Are you a woodworking enthusiast on a tight budget? Or perhaps a professional carpenter looking for ways to lessen waste and increase profit?
Whatever the case, keeping track of your expenses is does no harm at all. On top of the financial benefit, aiming to make less waste is something all of us should be doing, among other things, to take care of the environment. Once you have purchased the best orbital sander for your project, you can save money time and time again by reusing your used orbital sandpaper.
In this article, we will discuss how to how you can reuse used orbital sandpaper.
Keep in mind that this method is not exclusive to orbital sandpapers; it works for almost any sandpaper.
The main idea of the method suggested is to make small hand sanders by reusing the used sandpaper.
Reuse sandpaper to make hand sanders
Before we go on with the actual steps, we must mention that to do this effectively and collect used sandpapers that are not completely torn up.
For that, just use an old cardboard box of some sort, or whatever suits you for collecting stuff like sandpapers.
Let’s assume that you already have a few used sandpapers. The step you have to follow are the following:
Clean the used sandpaper
If you have done some sanding before, you should know that the sandpaper is stuffed with wood debris after some usage.
It is that debris that renders them unusable, so the first thing you have to do is to remove it.
Soak your sandpaper in water for a few hours, then brush the wood left off on it with a steel brush.
Once you are done with the brushing, let the sandpaper dry before using it.
Trace Your Pads
You need to trace the shape of your sandpaper onto a piece of scrap MDF for starters.
MDF stands for Medium-density fireboard, and it is a type of wood produced by combining wood fibers from other kinds of wood.
In essence, someone could say that MDF is just scrap pieces of wood made into dust combined with glue.
If woodworking is your thing, then you probably have some scrap MDF lying around. If not, then get some on your hands.
Cut Out the Shape However You Want
In this step, you are deciding which shape your hand sander is going to have.
It is this step that renders the initial shape of your sandpapers irrelevant.
To do this, you can use whatever tool you have for cutting wood, with a jigsaw mounted on a jigsaw table being the ideal solution.
Secure the Sandpaper
By now, you should have a piece of sandpaper, and a backing pad made from MDF cut on your desired shape. Now you need to stick them together.
For the sticking, it is advised to use CA glue. In case you do not know what CA glue is, it is a strong adhesive substance that sets fast, thus being ideal for jobs and tasks like the one we talk about in this article.
You need to apply the CA glue in the center of your orbital sander pads and mainly around the edges. This is important because it’s the most likely post the pad is going to tear on.
The Block
In this final step, you will make the hilt of your hand sander, the part you are going to hold when you are using the tool.
Get some scrap wood and cut a two’ by four’ piece. Attach the piece of wood on the back of your pad using CA glue.
The last step is to write the grit of your sandpaper on the back of your pad or on the handle to know what you are going to use when you grab your newly made tool.
Conclusion
By following the above guide, you should be able to use a significant part of your scrap wood and used sandpapers.
You should also bear in mind that this is an eco-friendly method. It would be best if you always aimed to throw less and less waste in the trash.
Doing this will save you a couple of bucks and a fair amount of materials, allowing you to price the products of your woodworking business a bit lower, making your customers happier in the process.
Finally, even if you are not working as a professional woodworker or carpenter, discovering ways to reduce waste and recycling used parts and materials will hone your skills as an amateur.
And do not forget, always use tools that can get you injured with caution.