Sanding block upgrade

I’ve spent the last week or so, experimenting with different finishing methods, in the hopes of achieving a french polished look, without the work involved in french polishing. If it works, I’ll document the method I’m testing in a future post.

If you’ve read any books on finishing, you’ve probably noticed that without exception they all recommended you cover the bottom of your sanding blocks with cork. Maybe the authors are tight with their local cork dealers, but in my neck of the woods, Cork is expensive, and hard to find. Last weekend while browsing the isles of the local hobby lobby, I found an excellent alternative in foam sheet. I’m not sure what type of foam it is, but it’s soft (but not to soft). Thus, for $0.99 (now that’s cheap) I took  home a 3mm thick sheet that was 12″ by 18″, enough for a half dozen sanding blocks.

Applying the foam to the bottom of a sanding block is simple. Cut the foam to size, and then glue it to the block using spray adhesive. The adhesive is strong enough to hold the foam in place, yet weak enough that the foam can be removed with ease if it becomes damaged.

Custom Sanding Blocks

I have purchased several sanding blocks over the years, and I’ve never found one that I really liked. I had some extra maple laying around the shop, so I turned it into 2 sanding blocks. They are 6-1/2″ long & 2-3/8″ wide. The top and bottom halves are held together with a 1/4″-20 bolt, and a custom knurled nut. The most time consuming step was using the belt sander, to give the tops a gentle arch. The following are some pics of the model & a finished block.

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