How to Make Sanding Blocks
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A sanding block can come in handy for any number of sanding jobs. A block is indispensable for keeping a square, flat surface when sanding wood trim or wall surfaces. Or for removing a lot of material quickly, a large block with coarse sandpaper is hard to beat. For special sanding jobs like trim molding, 2 or 3 custom cut wood blocks can be helpful for reaching all the intricate details.
There are a few ways to quickly make a sanding block. For a basic one, cut a sheet of 8x11 sandpaper in half on the long edge. Wrap one of the pieces around a 1x3 board about 5 inches long. Hold the paper in place with your hand as you sand. You can also use a spray adhesive to stick the sandpaper to the wood block. If you have sanding discs with adhesive backing for a rotary sander, you can also use one of these to make a quick sanding block.
To sand long crevices in intricate molding, cut a piece or half inch plywood about 3 inches wide and several inches long. Make a 45° cut along one edge of the board and wrap a piece of sandpaper around it. Also try a short piece of half–round to smooth out cove shapes. Hold the paper in place with your hand or use a spray adhesive to stick it down.
For a good, all–around sanding block use a belt from a handheld belt sander and a piece of 1x3 or 1x4. Using a 21 inch sanding belt, cut the wood to 9 5/8" and slip the belt onto the block. You can make several blocks with different grit sizes or switch belts for different sanding jobs.
