Sanding blocks

I've probably got 3 or 4 of these kicking around:



Which are great with standard paper (rubber backed ftw), OK with PSA and not great with hook and loop discs. 99% of the time I grab a piece of scrap and wrap whatever paper I have around that.

Saw this today and figured I'd give it a go:




Did I just waste $10?

You tell us! I’ve seen them for sale but haven’t bought one. I use the preppin’ weapon hand sanding blocks.

RonnieC said:

You tell us! I’ve seen them for sale but haven’t bought one. I use the preppin’ weapon hand sanding blocks.

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So far definitely more comfortable then the 3M rubber block. Not sure this would survive being tossed in a tool bag though.

Still doesn't get corners though, so a piece of rubber backed stapled to a block of hardwood is getting a workout on these shaker doors.

Wasted money? Probably not if you regularly have leftover hook and loop backed abrasives that are still good enough for clean up/ edges and stuff.

Personally, for hand sanding I use these almost exclusively:

- https://www.festoolusa.com/accessories/surface-preparation/manual-abrasive/abrasive-sponge

When bought in bulk, not even a buck a pop. And they can be had from various brands.











Ultra flexible ones for profiles.



Also work great on metal.




Kind regards,
Olli

^^^I guess at under $1 those aren't bad, but my issue has always been (at least the 3m ones) load too fast and/or I end up with faces that are useless.

I did consider buying some as I like the squared edges

I had a block that takes belt sander belts. It worked pretty well, until the mechanism that put tension on the belt broke. I've seen a couple youtube videos where people built shop-built versions. Could probably 3d print something.

I recall seeing a couple YouTube folks using similar and saying they were great because you can use your existing roll of discs. Seems like a good idea and easier than getting a sheet cut to the right size. If you do a lot of sanding I could see that alone being worth the price

I have one of the hook and loop sanding blocks that uses the discs. It was easy to use the same paper I already have for my orbital sander.
I don't know if the net discs work as well.

redragoon said:

I don't know if the net discs work as well.

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They work awesome, but aren't quite worth the premium IMHO

PCustoms said:

They work awesome, but aren't quite worth the premium IMHO

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That's what I found, but I only had 400 grit that I used in the orbital sander.
I think they become more useful for higher grits that I use less often.
The nets don't seem to clog as much.

I hadn't tried them with my velcro block so I wasn't sure if they stuck as well as the normal paper.

redragoon said:

I hadn't tried them with my velcro block so I wasn't sure if they stuck as well as the normal paper.

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They stick great on the sander, and the mesh improves dust collection. Edges do seem more fragile if you bump them, then it starts to shred...

Feels like it would be a waste on a solid backing.

There are lots of 3d printable designs out there and I'm thinking about giving some a shot

This is a neat assortment of styles

RonnieC said:

You tell us! I’ve seen them for sale but haven’t bought one. I use the preppin’ weapon hand sanding blocks.

Click to expand...

These are awesome. I have 2 so far and intend on getting more so I don't have to switch sandpaper as often. But, switching sandpaper is so easy on them and it's got a great feel to hold.

Just started trying some Backside Sandpaper for getting glue off of inside corners of drawer boxes. I'm liking it so far.

legenddc said:

These are awesome. I have 2 so far and intend on getting more so I don't have to switch sandpaper as often. But, switching sandpaper is so easy on them and it's got a great feel to hold.

Just started trying some Backside Sandpaper for getting glue off of inside corners of drawer boxes. I'm liking it so far.

Click to expand...

I have five- red, yellow, green, blue and violet. I have them set up that way from 120 grit at red to 800 grit at violet and also have the grit marked on each with permanent marker. I find it really helps me to keep track while I’m moving between grits.

Although this strays a bit away from the original question, my take on the mesh abrasives is that they are an excellent choice for sanding everything that does not have a tendency to “gum up” abrasives and especially in conjunction with dust extraction - as it is almost like your whole sanding pad extracts dust now vs. just a few holes.

That said, with mesh one should always use a protective pad between the actual sander’s plate and the mesh. To protect the hook & loop on the sander’s plate and enhance longevity. (That’s also why I would agree it doesn’t make much sense to use it with the pictured hand sanding block.)

However that protective pad is a double edged sword, as it makes for a soft(er) surface and can round edges that you might not want to be rounded.

It’s also true that the edges of the mesh are more easily damaged/ & fray. So from my experience they are not a “one size fits all” type solution. I still have & use “paper backed” abrasives as well. Edge protectors do help with that if you can fit one to the sander, but if you want to get into corners and into edges you’ll lose that anyway rather quickly.

All that said, my ratio is about 10 to 1. So after about every 10 mesh abrasives used, I come across something that I would not use them on and use a “paper backed” instead. And mostly that is because either what I’m sanding “gums up” or I want a rather hard pad. To picture that even more clearly, I’ve “re-stocked” multiple times on mesh abrasives over time, were my two types of “paper backed” abrasives are still from the original purchase.

I’ve used the mesh abrasives with great results on bare wood, filler, plaster, stain on wood, paint on metal, (…). What they absolutely s*ck at is any type of weathered wood, that clogs up the mesh in no time - and thick coatings.

Also because dust extraction is that much better with mesh, you’re getting better sanding results, faster. Also there is less heat build up.

Cost is not really an issue to me, as I simply factor it in with the project at hand, I don’t look at it as a singular purchase and at the end of the day there are always leftovers to be added to the stock.

IMHO & YMMV.

Last but not least, and to get this back to hand sanding blocks, as we all now, the sky is the limit, they do exist with dust extraction capabilities. So depending on process/ abrasives used, the use of mesh abrasives with those can make sense.

- https://www.mirka.com/en/p/Roundy-H...cessories-and-consumables/hand-sanding-tools/

- https://www.mirka.com/en/p/Sanding-...cessories-and-consumables/hand-sanding-tools/

- https://www.mirka.com/en/p/Sanding-...cessories-and-consumables/hand-sanding-tools/

- https://www.mirka.com/en/p/Sanding-...cessories-and-consumables/hand-sanding-tools/

- https://www.festoolusa.com/accessor...ks/with-dust-extraction/496962---hsk-a-80x130


Kind regards,
Olli

One of the other beauties of mesh is the ability to take it off and "roll" it up like a cigar to shed debris loading

It will often shed all the gummy or built-up debris and be almost new again. In fact I use it sometimes for gummy stuff because it sheds it easily (sometimes)

I have spent A LOT more on sanding blocks...lol

Probably more than $250 in blocks in that pic

Don't feel bad about $10

Some that were handy in my back garage.
I have a deck of cards that I sometimes use as the inner form for sandpaper. Works great for curves, angles or most irregular shapes.

When refinishing our mahogany front door, I was removing the failed OEM finish. I purchased a Fein sanding profile set and it made quick work of all the shapes and corners. My Fein oscillating sander also came with a putty knife blade and I have stuck self adhesive sandpaper to that for an impromptu rigid sander. You can also grind the teeth of of an old blade and form it to a unique shape for self adhesive sandpaper. The only disadvantage to self adhesive is sometimes you need a heat gun to remove the glue. While searching the internet I came across this finger sander attachment I’d probably purchase. It works with hook and loop. Sometimes the hook part gives out if you let *** heat up, then you have to replace your sanding attachment.