To keep strips of sandpaper from tearing when sanding round surface, apply cloth duct tape to the back of the sandpaper before cutting it into strips.
The duct tape acts to reinforce the paper backing on the sandpaper and prevent it from tearing.
Watch the video above to find out more.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Joe Truini: Whenever I have a sanding project to do, I typically reach for a power sander. But there are some jobs, such as this chair refinishing, where a power sander doesn’t work because they’re really designed for flat surfaces, not round surfaces as I have here.
So what are you going to do to sand this? You have to hand sand it. And I’ve seen people cut strips of sandpaper, like this, then use it to, almost like a buffing pad, which is a great idea except here’s the problem. It tears way too easily because there’s nothing but paper and abrasive.
So here’s a much better solution, and all you need is a sheet of sandpaper and some duct tape. Turn the sandpaper sheet over and cover the back of it with strips of duct tape. Then cut out, with a utility knife, strips of various widths. What you end up with is sanding strip, like this, that’s reinforced with duct tape.
You’ll never tear this. You’ll wear out the abrasive long before you ever tear it. Now you can sand as aggressively as you like. And you notice because you’re using this abrasive on a strip, you can get the nice contoured surfaces. Round surfaces, no problem, and you’ll never ever tear the strip.
