DIY: Make cheap and easy sanding sticks to improve your sanding!

I needed a better way to help sand pieces of plywood for a small HO scale model train layout, so I built some cheap sanding sticks from sand paper and paint stir sticks. They cost less than 20 cents each (if you pick up the paint stir sticks for free from a home store) and are quick and easy to make! All you need is some sand paper, spray adhesive and paint stir sticks.
Coarse grit sandpaper: amzn.to/2DDbmH6
Medium grit sandpaper: amzn.to/2DE3unF
Fine grit sandpaper: amzn.to/2BqQqgj
Very fine grit sandpaper: amzn.to/2DFSvKs
Assorted grit sandpaper: amzn.to/2BrrDbP
100 Paint Stir Sticks: amzn.to/2DE4A2L
25 Paint Stir Sticks: amzn.to/2DvwgU9
Spray adhesive: amzn.to/2E7bBHj
My website: www.steves-trai...
My favorite books
Carl Arendt's Small Layout Scrapbook: amzn.to/2AZkqzM
How to Build a Switching Layout: amzn.to/2t0xXE5
How to Operate a Modern Era Switching Layout: amzn.to/2ut8nfn
How to Design a Small Switching Layout: amzn.to/2ujJ2nt
8 Realistic Track Plans for Small Switching Layouts: amzn.to/2ujBOQd
Building a Model Railroad Step by Step: amzn.to/2ut23Ev
Rebuilding a Layout from A to Z: amzn.to/2v2oP32
Gear
Camera: iPhone 6s:
The music I use: www.epidemicsou...

[@gaalxystar1873]

Thank you the guide. I need these for my DIY arcade buttons

[@clashofminiatures]

great idea Steve, thanks for sharing with all of us, Chuck RVRR

[@victoriacross2162]

Why such a gap between sticks? You could get more by being closer and maybe have some left over for a sander.

[@StevesTrains]

Victoria Cross You are correct but that was all the paint stir sticks I had left for this batch. If I had more I would have put them closer together.

[@happysawfish]

@@StevesTrains : Good job with the video! I bet you saved those in-between strips and can use them in a sawing motion looping around something that needs a touch of the old sandpaper. I need to make an Extension to reach hard to access areas. Going to find some good old tree branch refuse and cut an angle on one end, glue various sizes and grits on several of these. I think will work just fine. And I like working with natural materials like sticks and branches, sometimes the curve of the stick is needed to get somewhere that a straight piece just doesn't quite work.

[@ForvoQuizlet]

Great video - thank you! Is there a stick you can recommend that's a little thinner (sanding wooden louvers on bi-fold doors)? Thanks!

[@StevesTrains]

You might just try a relative thick piece of sytrene and cut that into strips and glue the sandpaper on. Another idea, but not sure how it would work, would be to pick up a package of wood shims and use those? They will have a very thin end and a thick end. The thicker end might make holding easier, and the thin end should slip between the louvers, though you wouldn't be able to slide them in very far.

[@supercheekykiwi]

Might be a silly question but is there any isue with sanding heating up the glue and the sand paper falling off?

[@StevesTrains]

That could probably happen, especially if you use a higher quality paper that will last longer. I’ve usually started wearing through the paper or tearing it before it started coming off. Certainly it will depend on the type and amount of adhesive you use too.

[@albertomaligne8933]

Le regalan las lijas, desperdicia mas de lo que usa

[@xenogeneic7409]

You sound like Andrew from the show Big Mouth

[@Kolonol1]

Good idea but my question is why waste the strips...wrap it around one side of the stir...or both sides...and that way you can use the edges for REALLY small sanding areas. Even if it's just one side for adhesion reasons.

[@StevesTrains]

I thought about doing that. I didn't want to wrap it around both sides, because I didn't want to always sand both sides of a corner and create a groove there. One side would probably work nicely in some cases though. If the sandpaper is thick it tends to just crack when bent sharply, but if you were using some very fine grit paper that was thinner, then it would probably work well. Mostly I did it the way I did though because it was faster and easier. I do have some small sticks for sanding little areas already as well, so it wasn't something I needed in this case. But, it is a good idea to try and make the sticks with sand paper on three sides, especially with the fine grit paper.

[@Kolonol1]

Steves Trains I didn't think about it cracking...that's a good point...I was just thinking about the edges coming loose if the glue didn't hold...

[@maxpolaris99]

I'm gonna do it in a few minutes with all kinds of grits n gravy. But you're too wasteful!! It was uncomfortable thinking how many more sticks you could have gotten out of the sheet.

[@StevesTrains]

I wasn’t trying to maximize material usage for the video. When I’m making normal batches I try to have a better ratio of sticks to sand paper.