Modifying a sanding jig

[carrolljc]

On another thread a few days ago, I posted pictures of a new work table with a sanding jig clamped to it. After working with the jig, I realized that it contained a basic design error. The backing piece, behind the embedded magnets, was too high. It was about an inch high, and it got in the way of my hands. I couldn't access the razor from the back. So I cut the backing strip way down, leaving it just about 1/8 high. Here's the original jig:



Here are a couple of shots of the modified jig.






This works a lot better.

As you can see in the last two photos, I also cut a sheet of thin plexiglass to go over the whole jig surface. The plexiglass is held in place with double-sided tape. That gives a smooth surface to work on, so the razor doesn't snag on the magnets. The magnets (rare earth) are strong enough to hold a razor firmly in place on top of the plexiglass.

Following someone else's model, I originally used self-adhesive felt on top of the magnets, but I use WD 40 while sanding, and the felt got funky fast. The plexiglass cleans easily. Also, I like being able to see the magnets while positioning the razor.

Joe