While the marketplace is awash in excellent sanding tools that are powered by electric motors or are run off your compressed air system , there is still a need to know when and how to sand by hand. Reasons range from tasks too delicate for power tools to working where power is not available. Whatever the reason, having hand sanding skills can save time and money. So in this blog we are going to review the not quite lost art of hand sanding.

Perhaps the most important reason to sand by hand is when you are performing very delicate work. In the woodworking industry, modern manufacturing has made it possible for plywood veneers to be amazingly thin, which is good for the environment but it makes it all too easy to sand right through the veneer, especially when touching up or repairing parts that have already been power sanded. Feathering out finish repairs on auto body or fiberglass parts requires a very skilled touch that simply cannot be achieved with power sanding.

Sanding sheets of the right type and grit can be easily cut to size as we recently discussed in this blog , but don’t cut it exactly the size needed yet; we need to fold it first. Folding the sheet properly provides a couple of advantages over just a single layer. First, having the abrasive under your fingers instead of the backer increases friction providing the control needed for fine work. Second, loose edges can get caught and roll under the sandpaper, digging uncontrolled into the work surface. This can be avoided by folding the paper so that none of the edges are loose. You can even fold in a tab for holding the sheet.

Folding the sheet into halves or quarters seems to be the natural thing to do, but by bringing opposite sides together in the center of the sheet, and then bringing the ends into the center as well, a useful sanding pad is created that is easy to hold and control, with no free edges to cause issues during use. This process should be used for all hand sanding tasks that use only sheet stock. Keep in mind when you are creating your folded sanding pad that there is no benefit to a sheet folded larger than your hand and very small pieces are difficult to hold.

Inside curves can be sanded using sanding drums (see our Lathe Drum Sander post) and outside curves can be smoothly formed using the flat of a disk or belt sander. But parts with reversing profiles can be a challenge, particularly when the curves are very tight. These spaces can be hand sanded by wrapping a section of sandpaper around a dowel. Using different grits and different diameter dowels allows for fast smoothing of the surface while maintaining the desired radius.

Sanding parts with power sanders, especially stationary tools, becomes a safety issue as the parts get smaller. Sanding blocks allow for finishing small parts without risking fingers, and prevents the part from being grabbed and flung across the shop. Pre-formed sanding pads and sponges can be effective , but sometimes you need a hard flat sanding surface for achieving a finish without rounding edges or creating low spots. Sanding sheets can be bonded onto wood scraps and sanding belts are designed to be fitted on spring loaded holders that you can custom make for your needs. Hand sanding allows you and your employees to keep both fingers and job parts safe from damage.