Sanding Surface Plates

[jwrass]

Greetings

I have some solid surface tiles 3 3/4 x 3 3/4 flat on top with 90 degree square edges that I use for sanding that work great. I didn't know what to call them but they remind me of a machinist surface plate. I got these as samples at a home improvement show. They are flat and square on all sides. to make these I do the following:

I clean the solid surface material with lacquer thinner then spray the surface with a lite coat of 3M Super 77 adhesive, I also spray the backside of the sand paper of choice ( I have 100, 180, 220, 320.) place the paper on the tile and burnish (I use a small ink brayer) trim to fit your style. I have some that paper is just flat and some that I folded the paper over at the 90.

These work great for squaring engine blocks, valve covers, rear ends, yata yata. I put cork bumpers on all four corners to prevent slipping when I use them on the bench, I also use them like a sanding stick.

I think they work great and inexpensive to make!

Cheers jwrass

[Kit Basher]

I do the same thing with blocks of hard wood of various sizes and shapes. I have lots of scraps of solid surface material, I will have to give your idea a try. Thanks!

[jwrass]

Hugh, Back at ya!!!!! I'm going to look through my wood scraps to see what I can come up with. Thanks! jwrass

[southpier]

scraps of thick glass, too. clean up the edges with a carborundum stone.

[Longbox55]

I use a 1/4" thick 36x18 sheet of stainless steel for mine. It's bolted down to the bench with 7/16" countersunk bolts. I have a second sheet the same size that's being used as the base for my spray painting area. Got both of them free, they were originally mounted under the rear slip plates on our old Rotary 2 post alignment rack we scrapped when we upgraded to the Hunter Hawkeye Elite system.

[jet]

12" composite marble tile from the flooring store works nice for a lot of things

[chunkypeanutbutter]

You can also use a sheet of glass and adhesive sanding pads from a pneumatic rotary sander.

You can get the pads from auto parts stores that are well-stocked like NAPA, or from Blue-Point, etc.

[62rebel]

i've got a couple of acrylic picture frames, they trap the photo between two fairly thick flat plates using magnets, that i use for sanding plates. i simply lay the sandpaper on them and true up flat surfaces that way. nice, light, portable, easy to clean, and safer than glass (although i also have a 12"x12" glass tile i use for laying up frames, etc....)

our Quality Assurance inspector at a previous job had a wonderful huge granite table..... some beautiful true square blocks, dial indicators.... i'd have carried that sucker home if i could lift it.

[southpier]

next time you go by the countertop store, see if they'll sell you a sink cut-out

[1930fordpickup]

You can use double stick tape to hold sandpaper also. I have a sink cutout from my late brother. I believe he purchased it locally. Works great.

The counter top places like to make money so they will sell you anything they can. I do like the Idea of the smaller blocks.

Until the first of the year MSC ( a company that sells machinist tools) has a pair of solid steel 1 2 3 blocks for under 40 bucks . They do not have the pesky hole in them, great for working with small stuff .http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/06378186?item=06378186&fromRR=Y

[Longbox55]

you might be able to hit the big box hardware stores (Menard's for sure). They do sell the leftover bits from custom countertops. Usually, they're over in the shelving area, usually about $2 for a 3 foot length.