To get the most from a single sheet of sandpaper, rip it into four pieces, and fold each piece into thirds. That will create three sides per piece, making one piece of sandpaper 12 times more useful.

To sand in crevices, wrap a piece of sandpaper around a finger or a dowel.

To sand molding or other irregularly shaped stock, use a deck of cards as a mold for a piece of sandpaper. Hold the deck of cards together with rubber bands and press the deck into the molding to get the cards stacked in the right shape. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around the bottom of the deck, and use it to guide the sandpaper into the crevices.

For a speedy sanding job inside crevices, carve a slot into the end of a 3/8-inch dowel. Slide a strip of sandpaper through the slit, and insert the dowel into a drill.

A belt sander can be set up so that the user moves wood over the sander instead of vice versa. Clamp the belt sander to a work table with its belt facing up.

A homemade sanding block can be easily made by wrapping a sheet of sandpaper around a block of wood. Secure the sandpaper to the wood with glue or staples.

Sander Basics

• A store-bought sanding block has hook-and-loop tape on the back for attaching sandpaper to the block.
  
• An orbital palm sander is an electric sander used with self-adhesive sandpaper on a disc to sand large surfaces quickly.
  
• A palm-grip sander is an electric sander designed to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. It has a rectangular plate with sandpaper attached to sand surfaces rapidly.
  
• The random-orbital sander is an electric sander with a sanding disc that can be adjusted to various speeds.
  
• The belt sander is an electric sander with a revolving sandpaper belt. This tool is good for tougher sanding jobs, as it can actually cut into the wood to remove snags and divots.