Your sandpaper holder…

[Brian Kent]

My current sandpaper stash is a box of upright file folders.

I would like to make something for the wall, with cubby holes for pre-cut paper. I could buy another little yellow parts box from Harbor Freight, but I would prefer to make something wood for the wall, that keeps them in reach.

If you have something that works , can you post a photo?

Thanks.

[Bob Bouis]

If you decide to just buy something, here's a wall-mounted holder that works great for storing discs or pre-cut pieces:

k2-_214b85bf-1162-428b-8fd1-0f29926e7712.v1.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Stack-CB-12-Cl.../dp/B000M2WVT4

[Brian Kent]

I like the fact that it has the clear lids. Keeps the wood curlies away.

[Wes Ramsey]

I just use a paper accordion folder for all mine, that way I can haul it anywhere in the shop depending on where I'm working. I'm thinking of finding a 2nd, smaller one for discs, but it keeps it organized now and I really like it. In fact, it is one of the more useful shop upgrades I've done in a while. It sure beats the 6x12 box it was in before, and worlds better than the unorganized pile on a shelf it was before the box.

Paper is made from wood and it will sit on a shelf. It at least sort of meets your requirements

[Steve Schlumpf]

Brian, my system is about as simple as it gets but keeps things organized and easy to access.

Sanding Disk Storage.jpg

[Jon Nuckles]

Brian,

I have the holder that Bob Bouis posted above and use it for my sanding disks for turning. It works well. I used to keep my other sandpaper in an accordion style folder, but I found the particular one I had to be a slight hassle to go in and out of. I had made a couple of nice shop cabinets and decided to create a place to store sandpaper.
sandpaper storage (1024x974).jpg
The "drawers" are just hardboard pieces big enough to hold a small stack of 9x11 sheets plus a couple of stacks of 5" ROS disks each. The hardboard slides in thin dados in the vertical maple dividers, and I glued the front of the hardboard into grooves in the walnut "drawer fronts," which overlap the dividers. (Ignore the mdf on the left; I use sandpaper glued to mdf to sand the bottoms of some turnings and I store them there.)

I have since put labels on the fronts to indicate the grit size, but those distract from the sequential grain of the walnut. Way too fancy for shop storage, but if you are going to do something you might as well go all the way. The only thing I don't like about it is that sandpaper tends to curl a bit and I can't load it up as much as I would like.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I found this storage system years ago. Made from 2" and 3" plastic pipe. I remove a 1" of the wall of each pipe. I turned two downs about 1/2" larger tha the inside diameter of the pipes. I force the pipe onto the down and took them outside to heat them with a blow toarch. The fumes from warmed up "PVC"pipe can be toxic. Screwed and glued them to a center pipe using silicone adhesive. The assembly was mounted on a plate with a tenon attached. The plate is mounted to a lazy susan bearing. To use, I load it up with appropriate size disks, give it a spin, and select a grit. Each disk is labeled on the Velcro side with a sharpie. Takes up little space. To do it over I would have stretched the pipes a little bigger. Disks could be a little looser in the compartments. Thin wall drain pipe might be better yet.

image.jpgimage.jpg

[John K Jordan]

Brian,

For turning I primarily use two kinds of paper. My favorite for grits 400 and larger is rolls of Klingspor gold. I have them in 1" and 2" rolls where I can reach them from the lathe and tear of a little or a lot depending on the need. I don't use much of the coarser grits so in my latest organization I removed the 80 grit and reversed the order to put the finer grits closer:

lathe_wall_IMG_20160323_122.jpg

BTW, the blue roll is a slice of a roll of shop towels, wide enough for most uses at the lathe.

For 600-1500 grit I use small plastic bins. I cut the paper into strips about 1"x3". (My favorite fine paper is Rhynowet, flexible, durable.)

JKJ

[Jamie Straw]

My current sandpaper stash is a box of upright file folders.

I would like to make something for the wall, with cubby holes for pre-cut paper. I could buy another little yellow parts box from Harbor Freight, but I would prefer to make something wood for the wall, that keeps them in reach.

If you have something that works , can you post a photo?

Thanks.

Might depend on what "style" abrasive you're using -- rolls? discs? sheet stock? I'm with Wes -- I use an accordion file (the check-storage size), since I use mostly Abranet sheets. When I'm doing spindle work or small bowls, I'll cut a strip that could be anywhere from 1/2" to 2" wide, and the Abranet lasts through several uses, so the pieces go back into their slots. When going up through the grits, I binder-clip the slots I've already pulled from, keeps me from having to keep the numbers in my (old) head. Clip is the green thingie in the picture. For my 2" discs, I use an organizer purchased from Vince. Much prefer to be able to put the sandpaper wherever I happen to be working, and wall space is scarce.

sanding file.jpg

[Brian Kent]

I have a storage for my disks. This need is for strips of paper from flat sheets. About 1.5" x 4.25".

[Wes Ramsey]

Not necessarily related, but sort of. For disks or strips that aren't marked I've found it useful to write the grit on them in sharpie when I pull them out of the file. It isn't always easy to tell one from the other.

[Doug Ladendorf]

For disks I also have a holder from Vince. If I am putting a disk back to use again I write the grit with sharpie too. I have the small Abranet sheets that I leave in a stack in a drawer for now. It's interesting to see the solutions everyone has come up with.


Doug

[Brian Kent]

I agree on the labeling. Every time an order comes in I write the grit on every one.

Here is the system I use now. The plastic holder for the disks. The strips are 1/8 of a whole sheet. Currently I use this sophisticated file system for the sheets.

[David DeCristoforo]

You guys have a sandpaper holding system? Wow! My sandpaper is in a drawer. I muck through it when I need sandpaper. I can usually find the grit I need somewhere in there. Anyone remember "Shoe", the comic strip? The professor was getting audited. When the IRS guy showed up he pointed to his "file system", a mountainous pile of papers and said "1927 is there on the bottom... This year is on the top." Thats kinda like my "system"...

[Brian Kent]

You guys have a sandpaper holding system? Wow! My sandpaper is in a drawer. I muck through it when I need sandpaper. I can usually find the grit I need somewhere in there. Anyone remember "Shoe", the comic strip? The professor was getting audited. When the IRS guy showed up he pointed to his "file system", a mountainous pile of papers and said "1927 is there on the bottom... This year is on the top." Thats kinda like my "system"...

That is exactly how I organize my desk at work - chronologically by depth.