On wood, metal, plastic or fiberglass, hand sanding gives the craftsperson a level of control not available with power sanders. We’ve talked about hand sanding before in this blog, and have shown you how to fold your sandpaper sheets for better results. We even have a bunch of sanding blocks specifically made for hand sanding. But hand sanding hasn't generally been compatible with dust collection. Until now.

Hand sanding with paper backed sheets doesn’t really allow for collecting dust at the source, and if dust or abrasive particles are trapped between the sander and the work, they can leave unwanted scratches, causing more work. Mirka’s Abranet offers a solution to this problem. Since it is an abrasive mesh rather than abrasive bonded onto paper, the entire sheet can allow air to flow for dust collection.

Our friends at Mirka offer a couple of hand sanding blocks that use their Abranet abrasive mesh to allow for hand sanding with full dust collection. One uses 2-3/4” by 5” rectangular Abranet sheets , and the other works with their 6” Abranet discs .

The blocks are hollow and feature a port on the back for a hose. Mirka’s hose fits this port without requiring tools to connect it. The connector features an adjustable vent to help control the airflow through the system. This is important because too much suction can hold the sander onto the part being finished, interfering with the operator’s control. The hose has a large, tapered plug on one end to work with hose sizes from 1-1/2” to 2-1/2”so it will work with almost any dust extractor and most shop vacuums.

Hand sanding still has a place in modern shops, and the  vacuum capable sanding blocks from Mirka allow for the best possible result by removing unwanted debris as you work.