Sandpaper cutter

[Curt Fuller]

This may be an old trick that most of you are already using, but I just learned this awhile back so I thought I'd pass it along. At a club meeting a few months ago one of our 'old timers', Fred Hunger, told us about how his wife has him on a short leash and a tight budget and complains everytime he has to buy sand paper. So he made one of these cutters to ration out his sandpaper and it makes a sheet of sandpaper last almost forever. It's just a piece of plywood with an old hacksaw blade screwed to the edge and the outline of a sheet of sandpaper cut in half, then in half again and again until it's about 2x3 inches. You cut the paper down into the small pieces and then fold them in half, sand with one side until it's worn out then the other. I used to just cut sandpaper sheets into fourths but this way a sheet of paper seems to last forever. I just cut them down and put a rubber band around a stack of the small pieces and it seems like a 2x3 piece of paper lasts as long as a quarter sheet lasts. Anyway, I thought I'd pass this along to anyone else who is on a short leash and tight budget like Fred and me.

[Tom Sherman]

Curt that is a great assistant for sandpaper and it cuts down on waste. My LOML says she has a hard time with the larger sheets and has a tendancy to tear them by hand:eek: . So I'll make one of those for my shop.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks for the tip Curt. Those sound just right especially for small boxes, etc.

[Gary DeWitt]

I finally broke down and made one of these awhile back, and now find it indispensible. I cut to 1/4 sheet size, and have a shelf unit I built just for the paper at this size that sits next to my lathe. Holds about 8 different grits, each on their own shelf. Much more efficient than hunting up the paper each time.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Good idea Curt. Thanks for posting.

Ernie