Day 24 Aluminum Sanding Sticks

Making tools again today. To get a nice flat surface or a clean edge, a sanding stick works really well. I have used wooden sanding sticks and plastic sanding sticks before, but truthfully, I like a good aluminum one because it just feels a little more substantial in my hand, it remains flat and true, doesn’t bend like a plastic one, and it doesn’t “grove” like wooden ones can. Today I will show you how to make your own aluminum sanding sticks that will last you forever.

All you will need is a trip to the hardware store, (or online) buy Aluminum Flat Bar that is 1/8″ x 3/4″ in a length that will be long enough to make as many sticks as you want. I have 2 of them for 2 different grits of sandpaper. The sticks are 12″ long (1 foot). You will also want to buy some sheets of Wetordry Sandpaper. I use 400 Grit and 600 Grit, but you can use the grit you want. I have used 320 grit and 1000 grit as well, but found out I didn’t use them very much. The 320 grit was similar to my #4 Flat Hand File, and the 1000 was a bit too fine, and I found I could polish after the 600 grit sandpaper.

Place the sandpaper face down and place the aluminum stick along the edge and “score” or scratch a line along the edge, just hard enough to leave a mark in the paper but not all the way through the paper. After you score the line, bend the paper over to make the scored line nice and sharp. Fold over and continue. You could do this if you like your edges sharp, or you could just wrap the sandpaper around the aluminum stick. I make about 3 complete wraps, then trim off the excess with a Surgical Blade in a  Scalpel Handle.

After I trim the sandpaper, I wrap the end with Masking Tape to hold it in place and write the number of the sandpaper on the tape, so I can identify it quickly. (4 = 400, 6 = 600)

Again, the reason I like the aluminum is because it is light weight, inexpensive to make, long-lasting, won’t mark, grove or bend, and substantial feeling in my hand.

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope my tool “Geekiness” is not boring you.

Enjoy your day and go make something outrageously beautiful!

Doug