I wanted a hand sanding block that uses ordinary sheets of sandpaper. Instead of buying one, I decided to make my own. The sanding block you see in the photo here is the result.
The block uses an interlocking design to clamp the ends of the sandpaper. The two base pieces lock together with a sliding dovetail created by a rail and a retainer that doubles as the handle. As you can see in the drawing, the rail fits through a slot in the upper base and the retainer slides over the rail. This keeps the sandpaper flat and allows me to use the maximum sanding area of the paper. With this shop-made sanding block, my sanding projects turn out flatter. Plus, the sandpaper lasts longer in the block.
The end and side view shown here gives you details on the rail and the retainer. These two parts are what holds the block together.
