Template Sanding

glenn bradley

Member
Messages
11,516
Location
SoCal
Any of you who subscribe to Fine Woodworking Online probably saw this as I did. I have some duplicate toy items planned and thought this might be an asset so I took one for the team. The idea of template sanding is similar to template sawing at the tablesaw with an "L" fence or offset template routing with a template collar.

I used a scrap of melamine leftover from a closet project I helped a neighbor with. Size yours however you like.

Template Sanding (1).jpg

A slot is cut for a fence. I placed mine so that I had an approximate 3/8" offset from the disc sander's surface. Although you can get quite accurate with a sander there is always the discrepancy of grit size, backing material and bonding method. I set mine up for my coarsest paper assuming finer papers (if used) will leave the blank proud of the line. I've found it a lot easier to remove more material than to put material back on ;)

Template Sanding (2).jpg

A "bar" is attached to use the miter slot for positioning as well as a stop to keep the "table" in place. If your sander does not have a miter slot you can make the table oversized and add stops to capture the machine's table and orient the fixture.

Template Sanding (3).jpg

As per my usual, when I made the fence I made a couple of extra.

Template Sanding (4).jpg

So if I need to sand to a line on a dozen parts I just hold or double stick tape the template in a position that is at the correct offset; 3/8" in my version.

Template Sanding (5).jpg

Template Sanding (6).jpg

Template Sanding (7).jpg

Template Sanding (8).jpg

Template Sanding (9).jpg

For convex curves the method is the same as for template sawing or non-flush template routing. The template has to provide the required offset. The benefit is that once you make a template you just use it as many times as you need to for your project.

Template Sanding (10).jpg

...cont'd
 
Top