Sanding jig

From time to time I need to sand small parts or flatten a workpiece – this jig comes in handy then! Additionally, it can make edge sanding a little easier when equipped with a temporary fence. It’s made of plywood, timber moulding, a few small bolts, washers and wing nuts. All the parts and materials I needed for building this jig were either reused or I had them in my toolbox, so it saved me a trip to my local shop. Furthermore, the scrap plywood I used, already had the right height, I only needed to cut it to width and remove its rounded corners. Easy peasy.

The scrap moulding I used seemed to be perfect for the project because of its edge. That rounded lip was exactly what I was looking for. I cut it to length and moved on to drilling. I used a Forstner bit first and then, using marked centre points, I proceeded with a regular wood bit. I clamped pieces together and used a block of scrap wood from the bottom to prevent a blowout. After a quick hand sanding, the jig was good to go.

The bottom holes are counterbored because it’s easier to clamp the jig to the workbench if it’s flat. The jig can also be used on a non-slip mat. Its left and right-hand side components are marked with a pencil – they’re not perfectly symmetrical and they’re not interchangeable. A simple and quick project, yet a very useful addition to my jig collection to make my work a little easier and more precise.