Sanding small items

[kelLOGg]

I cut several small (~4" dia) cherry cookies which I need to fine sand to remove drum sander lines. My palm sander is 5.5" dia so I had no way to keep the cookie from rotating while sanding. I purchased a sanding pad which still allowed the cookie rotate so I returned the pad an hour after I picked it up.
Question: What kind of pad do I need for such a small cookie? The one I ordered from Amazon had no specifications listed. When I received it, the word "medium" was on the package. I don't know what that means or what other options are available. Ideas?

 

[kelLOGg]

That should be 4" not 4'. A 4 ft cookie is BIG to me. I couldn't edit it. ???

 

[Canuck]

Did a few as coasters a while back. I ended up double stick taping about 1/2 dozen of them to a piece of scrap plywood then sanded away.

 

[Mike Davis]

I use this...

Great for holding small parts while you cut, rout, sand.

Amazon.com

 

[kelLOGg]

I saw that, Mike, but I ordered something that was described as designed for wood working. AAAARGH.

Amazon.com

 

[kelLOGg]

Canuck,
Did the double-sided tape leave a residue on the disks?

 

[Mike Davis]

I saw that, Mike, but I ordered something that was described as designed for wood working. AAAARGH.

Amazon.com

Looks like the same stuff. You could try spraying a little adhesive on it, let it dry, then see if it still slips.

 

[Canuck]

Canuck,
Did the double-sided tape leave a residue on the disks?

Not really. I wiped them down with denatured alcohol just in case.

 

[Berta]

I make a lot of things that need sanded. Some small, some big. This is my sanding jig. I use this for fretwork as well as solid work. It does allow the wood to move a bit, I use an orbital sander. The router pad is not very tight. I don’t have problems with lines or breakage. It’s made from a finished piece of 3/4” shelf, a used bit of router pad and a leftover bit of threshold. Everything gets sanded on this.
You can also make a circle of masking tape sticky side out and try that.

 

[bob vaughan]

On a couple of occasios, I've gently clamped the ROS upside down in the vise and held the small part to the spinning disc. It wasn't perfect but It did work well enough.

 

[chris_goris]

These!

 

[Mike Davis]

Only alternative I can think of is a vacuum table.

 

[kelLOGg]

Looks like the same stuff. You could try spraying a little adhesive on it, let it dry, then see if it still slips.

 

[Hmerkle]

ah, mount the sander upside down in your vise and move the cookie on the sander?

 

[kelLOGg]

Ok. It surprises me that some kind of material is not available but you all have given me ideas. I will try a spray adhesive on some surface.

 

[RobS.]

I've done the same thing Hank suggested. I mounted my belt sander upside down and sanded a bunch of coasters I had made. For cutting boards I did as Chris suggested and used the same clamps.

 

[JohnnyR]

Use a fostner bit in some scrap and place the cookie inside, will still get some rotation but should work.

 

[junquecol]

Dollar Tree and Walmart both carry shelf liner. After it gets clogged with dust, and no longer grips, wash it.

 

[Wiley's Woodworks]

These!

+1 for Chris' approach. Make a one-time shim slightly smaller in diameter than your cookies that makes the cookie sit ~1.2" proud of the jaws, and place it under the cookie. Keeping it under your workpiece will support the workpiece without having to crush it in the clamp jaws.

Double stick tape should work just as well. Make sure you get tape that is intended to be separated, not carpet tape. That's what leaves a residue.

 

[kelLOGg]

I still think I will go with double sided tape or shelf lining. The cookies are only 1/4” thick (failed to mention that) so I don’t want to clamp them.