Abrasive Paper | HOME IMPR0VEMENT CONTRACTORS

July 2010
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Sanding saw blade produces smoother cuts

Final Cut Saw Blades are high-quality, carbide-tipped blades that boast a most unusual feature: they have abrasive paper adhered to both sides of the blade. As a result, the blades cut and sand simultaneously, producing extremely smooth cuts. Pretty cool, right? Well until recently, Final Cut blades were only available for power miter saws and table saws. But now there's a brand-new Final Cut blade made specifically for 7 1/4-inch portable circular saws.

Super sandpaper: The next generation

I love using hand tools, but power sanding is really the only way to smooth rough wood. Electric sanders aren't only faster and easier than hand sanding, they also produce a smoother, flatter surface. I own several types of power sanders, including belt, orbital, disc-and-belt, and oscillating drum, but the one I use most often by far is my random-orbit sander. Its round pad simultaneously spins in full circles and vibrates in tiny orbits, making it useful for both heavy stock removal and for lightly knocking down a coat of varnish. The only drawback to random-orbit sanders is that you must buy specially made, hook-and-loop (Velcro) abrasive discs, which aren't cheap. But to be honest, I wouldn't even mind the price if the darn discs didn't rip or wear out so quickly. Fortunately I may have found a solution to this problem.

Son of sanding sponge

Whenever I hand-sand wood, a task I can't seem to avoid (hard as I try), I typically use a homemade sanding block, which consists of sandpaper wrapped around a short chunk of 1x4. The block is great for smoothing flat surfaces, but it's not very useful when sanding moldings and other contoured or curved pieces. Over the years I've tried various tools and techniques for smoothing irregular surfaces, including a sanding sponge. And while a sanding sponge is a great idea in theory--the soft core easily conforms to contoured surfaces--it's not a very effective sander, and here's why: On a typical sanding sponge, the abrasive grit is embedded into the sponge itself. As a result, the sponge doesn't "cut" very well and it dulls quickly. But here's the good news: I just discovered a newly designed, long-lasting sponge that outperforms any other sanding sponge I've ever used.

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Sanding saw blade produces smoother cuts

Double-duty sanding machine

Super sandpaper: The next generation

Son of sanding sponge