations of sanding board sizes, materials and handles so I can add my 2 cents if you want to get fussy. Cork (rubber, PVC foam) backing like you've done is great as dust tends to clog unevenly on a hard sanding board surface, leading to slow sanding and/or deep local scratching. I like the handles as you've done them; they should have very little contact with the board longitudinally, as they create a flat spot in the board. pro-tip: I like to have my handles standing a little higher so I can creat torque at the ends of the board. Bending the board by pressure at 3 places forms a porabola, getting flatter at the ends. Creating the curve by twisting the ends creates a regular (fair) curve. Love your videos!
Just a suggestion on attaching the sandpaper. There is a paper with the designation "PSA" available. PSA stands for pressure sensitve adhesive and the paper is designed for use on felxible sanding pads used in auto body repair. It comes in all the standard grits and all the way up to 10,000 grit. Works great on wood as well as metal.
I had a large radius (9') constant curve. After cutting templates from 1/4" ply to mark the cuts on the wood (2.5" thick black walnut), i used short pieces of the template to form the outside edges of a sanding block and steam bent the foot piece using my vegetable steamer. For the sole, 1/8" rubber mat from Hobby Lobby. Rubber bands hold the sandpaper to the block. Similar idea, very easy to make, and because I used my marking template, the curve matches piece. The body of the block is a small piece of 2x4 pine.
Woodworking with The Wood Whisperer Great tip Mark! A "top of my head" modification would be to attach the handle using bolts coming up from under the "board". Use a wing nut to secure the handles. Do this BEFORE attaching the cork. also allow your tool to be a mere 9" vs 11". Now one hanld grips the end of the paper. The paper is folded over the cork and under the other handle to secure it. This allows you to make one tool that easily changes paper either for varying grits or to replace worn sheets. With a very light counter sink and the cork covering them, the bolt heads should not significantlly affect the smoothness of sanding. All that said, you demo is nearly as good as it gets for an impromptu tool build. Michael Olsen B.S. Engineering
Most spray adhesives, if you spray only use surface, (ie, only the paper) and give it 60s or so before sticking it, it holds well, but peels off without leaving residue. I do this for paper templates on wood. I use 3M general purpose 45 mostly, but I'm sure that works with others as well. With that adhesive, the quicker you stick it down the more it holds, so a good solid minute before sticking, and it peels off like a sticker.
Thanks for the info. I need to make a very long board for fairing a fiberglass boat hull, hauled out in Africa. There has to be a clamping mechanism to change the paper. Hmmm, you have given me some ideas. Thanks.
Hey Marc, just wanted to put out there that it may be a good idea to use something like 1/2 inch cabinet grade ply, with the same sizes you used. Only, make multiple side by side kerf cuts Mabey 1/2 to 1/4 inch apart. This would kind of beef it up, also allowing to get in tighter curves, depending on how far apart and how deep you make your back cuts. Just a thought!!!
That's a neat idea. I usually try to do things with the current materials I already have in stock and velcro-backed paper isn't one of those. But if you have the stuff, it sounds like a cool way to go.
Thanks for the videos! I really like the references and shirts! A lil' idea I had: perhaps you could put a cable tensioner (or something like that) between the two handles to put a little pre-load on it so it's not as difficult to bend. ... I dunno, just an idea. It might get in the way too much, and I imagine too much force applied to the handles might rip them off the base. [edit]With spring steel and screwed-in handles, as *mikkosha* mentioned, you wouldn't have to worry about tensioner(s) ripping it apart. Of course, steel and extra parts negates the "build it on the fly" advantage.[/edit]
I make sanding paddles all the time. I don't bother with the cork backer. I just adhere with carpet(double sided) tape. I would also add a "handle in the center. That's where the pressure needs to be, that's where the handle should go.
A roll of self adhesive sandpaper would work great maybe even better than spray adhesive. I use self adhesive sandpaper on a slab of granite to flatten out my tools before I use my water stones. The sandpaper comes off easy.
Hey what if u cut a 45 dgr angle on those handles ? Do u think that would enable more pressure on the board and possibly more comfort on the hands? I like this its Simple and effective. i hate those store bought blocks ive been using! Ty for the quick tip!
Deadpool!!! The Kurk is a nice addition but when I need one I make one use it and tos it away because I onley have so much room in the tool chest I keep at school in Amsterdam an d I dont use it that often so it's not word using up space al the time but great vid though😃
A possible way to get low-tack coat with hi-tack spray, is to do a few fast strokes, laying down a very thin coat. If the sandpaper cannot come off when worn, would it work to just stick the new right on top of the old?
To make a flexible sanding strip, have you ever tried radius bending plywood? They come in 4 by 8 sheets and in thicknesses of 1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″, 3mm, 5mm, 8mm, 16mm and other widths as well. 1/8" might work well for this and can bend to a 12 inch radius or more, if you thin it.
I know the point is to make your own, and I do that too. I just wanted to point out that you can buy them as tools for car body paint shops as well in all shapes ans sizes bendable and not. :-) Most have very comfy handles, so if you have problems with holding hard sharp stuff, they could be the ticket.
A couple of things I want to mention. Why not polycarbonate instead of wood? Also, spray adhesive will bleed through the paper and prematurely clog the sand paper and you will have to change the sand paper sooner. Professional automotive body repair shops use Velcro backed because of this. Also too much heat in the paper will cause the glue to loose its adhesive properties. 3M makes their own sheets. They cost more but last a lot longer so you will save money. It is also easier to change the sheet than with a spray adhesive: 3mcollision.com/products/abrasives/file-sheets?aad_abrasive_size_navigation=359&aad_attachment_method=163
You can do that, but it doesn't really need it. The great thing about these strips is you just pick them up and go. Also keep in mind that many curves change shape across their length. So if you lock in the shape of the sanding strip in one area, it may not work so well on the rest of the curve.
Great project for the shop. I was surprised a few weeks ago when I went to buy some spray adhesive from Lowes and a manager had me sign for it like I was buying narcotics from the drug store!!!
Cannot stop looking at the amazingly beautiful vise.
Eyes up here sir! ;)
LOL...
Woodworking with The Wood Whisperer
Seriously Marc, where id you get the wheel and hardware. I'm planning on building a leg vise and the handle and hardware options seem limited and expensive, oftern more than the rest of the pench combined.
I just pulled this video up because I working long curved templates I needed for a job. Your design worked great! The oscillating spindle sander left bumps and this flex sanding block removed them very quickly. I didn't have 1/8" plywood so I spray glued 3 layers of some scrap mahogany veneer together and it worked fine. Thanks for the tip. This made the finished product so much better.
I use the spray adhesive on sandpaper to attach it to wide and even very small strips of wood to do hard to reach with fingers detail work.
Most of the time I spray a nice layer on the sandpaper and leave that to dry for 15 minutes, It sticks fairly well and is still removable and even reusable.
This method also works great on paper templates you need to reuse a few times.
Hey Marc, a while back I needed a flexible sanding block for a rocking horse project and this one has been working well. As far as less aggressive and re-positionable adhesives, try 3M Spray Mount 6065 or what we used before hook-and-loop in the body shop - 3M Feathering Disc Adhesive, Type 2 8051.
Great idea. Using that 1/8" plywood sanding strip is a lot better than using your hand trying to do it. You can cover more area with your sanding strip. Thank you for the video tutorial. Have a Blessed and Wonderful Week. Mike Brady
Nice! I have to mention that we get huge sheets of cork-faced plywood here in Finland. The plywood was a little thick to start out with, but passing it through the thicknesser with a second board under the cork worked a treat :-)
Great tip on using the pencil to see low spots. Thanks for the useful and well made video.
I can remember these being used when my father was making instruments (a pianola if I'm not mistaken). What I can recall is that they had only one handle in the middle and not at the beginning and end. They were smaller too though... anyway, maybe for people looking for a smaller sized sanding strip. Thanks for sharing, also good to make from scraps laying around.
I enjoyed this video as I do all of your how to segments, and I will most definitely use these in my future projects. Thanks
Great, inexpensive and quick solution Marc! Thanks for sharing this! Gonna definitely try this.....
Nice sanding tip,
cheers Colin.
Nice tutorial. The adhesive spray was interesting. I'm definetly needing some for my chisel sharpening station.
You can make these by taking a trip to the hobby shop where they have birch plywood as thin as 1/32 inch. You can also attach the sandpaper to the handles with a common office stapler. Works real good with balsa handles.
Great job! As a marine fairer I've made and used 100's of combinations of sanding board sizes, materials and handles so I can add my 2 cents if you want to get fussy.
Cork (rubber, PVC foam) backing like you've done is great as dust tends to clog unevenly on a hard sanding board surface, leading to slow sanding and/or deep local scratching.
I like the handles as you've done them; they should have very little contact with the board longitudinally, as they create a flat spot in the board.
pro-tip: I like to have my handles standing a little higher so I can creat torque at the ends of the board. Bending the board by pressure at 3 places forms a porabola, getting flatter at the ends. Creating the curve by twisting the ends creates a regular (fair) curve.
Love your videos!
Great video as always, thanks!
Just a suggestion on attaching the sandpaper. There is a paper with the designation "PSA" available. PSA stands for pressure sensitve adhesive and the paper is designed for use on felxible sanding pads used in auto body repair. It comes in all the standard grits and all the way up to 10,000 grit. Works great on wood as well as metal.
I had a large radius (9') constant curve. After cutting templates from 1/4" ply to mark the cuts on the wood (2.5" thick black walnut), i used short pieces of the template to form the outside edges of a sanding block and steam bent the foot piece using my vegetable steamer. For the sole, 1/8" rubber mat from Hobby Lobby. Rubber bands hold the sandpaper to the block. Similar idea, very easy to make, and because I used my marking template, the curve matches piece. The body of the block is a small piece of 2x4 pine.
Woodworking with The Wood Whisperer
Great tip Mark!
A "top of my head" modification would be to attach the handle using bolts coming up from under the "board". Use a wing nut to secure the handles. Do this BEFORE attaching the cork. also allow your tool to be a mere 9" vs 11". Now one hanld grips the end of the paper. The paper is folded over the cork and under the other handle to secure it. This allows you to make one tool that easily changes paper either for varying grits or to replace worn sheets. With a very light counter sink and the cork covering them, the bolt heads should not significantlly affect the smoothness of sanding.
All that said, you demo is nearly as good as it gets for an impromptu tool build.
Michael Olsen
B.S. Engineering
Most spray adhesives, if you spray only use surface, (ie, only the paper) and give it 60s or so before sticking it, it holds well, but peels off without leaving residue. I do this for paper templates on wood. I use 3M general purpose 45 mostly, but I'm sure that works with others as well. With that adhesive, the quicker you stick it down the more it holds, so a good solid minute before sticking, and it peels off like a sticker.
Thank´s for share it with us..it´s an EXCELLENT Job...!!!
Greeting´s from Argentine. Esteban.
the tip was super cool, but, the Deadpool tshirt, wayyyyy much cooler,
Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Thanks for the info. I need to make a very long board for fairing a fiberglass boat hull, hauled out in Africa. There has to be a clamping mechanism to change the paper. Hmmm, you have given me some ideas. Thanks.
Hey Marc, just wanted to put out there that it may be a good idea to use something like 1/2 inch cabinet grade ply, with the same sizes you used. Only, make multiple side by side kerf cuts Mabey 1/2 to 1/4 inch apart. This would kind of beef it up, also allowing to get in tighter curves, depending on how far apart and how deep you make your back cuts. Just a thought!!!
Ahhh now i feel a little dumb for not thinking of that, good job as always Marc and looking forward to seeing you in action with Tommy
Good job 👍 and it might have been said but 3M have a glue called 3M Spray Mount it’s a low tack spray. 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Excellent idea.
Instead of glue, have you tried putting Velcro on the base and using pre made Velcro backed sanding pads that are used on some power sanders?
That's a neat idea. I usually try to do things with the current materials I already have in stock and velcro-backed paper isn't one of those. But if you have the stuff, it sounds like a cool way to go.
Great tip. Many thanks
Thanks!
Great Idea. Thanks
Thanks for the videos! I really like the references and shirts!
A lil' idea I had: perhaps you could put a cable tensioner (or something like that) between the two handles to put a little pre-load on it so it's not as difficult to bend.
... I dunno, just an idea. It might get in the way too much, and I imagine too much force applied to the handles might rip them off the base.
[edit]With spring steel and screwed-in handles, as *mikkosha* mentioned, you wouldn't have to worry about tensioner(s) ripping it apart. Of course, steel and extra parts negates the "build it on the fly" advantage.[/edit]
Been looking for a solution like this. thanks Marc.
P.S. Awesome Deadpool shirt
@LA La Típula Huh?
I make sanding paddles all the time. I don't bother with the cork backer. I just adhere with carpet(double sided) tape. I would also add a "handle in the center. That's where the pressure needs to be, that's where the handle should go.
Super useful!!!
A roll of self adhesive sandpaper would work great maybe even better than spray adhesive. I use self adhesive sandpaper on a slab of granite to flatten out my tools before I use my water stones. The sandpaper comes off easy.
Hey what if u cut a 45 dgr angle on those handles ? Do u think that would enable more pressure on the board and possibly more comfort on the hands? I like this its
Simple and effective.
i hate those store bought blocks ive been using! Ty for the quick tip!
Why sheet stock vs something like a pool noodle? It seems the foam would be provide the soft layer which we are going for
great tip , man
attach a string between the two handles that you can tighten or loosen to bend the board to closer match your curve.
a turnbuckle might be useful in that kind of setup.
Great tip !!! will make me a couple of those :)
Thick I'll make a couple, nice video! How thick is your cork used for this?
Deadpool!!!
The Kurk is a nice addition but when I need one I make one use it and tos it away because I onley have so much room in the tool chest I keep at school in Amsterdam an d I dont use it that often so it's not word using up space al the time but great vid though😃
A possible way to get low-tack coat with hi-tack spray, is to do a few fast strokes, laying down a very thin coat.
If the sandpaper cannot come off when worn, would it work to just stick the new right on top of the old?
This week at the Wood Whisperer: Spray cans that get you high :)
Nice
For the base material use PVC foam. Flexible, will work great. 3 mm sheet is common and economical.
To make a flexible sanding strip, have you ever tried radius bending plywood? They come in 4 by 8 sheets and in thicknesses of 1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″, 3mm, 5mm, 8mm, 16mm and other widths as well. 1/8" might work well for this and can bend to a 12 inch radius or more, if you thin it.
3M makes an artists Spray Mount adhesive that allows repositioning.
What about, instead of using thin plywood, trying a laminate material like Formica? It's much more flexible, and it's easy to cut.
I know the point is to make your own, and I do that too. I just wanted to point out that you can buy them as tools for car body paint shops as well in all shapes ans sizes bendable and not. :-)
Most have very comfy handles, so if you have problems with holding hard sharp stuff, they could be the ticket.
Nice you can buy rolled of self stick paper I think iTs 2.75 wide no waste thank you
nice
Suppose you put the handle in the middle of the strip, where the pressure is applied?
You know my thought is that you could fine brad nail them for them use
A couple of things I want to mention. Why not polycarbonate instead of wood? Also, spray adhesive will bleed through the paper and prematurely clog the sand paper and you will have to change the sand paper sooner. Professional automotive body repair shops use Velcro backed because of this. Also too much heat in the paper will cause the glue to loose its adhesive properties. 3M makes their own sheets. They cost more but last a lot longer so you will save money. It is also easier to change the sheet than with a spray adhesive: 3mcollision.com/products/abrasives/file-sheets?aad_abrasive_size_navigation=359&aad_attachment_method=163
what if you put an i screw in both handles and used a zip tie to pull through both i screws until you reached you desired radius
You can do that, but it doesn't really need it. The great thing about these strips is you just pick them up and go. Also keep in mind that many curves change shape across their length. So if you lock in the shape of the sanding strip in one area, it may not work so well on the rest of the curve.
I wonder how thin lexan would work
Did you make that vise?
Well, I made the wood parts. :)
Why wouldn't you want to use a spokeshave again? Serious question.
Maybe a handle in the center
Not a bad idea! I may have to add one to see how it works out.
why not use bending plywood
Great project for the shop. I was surprised a few weeks ago when I went to buy some spray adhesive from Lowes and a manager had me sign for it like I was buying narcotics from the drug store!!!
It's not nice. :)