Most woodworkers have come across the problem of not planning their sanding. The best way to avoid unfortunate sanding situations is to pre-sand all your parts before assembling. Although, that simply is not realistic in some cases. Interior angles are the worst perpetrators and getting a clean corner can drive a person insane. Many people will sit there with a small square of sandpaper, gradually taking away material, wishing they could use their orbital sander.
The best method, however, is to use your orbital sander, along with a thin piece of laminate. Simply place the laminate against the adjoining part and run your orbital sander right up against the laminate. You will still have a thin section of material to sand, but this method is a lot more effective than cautiously running your sander and hopefully sanding the rest flat by hand.
I keep a 10-in. x 10-in. flat piece of laminate at my workbench for this exact reason and I have taken the liberty of adding a handle for a more ideal tool. Cut a 1-1/2-in. x 3-in. piece of wood and bevel the edges for grip. Glue the piece to the center of the laminate with melamine adhesive glue.
This tip was written by Matt Boley of Richfield, MN. Are there any tips or tricks you've picked up on around the shop that you would like to share with our growing community of woodworkers? If so, email us at marketing@forest2home.com. Happy woodworking!
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