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When I’m finishing a project, as in sanding the shellac, I’ll like a sanding sponge instead of straight sandpaper. A sponge provides less potential for those nasty ridges left by your fingertips and the entire sanding process stays cooler and the sanding surface is less apt to clog due to friction. It also allows me to work right into corners without nicking an area or stubbing my fingers. The only concern I have had with a sponge is its inability to cut for a prolong period, the grit wears quickly.
Ali Industries , the makers of the Zip line of products, including the Zip Sander and the Zip Sponge Holder , is at it again. This time the company has introduced a Zip Sand-Block. The Zip Sand-Block is completely new technology in that Ali Industries has put sandpaper on a block of high-quality foam instead of adding grit to the sponge. This is more like with sanding with sandpaper, so the additional performance of faster sanding and longer life are there.
Additionally, Zip Sand-Block features the popular Gator Finishing System number- and color-coded identification setup. With this, anyone can use the right grit as they work through their project. Green means heavy-duty sanding with #80-grit product (step 1). Step 2 is orange in color and is #120 grit, while Gold translates to fine finish sanding with grit corresponding to #220 and #320 (step 3).
The new Sand-Block is available at many retail stores (or can be found at zipsander.com) for around $7.00 for a package of two.
To get a look inside Ali Industries to see how sandpaper is made, check out our video (click here), and pick up the October 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking (issue #178) to read an article by Editor Christopher Schwarz.
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Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
