Ok, time for a "mea cupla". In the previous few blogs I've been sharing how I made a custom power sanding block for use on my bowl turnings. After being gone from my shop for two weeks, I found that the adhesive on the hook I applied to my power sander block was failing. I suspect that it is because that hook material has been hanging around my shop for nearly a decade. I had bought it for some project and kept the leftovers, but then don't we all? Obviously it would not do as is.

So epoxy is usually my go-to for adhesion issues. I figured if I could keep the outer edges in place, the rest would be fine. So I mixed up a small amount of epoxy. Pro Tip: for small amounts, the bottom of a soda can is an excellent mixing bowl. The cans are free and can still be recycled after mixing. Beats cutting a scrap of ply or something.

I spread a thin layer of the epoxy around the block where the hook ends, working it under the edge that had lifted, and making sure I got a bead all the way around the edge. I was very careful not to get any more than I had to into the hooks themselves. After applied, I again used painter's tape to hold it all down as it cured. Unlike air dry glues, epoxy cures from a reaction between the two components, so being firmly taped did not effect the dry time.

Once fully cured, the hook seems to be totally secure and ready for work. In the next blog I'll show you how it works in action on a turning.

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