My redneck sanding setup

Some of us can't afford fancy belt sanders or purpose built workshops. So when I was pottering around in my workshop (the balcony outside my bedroom door) I stumbled upon a sanding setup. I was sanding the handle of a brush I'm working on and I was having trouble securing the sandpaper. So I came up with this idea of clamping one end of a strip of paper to the decorative bars on my balcony. It works kinda like a strop. You hold one end tight and rub what ever you want to sand along the strip. I'm not going to say its the best idea. The round brush handle I was working on isn't perfectly round any more. But it is a lot better than trying to hold the paper in my hand.

neat Nathan, hurray for ingenuity.

I can see how it would cause uneven sanding though. Have you tried making a sanding block? Also it might be better to clamp the paper at the top of the rail and pull down this way the bars act as a flat surface for what you are sanding......though it would be a tight fit for whatever your sanding. Oh well back to the drawing board.

I was sanding the round handle of a shaving brush. I wanted it to have some flex, much like a strop, because I didn't want to end up with a flat spot on what had been a round handle. The problem isn't so much in the sanding setup, but that to achieve an even surface I have to rely on my fingers to turn the piece being sanded evenly. After this I also tried clamping both ends of the strip to make a loop and then turning the piece inside the loop with my fingers.
But what I think will work perfectly is when I eventually get my vice and I can clamp the piece being sanded and use the strip of sand paper much like a shoe shine boy cleaning the toe of a shoe.

Gotcha, cool idea w/ the loop method by the way.Maybe you'll be able to find a really cheap wood turner/spinner that will make sanding round handles a breeze:)

Thanks man, now I know what to do next time I need to sand the spine of a razor.

Great idea

Were there is a will there is a way...nice job.

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Originally Posted by ndw76

I was sanding the round handle of a shaving brush. I wanted it to have some flex, much like a strop, because I didn't want to end up with a flat spot on what had been a round handle. The problem isn't so much in the sanding setup, but that to achieve an even surface I have to rely on my fingers to turn the piece being sanded evenly. After this I also tried clamping both ends of the strip to make a loop and then turning the piece inside the loop with my fingers.
But what I think will work perfectly is when I eventually get my vice and I can clamp the piece being sanded and use the strip of sand paper much like a shoe shine boy cleaning the toe of a shoe.

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Nathan,

If you have a drill, either electric or battery, you can put a 2.5" to 3.5" wood screw in the chuck, center your handle in the area where the knot will be, and just get anough threads started in to hold it on the screw. Then using your clamped on sandpaper, you can get that thing as smooth as you want it. I would stay on a fairly low speed, but using the drill will ensure that you don't make any flat spots! :)

Tony