# Making a sanding mop



## beelzerob

Thanks for the help I received in figuring out what type of sandpaper to get. I've successfully made 2 of the things and it was so easy I almost wondered if I could make them and sell them...but the market is pretty low for such things. Anyway, my wife is a happier scroll sawer now and I've found a few good uses for them too.

This is all basically just a rehash of the excellent DIY sanding mop blog post. Some things (like the bulk sandpaper) aren't pertinent anymore though, so maybe this is a little more up to date.

Start off with getting the correct parts. It can all be had at woodworkingshop.com. I tried to get something for the mandrel at my local surplus store, but all they had was motor arbors. It would have taken making a shaft for the thing, and it added a lot of un-needed weight. So, the mandrels at woodworkingshop are exactly what you need. I ended up getting the XL one but in retrospect you probably only need the standard sized one since I ended up with close to an 1" extra threads when it was all done.









For sandpaper, get the cloth-backed roll, 2" wide, whatever grit you're wanting. I agonized for a while as to what length to get, but I decided on 10 meter and it was just about perfect. I used the whole roll.









I made a template for cutting the slits in the sandpaper. Two pieces of 3/8" plywood worked great, 2" wide by 6" long. I taped them on top of each other with packing tape so I could cut both at the same time. I marked off 1/8" intervals on the end, and a line at 2" from the end. That will give me 2" of slitted sandpaper on each end and 2" of solid paper in the middle. I used the bandsaw for the slits. I set the fence so the blade was right at the mark on the end and then cut up to the 2" line. I then flipped the pieces over and cut the other side before moving the fence for the next mark. Quick work and very nice straight lines. Before taking the pieces apart, make sure and drill the 1/2" center hole for the mandrel.

Take the roll of sandpaper, measure off 6" and cut with scissors. Then, using that piece as a template, cut the rest of the roll into 6" pieces. It doesn't take long.

Stack up the pieces into 2 stacks. Sandwich them between the plywood and wrap it all with packing tape. Now take it to the bandsaw. You don't have to use the fence this time, just freehand the blade into the slots in the plywood. I got some occassional sparks from this, as the blade hit the sandpaper. I tried orienting all of my sandpaper so that the abrasive side was down, so that the blade was cutting from the cloth side...I think that helped. 

*NOTE: You are essentially sanding your bandsaw blade doing this....in other words, it will never cut wood again happily. So, only use a blade you don't care about (or find pre-cut sandpaper made for sanding mops...it's out there). You could also use a scrollsaw instead, as those blades are much cheaper and easier to replace.*









Once cut, go to the drill press and drill through the stack for the mandrel hole. Then repeat for your other stack of sandpaper.

You end up with a big pile of 6" sandpaper pieces with slits and holes. You're almost there. Take the mandrel and clamp it upside down. Now, take 2 pieces of sandpaper and place them cloth-to-cloth, so you end up with abrasive on both sides. Slide it down the mandrel. Do it again, but the next set is 90 deg to the first. The next set is offset 45 deg and the next one after that is 90 to the previous again. 









After doing that whole thing twice (so, 8 sandpaper sets), I added a washer for spacing. I couldn't find any washers big enough so I used a 1" hole saw and some 1/8" plywood, then drilled out a 1/2" hole in the middle. I think it took 4 for the whole thing. So, sandpaper X 8, then spacer, then repeat. When you're finally done, put the mandrel support ring and nut on the end and tighten down until the sandpaper on the top and bottom of the mandrel does not freely move.

If you're doing more than 1, take a nail and scratch the grit number into the top of the mandrel support ring so you can easily find the one you need.


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## beelzerob

Final step is to put it in the drill press/power drill and break it in with some boards/sticks. It gives it the nice fluffy look, and helps it be more gentle on your desired project. According to one source, the max recommended speed for this thing is 1200 rpm. Basically, if cloth starts tearing away when you use it, it's too high.

Start it up and enjoy. It is a great thing for sanding odd shapes.


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## cabinetman

That is very cool and clever. Good idea. Much better than a simple flap sander.












 







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## Kenbo

That is awesome. I know what I'll be making in the near future. Thanks for the tutorial. It looks great!!
Ken


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## TexasTimbers

That's very cool. I don't see why that wouldn't work very well for sanding the inside of bowls. Thanks for the tutorial and the parts sources. 









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## SteveEl

Very clever! 

(and it might be good for cleaning up after its my night to cook, too)


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## KelseyS

SteveEl said:


> Very clever!
> 
> (and it might be good for cleaning up after its my night to cook, too)


Anyone make sanding mandrels, I am thinking about doing just that and need some tips
Navtalk


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## Icutone2

Great build! I will try this out.
Thanks, 
Lee


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## tvman44

Maybe a silly question, but do you twist all those strips like that or is it just how they get after use?


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## beelzerob

That happens naturally, after just a couple uses. Heh...if I'd had to twist those all by hand, then you wouldn't have found ME making one. :icon_smile:


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## tvman44

Think I will give it a go. Seems like a good practical tool.


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## tvman44

Anyone that has made a sanding mop like this, could you tell me if cutting the sand paper on a band saw ruins the blade? I read somewhere someone said their blade and drill bit were no good after doing this. I would not mind changing blades and using a old blade that does not cut real good anymore and use it just for this. On a 6" mop how far apart are most of you putting the slits, 1/8", 1/4"? Fixing to order some material and try my hand at one.


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## hanibena

If the sandpaper doesn't dull the blade, there might be something wrong with it? :shifty: (You know, what would be better would be if someone would come up with a water-jet or plasma cutter for this. I wonder if Mother would go for another specialty tool in that corner of the shop.)

I'm with you though; I kinda winced when I read the part about cutting through a block of sandpaper. uch:

But following the links led me to find this:
http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fs36320/

My very own pre-cut "2x6 320 Grit Gold Sand Mop Refill 48pk". (Well, alright! "Somebody else's blade" is a concept I can get behind...)
--
HB


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## beelzerob

Ya, in retrospect, I think you're right. I had used the blade that came with the bandsaw originally, so it was already a pretty bad blade. But it was even worst-er after cutting the sand paper. I added a bold "note" in the steps above to warn people against using their good blades for doing this, or just buy the precut stuff.

Let that be a lesson...don't believe everything you see on the internet!


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