In Tricks of the Trade

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Cut size slightly larger than sander bottom

To prevent rust and reduce feed friction, I apply paste wax regularly to my metal tool tables and other surfaces. It does a great job – but what a chore to buff the wax by hand! To make the job easier, I decided to turn my random-orbit sander into a buffer of sorts. I cut a piece of thick felt (available at any fabric store) to a size somewhat larger than my sander-disc diameter, and mounted a disc of coarse sandpaper on the sander. The felt doesn’t have to be circular or even neatly cut; it just needs to be big enough to prevent the sandpaper from contacting the tool surface. I lay the felt on the surface to be buffed and use the sander on top of it as muscle to push the felt around. It sure makes the job a lot easier.

It’s best to retract or remove blades and cutters when you buff to prevent snagging the felt. Rather than removing my band-saw blade, I usually just pinch the blade at its base with my free hand to cover the teeth (with the tool unplugged, of course.) Serge Duclos


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