Introduction: Homemade Dremel Sanding Disks

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About: An electrical engineer who likes to make things. | Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/dwink/designs | Twitter: https://twitter.com/D_Winker

I've been cutting a lot of glass ever since I got diamond cutting wheels for my dremel, and cutting glass means sanding glass (assuming you don't want it to cut you). So I've been doing plenty of sanding.

I use 60 grit, 120 grit, 400 grit, 800 grit, and 2000 grit! Honestly, I was really excited to see they had the 2000 grit in stock near me. Then I finish off with a dremel polishing wheel, but I had been sanding by hand, and the whole process would probably be a lot faster if I used the dremel for all of it, right? Now I imagine there must be a variety of dremel sanding products out there, but as mentioned, I am the proud owner of a large amount of sandpaper.

What's that? You have a lot of sandpaper too? You aren't proud of it? It's a weird thing to be proud of?

Sure, I suppose. Anyway, I decided to make my own sanding disks! (discs?)

Continue on for the full instructions, or for the short version

-Computer paper for strength

-Glue for unity

-A hole, to attach it to the dremel

These are the steps which follow. Combined, I can smooth the mouth of a glass so it's safe to drink from.

Step 1: Supplies

For this project you will need

  • Sandpaper
  • A dremel cutting wheel (or some other circle to trace)
  • Glue
  • Scissors (note: I imagine cutting sandpaper damages them)
  • A sheet of paper
  • A mandrel (this is what the sanding disk attaches to. It goes in the dremel.)
  • Something to punch a small hole (I used a corkscrew)

Optional

  • A ruler

Step 2: Disk Templates

Trace the outline of one piece of sandpaper onto your sheet of paper. This will show you the usable extent of the paper.

Trace your cutting wheel or other circular item onto the sheet, and be sure to mark the center. Repeat for as many disks as you would like; you may find a ruler useful in keeping them organized.

Step 3: Fold and Glue

Fold the paper in half such that the circles you traced will face outward.

Apply glue to the back of one side; this is the inside of the fold.

Fold shut and apply pressure.

This layering will add strength to the disks. In the past I've run into two issues, one was my homemade disks tearing at the center.

Step 4: Cut It Up (or Don't)

If you want to make all of your disks from one type of sandpaper, don't cut anything! Go to the next step.

I made disks for 5 grains of sandpaper, so I cut my disks into 5 sections. 2 sections of 6 disks, and 3 sections of 3 disks.

Step 5: Gluing

Glue your circle template, circle side up, to the back of the sandpaper. Make sure the circles aren't hanging off the edge of the sandpaper.

Apply pressure.

Step 6: Punch Some Holes

Use your hole punching tool (a corkscrew works great!) to punch through the middle of your disks. I found it easier to do this before cutting them out.

Be careful not to jab yourself, and try not to jab anything else either.

Make sure the screw for the mandrel fits in the hole.

Step 7: Get Cutting

The second problem I've had with my disks is tearing radially. This is usually the result of part of the disk catching, so it's important that they're as circular as you can make them.

Step 8: Use Them!

Go forth and sand things!

(Like the mouth of a bottle that you cut the top off of!)