Snagging stockings:
A problem with power sanders is they don’t tell you when the job is done. To test for smoothness, slip an old stocking over your hand and pass it lightly over the work in the direction of the grain. Rough spots will snag the stocking.

Creating a flap:
To sand the inside of a hole that is too small for a drum sander, make a flap sander with a 12″ (50 mm) length of 1/2″ (12 mm) dowel. Using a thin blade in a saw, cut a slot in one end of the dowel. Chuck the opposite end of the dowel into a drill, and slip a strip cut from a sanding belt into the slot. With the slotted end of the dowel facing you, wrap the strip clockwise around the dowel. The grit side of the strip should now be on the outside; if it is, glue the strip in the dowel.

Take a belt to it:
Here’s a way to keep the edges of a project from being rounded off by your belt sander. Take some lumber off-cuts the same thickness as the work and secure them to both ends of the work, flush to its surface. Tack the off-cuts into place with nails, or clamp them on, making sure the clamps won’t interfere with the sander. The sander will then round off the off cuts and not the work.

Recycling discs:
When sandmg a painted surface, sanding discs become clogged and glazed long before they wear out. To get more life out of a disc, apply a coat of semi-paste water soluble paint remover to the encrusted area. Let the remover stand on the disc until the paint has softened; then wash it off.

Sanding circles:
Sanding wheels and other circular objects is easy with a custom-made disc sander jig. First, make a T-shaped base using a piece of 3/4″ (19 mm) plywood. Cut a piece of hardwood to be used as a guide, and drill a hole in one end to hold a dowel. Centre the guide on the base; then nail or glue 3/4″ (19 mm) plywood strips along each side of the guide, creating a channel. The guide should be held firmly in place yet be able to slide smoothly in the channel. Glue a dowel into the hole in the guide. In order to use the jig, clamp the base to your disc sander table. After you place the work on the dowel, adjust the guide so the work sits snugly at the disc; clamp it in place. Make sure the work sits on the left side of the disc.