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Sanding Blocks and Clamp Pads[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 6 sanding blocks, 8 clamp pads and 6 sanding sticks
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Shop helpers you will reach for on every project. Six cork-bottomed sanding blocks that clamp the paper with a little wedge, eight thick clamp pads that sit on the jaws and save your work from dents, and six sanding sticks for edges and tight spots. One 8/4 pack makes the whole set, with spares to give away.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanding blocks | 6 | Board 1 (four), board 2 (two) | 5" × 4" × 1¾" | 5" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Clamp pads | 8 | Board 2 (three), board 3 (five) | 4" × 4" × 1¾" | 4" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Sanding sticks | 6 | Boards 4–5, ripped in half | 8" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 8" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
| Wedge blank | 1 | Board 5, ripped half | 8" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 8" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
Sanding blocks: solid 5" blocks, ⅛" cork glued to the bottom with contact cement, a ⅛" × ¾" deep kerf ½" in from each end and a thin wedge to pinch the paper.
Clamp pads: 4" blocks with a ¼" deep groove across the back to sit on the clamp jaw, or a ½" rare-earth magnet in a Forstner pocket for steel jaws.
Sanding sticks: half-ripped 8" strips with PSA paper on one face, two each of 80, 120 and 180 grit.
Finished size: Sanding blocks S4S 5" × 4" × 1¾", S2S 5" × 3½" · clamp pads 4" × 4" (S2S 3½") × 1¾" · sticks 8" × 1 15/16" (S2S 1 11/16") × 1¾".
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- One 12" × 12" sheet of ⅛" cork (or a cork trivet)
- Contact cement
- 9" × 11" sandpaper sheets for the blocks
- PSA (sticky-back) sandpaper in 80, 120 and 180 grit for the sticks
- Up to 8 × ½" rare-earth magnets and 5-minute epoxy (optional, for steel clamp jaws)
- Finish: one coat of wipe-on oil
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide) and push stick
- Bandsaw (for the wedges)
- Handsaw or crosscut sled (for the kerfs)
- Drill with a ½" Forstner bit
- Utility knife
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Sort the boards. Boards 1–2 make the six sanding blocks, boards 2–3 the eight clamp pads, and boards 4–5 the sanding sticks and a blank for the wedges.
- 2 Crosscut the blocks and pads. Square one end of boards 1–3. Set a stop block and cut four 5" blocks from board 1. From board 2 cut two 5" blocks and three 4" pads. Cut five 4" pads from board 3.
- 3 Rip the sticks. Rip boards 4 and 5 down the middle into strips about 1 15/16" wide. Use a push stick. Crosscut two 8" sticks from each strip, except the last strip: cut one 8" wedge blank from it instead.
- 4 Kerf the sanding blocks. On the top face of each block, saw a ⅛" kerf ¾" deep straight across, ½" in from each end. A handsaw with a square guide block or a crosscut sled works. Sand all edges round so the block sits nicely in your hand.
- 5 Add the cork. Spread contact cement on the bottom of each block and on a sheet of ⅛" cork. Let both go tacky, press them together, and trim the cork flush with a utility knife.
- 6 Make the wedges. On the bandsaw, slice the wedge blank into strips about 3/16" thick, using a push stick. Rip each strip into two pieces about ¾" wide and cut them to the block width. Sand one long edge of each to a thin taper. You need 12, plus spares.
- 7 Fit the paper. Cut a 9" × 11" sheet in half the long way to 4½" × 11". Wrap it under the block and up both ends, tuck each end into its kerf, and tap a wedge in to pinch it. Trim the paper flush with the sides of the 4" wide block.
- 8 Fit the clamp pads. Across the back of each pad, saw or rout a groove ¼" deep and as wide as your clamp jaw, so the pad sits on the jaw. For steel jaws, drill a ½" Forstner pocket ⅛" deep instead and epoxy in a ½" rare-earth magnet.
- 9 Finish the sticks. Sand the sticks smooth and ease the edges. Stick PSA sandpaper on one face: two sticks each in 80, 120 and 180 grit. Write the grit on the end. Wipe one coat of oil on all the parts, but not on the cork or paper faces.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Sort the boards. Boards 1–2 make the six sanding blocks, boards 2–3 the eight clamp pads, and boards 4–5 the sanding sticks and a blank for the wedges.
- 3 Crosscut the blocks and pads. Square one end of boards 1–3. Set a stop block and cut four 5" blocks from board 1. From board 2 cut two 5" blocks and three 4" pads. Cut five 4" pads from board 3.
- 4 Rip the sticks. Rip boards 4 and 5 down the middle into strips about 1 11/16" wide. Use a push stick. Crosscut two 8" sticks from each strip, except the last strip: cut one 8" wedge blank from it instead.
- 5 Kerf the sanding blocks. On the top face of each block, saw a ⅛" kerf ¾" deep straight across, ½" in from each end. A handsaw with a square guide block or a crosscut sled works. Sand all edges round so the block sits nicely in your hand.
- 6 Add the cork. Spread contact cement on the bottom of each block and on a sheet of ⅛" cork. Let both go tacky, press them together, and trim the cork flush with a utility knife.
- 7 Make the wedges. On the bandsaw, slice the wedge blank into strips about 3/16" thick, using a push stick. Rip each strip into two pieces about ¾" wide and cut them to the block width. Sand one long edge of each to a thin taper. You need 12, plus spares.
- 8 Fit the paper. Cut a 9" × 11" sheet in half the long way to 4½" × 11". Wrap it under the block and up both ends, tuck each end into its kerf, and tap a wedge in to pinch it. Trim the paper flush with the sides of the 3½" wide block.
- 9 Fit the clamp pads. Across the back of each pad, saw or rout a groove ¼" deep and as wide as your clamp jaw, so the pad sits on the jaw. For steel jaws, drill a ½" Forstner pocket ⅛" deep instead and epoxy in a ½" rare-earth magnet.
- 10 Finish the sticks. Sand the sticks smooth and ease the edges. Stick PSA sandpaper on one face: two sticks each in 80, 120 and 180 grit. Write the grit on the end. Wipe one coat of oil on all the parts, but not on the cork or paper faces.
Why cork on the bottom? Cork gives a little, so the paper sits flat against the work and cuts evenly. A bare wood block skips over small bumps and wears the paper out in spots.
Why a kerf and a wedge? The wedge pinches the paper tight in the kerf, so it can't creep or bunch up. When the paper wears out, pull the wedge, swap the sheet and tap it back in. No glue, no clips.
Why such thick clamp pads? A thick hardwood pad spreads the clamp pressure over a wide area and never bends. Your work comes out of the clamps without the round dents a bare jaw leaves.
Make It Yours
- Shaped sticks: round one long edge of a stick with a rasp for sanding inside curves, or taper the end to a point for corners.
- Leather pads: glue a scrap of leather on the face of a few clamp pads for finished work.
- Storage block: drill a row of holes in an offcut so the sticks stand up on the bench, grit end showing.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Cut the small blocks and pads with a stop block on the mitre saw and let the blade stop before you pick them up.
- Slice the thin wedge strips on the bandsaw with a push stick. Never rip thin strips from a short blank on the table saw.
- Use contact cement and epoxy in a ventilated room.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Pull out both wedges with your fingers or a small screwdriver, take off the old paper, wrap a fresh half sheet and tap the wedges back in. It takes about a minute.
Yes. Cut the groove to the width of your clamp jaw and the pad sits on it. For steel jaws, the magnet version snaps on and stays put while you set up the clamp.
Maple and ash are hard and stay crisp at the edges. Any species in the pack works — the set is a good way to use a pack of mixed boards.
Planned offcuts only: the end trim, about 3" off board 1, ¾" off board 2, 2¾" off board 3, and about 7" off the end of each half strip on boards 4–5. All 5 boards go into the set.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes two full sets: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
