Push block pad material?

[Peter Kuhlman]

Tried using Search but no luck.
I have some push blocks - the type with a handle on top - that the soft pad material has gotten hard and slippery. Any bright ideas of material to use as a replacement for the pad?
I have a couple Grr-Grippers but like using the simple hand blocks for router and jointer uses.
Thanks! Pete

[Nick Decker]

Lee Valley sells something they call H.F. Sheets.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43456,43465&p=67844

It's not as grippy as the GRrripper, but I've used it on a couple of push sticks/blocks and it works. As usual, wipe the sawdust off occasionally.

[Larry Anderson]

How about sandpaper?

[johnny means]

I use sandpaper or non slip rug pads.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Well I just knew that a dumb question would get me obvious answers I totally overlooked!! ;)
Thanks guys for the tips. Sandpaper with a glue backing should work. I do like the softer type pad though. Will check out the LV product.

[Lee Schierer]

I've heard that computer mouse pads work. Pretty cheap to obtain.

[Ken Platt]

Not exactly an answer to your question, but....A tip I saw that has worked well for me is to use a mending plate like this https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-3-in-x-6-in-20-Gauge-Mending-Plate-MP36/100374920 screwed to the bottom of the push block instead of the soft grippy stuff, which often, at least for me, didn't grip well enough. Especially on the jointer, so I'd end up pushing down really hard to get a grip, which interfered with the jointing process. The sharp little tips on these things work great for engaging the wood.

Ken

[Matt Day]

I agree about mending plate. Have them on my jointer push blocks. Works perfect.

What is it Phil or John that came up with that?

[Randy Heinemann]

Fine Woodworking staff once suggested using rubber grout or concrete floats. I don't have personal experience using them, but the way they feel it's likely they would work better than most push blocks made for use on jointers or saws. They might be a bit big for smaller pieces of wood.

[Edwin Santos]

If you use hot glue in your shop, just squeeze a bead of hot glue on the bottom of your push pad or push stick and quickly smear it with a piece of scrap and let it cool. Instant grip. When it stops gripping after a while, do it again, the new glue will melt the old and it will become grippy again.

[Paul F Franklin]

I second Randy's mention of grout floats. The ones with red rubber are excellent.

I use these for the jointer and they work great; they do not slip at all: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N5PQ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Jamie Buxton]

You can buy wet-suit material with a peel-and-stick backing.

[Peter Kuhlman]

For the mending plate - wouldn’t this cause denting of the wood? Not a fan of having steel plate near any type of cutter. Am I missing something? Yea it sure would have incredible grip!

[Simon MacGowen]

For the mending plate - wouldn’t this cause denting of the wood? Not a fan of having steel plate near any type of cutter. Am I missing something? Yea it sure would have incredible grip!
+1
Unless the use of the steel plate is on rough lumber (jointer), who in the world would want to scratch their dressed stock like that in a router use? Why not use nails if grip is the ultimate goal?!!!

Simon

[mark mcfarlane]

Fine Woodworking staff once suggested using rubber grout or concrete floats...

Based on that article, I bought one of these (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZM4DRC/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), Roberts 10062 Rubber Grout Float, 9 x 4:

That particular model is not very sticky, so I can't recommend it. I use it for the the leading edge when jointing, where the pressure is down instead of forward, and use a Gripper with the hooks on the back end of the board.

I'm sure there are some stickier grout floats.

[Prashun Patel]

I took the handles off some grout trowels and screwed them to plywood squares, and then mounted mending plates to the bottom. This works very well for the jointer, where you are processing rough stock and tiny divots (they really are tiny) are acceptable. Occasionally, you get a little dragged scratches, so I do not use this on material that's close to final finish.

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?237858-Better-Cheaper-Jointer-Push-Block


I only use these on relatively small stock.

Nowadays I much prefer a long push block with a heel on the trailing end. The reason is that any friction push block from a pad or mending plate requires downward pressure, which I have found to be subversive to proper jointing: it can bow the board, and adds friction between the piece and the table. The heel-style push blocks rely on forward pressure, which makes a less forceful push and resists bowing. This really comes into play for long and heavy pieces. Here, the need to leapfrog your hands and provide pressure on the outfeed is not necessary; in fact, you need focus on the infeed side to prevent the board from tipping up at the trailing end. The long, heeled push block is ideal for this.

[Matthew Curtis]

https://www.ptreeusa.com/rtr_nonslip_pads.html

I use the non-slip router pad. Attached with double sided tape. I have a large piece I just cut to size.

[Randall J Cox]

I use the rubbery material that you line drawers with, same a non slip rug stuff. Can buy at dollar stores cheap, maybe harbor freight, glue that onto push block.

[Edwin Santos]

I took the handles off some grout trowels and screwed them to plywood squares, and then mounted mending plates to the bottom. This works very well for the jointer, where you are processing rough stock and tiny divots (they really are tiny) are acceptable. Occasionally, you get a little dragged scratches, so I do not use this on material that's close to final finish.

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?237858-Better-Cheaper-Jointer-Push-Block


I only use these on relatively small stock.

Nowadays I much prefer a long push block with a heel on the trailing end. The reason is that any friction push block from a pad or mending plate requires downward pressure, which I have found to be subversive to proper jointing: it can bow the board, and adds friction between the piece and the table. The heel-style push blocks rely on forward pressure, which makes a less forceful push and resists bowing. This really comes into play for long and heavy pieces. Here, the need to leapfrog your hands and provide pressure on the outfeed is not necessary; in fact, you need focus on the infeed side to prevent the board from tipping up at the trailing end. The long, heeled push block is ideal for this.

I too am a fan of a long-ish push block with a heel, for use at the jointer for all the reasons Prashun describes.
With regard to the mending plates, no doubt they would work, but I just have this allergic reaction to the idea of having metal anywhere near spinning blades.

[glenn bradley]

For the mending plate - wouldn’t this cause denting of the wood? Not a fan of having steel plate near any type of cutter. Am I missing something? Yea it sure would have incredible grip!

It depends at what stage of the milling process you are. Mending plates, like screw boards for finishing, often do me more harm than good. I have a sheet of Peachtree's #2892 Self Adhesive Rubber Mat. They used to sell it in 18" x 30" pieces or something like that. I have cut various pieces out of it for friction pads and have been snipping away at it for years. Even at the current 12" x 12" offering the cost per use is almost nil.

I think Prashun had a thread on the mending plate idea . . . oh yeah, here it is (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?237858-Better-Cheaper-Jointer-Push-Blocks).

[Nick Decker]

An added point about the H.F. (High Friction, I think) Sheets sold by Lee Valley: I don't rely on its grippiness to push the board past the cutter. In fact, both pushing devices that I use it on have small heels on the back for that. I use it more to stabilize the pusher on top of the board, to keep it from moving around.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Carpet padding. Very grippy. I use it under the wood when hand routing and it's as if the wood was clamped to the bench so I made a couple of push blocks out of it. Thick, cushiony and requires very little downward pressure. I added a tail for forward pushing support. Carpet/flooring stores usually have remnants that they sell really cheap or even give away.

[Ken Platt]

I use the mending plates only for my jointer, where there is a good bit of resistance to the board moving forward (especially on wider boards - it's a 12" jointer) AND you can't push down harder without deforming the board you are trying to straighten. The OP had mentioned jointer use, and for me the mending plates have been the cat's pajamas on the jointer.

I do also, as Mark & Prashun posted (actually Prashun explained it much better than I), use a "push" block that has a hook on it to engage the end of the board. I guess it's really more like a pull block at the jointer. Problem is, if I'm jointing a long board, it's hard to stretch my arms that far. I did make a really long one of these type, about 18 inches long, with a handle on the near end, and the hook on the far end. It works ok, but it's somewhat awkward. The mending plate push blocks with a hand-over-hand feed really seems to work best for me, and it's a LOT less effort than I had when I used any of the soft grippy bottom push blocks (including the grout float, although that was an improvement over the standard, came-with-your-jointer block)

Regarding having the steel near a cutting blade, that's a good point which worried me when I started using the mending plates. For me they work so well that I take the risk, and am just careful. However, this might be one of those things that others might feel gets into their doesn't-feel-right zone. YMMV.

I agree with not using these on a near-finished surface, but I"ve never noticed marks/dents from them at all. I'll have to look carefully next time I'm jointing, just to see, but in general on other tools I haven't ever felt the need for these sort of push blocks.

Ken

[tom lucas]

you can also buy thin neoprene sheets at the crafts store. Very cheap.

[Peter Kuhlman]

So many great ideas!
Thank you all.:)

[David Zaret]

my jointer push blocks are foot-long chunks of 2x6s with drywall screws poking out the bottom, and 3/4" black pipe "handles" wrapped in hockey stick tape. they are heavy, solid, stable, and grip like mad. do they mark up the wood? yep, they do, but the marks disappear on the first planer pass.

[Michael Costa]

Piece of one of those cheap yoga mats?

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I use rubberized matt sold at kitchen stuff cut to fit and glued with contact cement.

It is functional, easy to find, cheap and fast.

[Randy Heinemann]

Actually I have a pair from Rockler (Bench Dog brand) that are "stickier" than any I've used in the past. Unless they changed them in the last couple of years, I would recommend them. They are called Bench Dog Push-Blocs but are a little pricey at about $10.00 apiece. They do work well though.