Smart Sandpaper Storage
Build a wall-mounted storage cabinet to keep sheets of sandpaper flat, sorted, and within easy reach.
Every home and business needs a cabinet for keeping important papers handy and properly sorted. Of course, the same thing can be said about the woodshop.
That’s why woodworker Bill Duckworth, a former FWW associate editor, came up with this wall-mounted storage system for his shop’s important papers – from 60-grit on up. It’s a smart way to keep sandpaper flat, sorted and within easy reach. Bill’s crowning touch is a built-in blade for cutting sheets to size for the sanding block.
The free download includes the original winning submission to the magazine’s Methods of Work column, complete with annotated color illustrations. In addition, Bill’s text clearly explains the cabinet’s construction and features. He also proves that it’s possible to talk about sandpaper without being abrasive.
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Comments
Hello, I really like this idea. A long hacksaw blade could be used for the sandpaper cutter. It could be screwed to the door instead of using duct tape. Smaller pieces of wood could be used on top of the sandpaper sheets to control curling even more.
I was looking for a good way to store sandpaper.
Excellent design - thank you
I agree that it's important to store sandpaper flat and it's a good job on the cabinet here - it does look a lot like what you'd see in the actual hardware shop! A good alternative if you're not as handy with your hands or are feeling lazy (and is a little bit cheaper too) would be getting some sort of stackable metal trays to use as storage for your sandpaper.
Quite a versatile design actually. I would probably use the shelving for half sandpaper and half or my wood plank storage actually. Best way to maximise the usage of the storage shelves! I don't have a lot of scrap wood so it looks like this might just be the perfect size!
I don't think most people are going to have that much sandpaper that they would need a storage shelf for all the different grades, but I think my wife might want one of these for all the scrapbooking scraps she has in her craft room..
A number of comments and suggestions:
That's useful, but incomplete, in my view. Every stack will require a weight - perhaps a 3/4" thick piece of plywood cut to the same size as the paper - or the paper will eventually curl into a state of questionable utility.
The distance between shelf rabbets should be enlarged sufficiently to allow storage of one box of each of the intended grit(s), plus the weight and headroom in which to insert it.
Then, construct another cabinet for differently made papers - garnet, aluminum oxide, etc.
If you happen to utilize the scary sharp method of wet-or-dry on glass, then all of that seemingly "extra" space will quickly disappear when the sharpening grits are joined in storage with the woodworking grits.
Make a pull-out insert of adequate height to store various grits of power-sanding discs, and another for small belts. Keep your imagination running, and discover that this cabinet is undersized for an all-round shop, but possibly larger than needed for smaller operations.
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