Shopsmith Forums

Need a method for holding pen blanks when drilling? Why spend $50 to $100 busks for a fixture? Try the pen holding jig below from a few pieces of scrap plywood or whatever and use the SS sliding "T" bolts to secure it to the 520 or 510 fence. Pretty much self explanatory.


[ATTACH]9336[/ATTACH]

Did you ever get confused about what grit those little pieces of sandpaper are when you are sanding a small project? So you unfold it and find that you cut from a section of the original and the grit is no longer visible. Try the sandpaper organizer shown below. It works for me

[ATTACH]9335[/ATTACH]

Thanks for a couple of good ideas!!!

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the inexpensive jig for pen blank drilling and the sandpaper assortment holder. I use the sandpaper on rolls for my pen turning and have had some cut up in strips before and like you mentioned couldn't see what the grit was because it wasn't on the back of the cut piece. I like the pen drilling jig. I usually have done mine in the horizontal boring position with the blank clamped to my table.

wa2crk wrote: Did you ever get confused about what grit those little pieces of sandpaper are when you are sanding a small project? So you unfold it and find that you cut from a section of the original and the grit is no longer visible. Try the sandpaper organizer shown below. It works for me

[ATTACH]9335[/ATTACH]

Where do you buy the metal springs for those custom manufactured sandpaper clips?

Y'all gots a pencil in yer shop? They will write on the back of those sandpaper pieces won't they?

Looking at the front(grit) side will tell also(+- one step). A feel of the paper working is another 'indicator'. There is no magic in the numbers, the workpiece tells ya all you need to know. When in doubt, grab 'finer'.

Thanks for the shop tips, wa2crk. Neat ideas.

JPG, you are fast joining the ranks of another naysayer we all know.