The Team at 2Sand is beginning to believe that Cloth Shop Rolls may be the most versatile form of sanding supplies. In previous blogs we have used it to make a custom drum sander for the lathe, a simple hole sander for your drill and a flap sander as well. And in this issue, we are using it to make a mop sander as well. A mop sander is very similar to the flap sander we made some time back, but as you’ll see in the build, it is constructed a bit differently and works better in tight corners and spaces. 

The mop head is made from equal segments cut from the Cloth Shop Roll. A template makes it easy to create as many uniform pieces as needed. Cut a strip of thin plywood the same width as the sanding roll and 6” long. Draw a few parallel lines an inch long on each end and saw grooves along the lines. Cut three grooves to make four fingers on this 1” roll, wider rolls can be cut into more. The point here is to create small flaps that can reach into tight spaces. 

Complete the template by drilling a hole in the exact center. Each sanding roll segment needs to hole to fit onto the shank of the sander. Make this hole in the template big enough for a 1/4" hole punch. Clamp the template down on the end of the upside down cloth roll, cut it to length and slit the ends with a utility knife, and punch out the mounting hole. You will need to make at least 12 segments depending on the grit used and the length of the threads on the shank. 

In the next issue of the blog, we will create the shank for the tool, secure the mop segments to it, and see how the mop sander can be used. This simple tool is very handy for finish sanding odd shapes. You can order  Cloth Shop Rolls in grits from 60 to 400, and in widths of 1”, 1-1/2” and 2”. Get yours on the way today so you’ll be ready to assemble your mop sander when we publish part 2 of our build.