sandpaper and abrasives -how do you store them?

[sscustom]

Hi everybody so im still finishing off my workbench and now im at the point where i need to sand the top down smooth and was curious how to all you guys store your sand papers etc i have know idea how to store mine .I dont want to fill my toolbox with it do you have any storage ideas ?

 

[ibedayank]

in a plastic storage bin on a shelf

 

[RBailey]

I generally precut my paper sheets when I get them to fit my standard sanding block. Then I store them in a holder I made out of a strip of aluminum and paper clips.

http://diary-of-mgb.blogspot.com/2011/03/wet-n-dry-holder.html

I don’t have the luxury of paper in rolls :-(

 

[HVAC Phil]

I store my flat sheets in the refrigerator, keeps them flat without humidity curling them up.

 

[sscustom]

I generally precut my paper sheets when I get them to fit my standard sanding block. Then I store them in a holder I made out of a strip of aluminum and paper clips.

http://diary-of-mgb.blogspot.com/2011/03/wet-n-dry-holder.html

I don’t have the luxury of paper in rolls :-(

thats a great idea looks easy to make too

 

[ckadams00]

I bought a bunch of old metal "in-boxs" at a Goodwill. They stack really well. Painted them to match my shop, and hold tons of paper. I labeled each one with grit ranges, and I keep the specific grades in manilla folders to separate the grits.

 

[DRP6833]

I don't have a lot, but what I have I keep in a couple plastic magazine bins.

 

[c_mccann]

File O Fax plastic accordian files.

 

[NickWheeler]

These pics were focusing on something else, but you can see how I store mine. I have stuff up to 8,000 grit.... so I can't leave it out exposed to the rest of the shop. The cheapy drawers from Wal-Mart fit 9X11 sheets in a sleeve, perfectly. And, surprisingly, they don't allow **** to get inside.

 

[ZRX61]

Godammit! I hate it when you guys guilt me into doing something... Pulled this out of a dumpster about 2 years ago, then stuck it in the garage attic & forgot about it... so now it's been sanded & given the first coat of spar varnish...

It even had different grits already written on it when I found it so it was nice of someone to make this... & then throw it in the trash. It was thrown out when Beech/Raytheon (or whatever they were called that week) pulled out of VNY.

Some of the shelves are half depth for half sheets

 

[Gary S]

I toss it all in an unused drawer. If things like this bother you, It might be time to worry about the real problems in life.

 

[zip95864]

got one of these Steelmaster wall mounted file sorters from the thrift store for $1

 

[premierplayer]

Homemade press, several actually. Two pieces of 1/4 ply and a couple of large clothes pin clamps.
Think I'll give that fridge thing a go Phil.

 

[archfish]

File O Fax plastic accordian files.

Just had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments.

 

[Steevo]

The smartest sandpaper storage idea I have seen was someone here at GJ, who had simply filed the sandpaper in a file cabinet, using hanging file folders. Simple, effective, dry, keeps it flat. Way too simple. I plan to put a single-drawer file cabinet in the garage and do likewise.

 

[rlitman]

I use a Brumberger Paper Safe that I got at a thrift shop. It's like a mini metal roll top desk, with a bunch of shelves made for storing unexposed photographic paper, but it's even better for organizing sandpaper.
Mine has about a dozen shelves that run all the way across, sized for 11"x14" paper (the photo is just one I found on google)

 

[4Tigers]

Okay now I have to go reorganize my sand paper

You guys are a good influence

But we won't talk about the rest of the shop right now

 

[TWX]

I have most of my sandpaper in a flat cardboard box, similar in dimensions to what a computer motherboard comes in.

I don't work with sandpaper all that often though.

 

[camarotoolman]

I made little shelves out of 1x2" and 1/4' plywood. Free, recycles material of course.

 

[shopnut]

I bought one of these old time card holders to mount on the wall and hold precut pieces of sandpaper. Still haven't gotten around to hanging it up though



In the meantime, I've been using this portable file pocket for storing full sheets. It actually works pretty good. It even has bulk pockets in front for storing the Scotchbrite pads and such.

 

[camarotoolman]

made from scrap boards and paneling

 

[Outlawmws]

Resurrecting this thread:

I got a tub of Sandpaper yesterday (Probably a 10 year supply in addition to what I already have..) and wanted better storage. A search found this thread, and I stole Steveo's idea for the file box; Works great Steveo! :

The score for $10:

After organization of the Sheet stock: -It took all the sleeves and there are 4 Pendaflex hanging folders, one for 60, one 800, one misc. full sheets, and one at the back with several packs of paper for a sheet rock sanding stick. The flat cardboard holders they sell 5 or so sheets in do NOT fit well, but the hanging folders do better than those things anyway, so I unloaded these and tossed the packaging. lastly I stuck some pre-cut sheets for sanders in vertically in front.

An earlier attempt (Amazon Box) that wasn't big or handy enough got diverted to Steel wool storage (this made me do a search and I found this thread. I was about to start a new one...):

The remainder consisting of rolled stick on disks for DA's and other pre-cut sheets went into the former resting place for my sleeve of sandpaper.

Anyone know what these pre-cut strips fit? 2-3/4" X 17", and there is a LOT of it...

 

[wnstwolf]

I am re-using some under desk file cabinets worked into my bench supports. I used the file draw with hanging files to store the sandpaper sheets as well as the bach of that draw for some misc sanding items..

 

[crewchief888]

got one of these Steelmaster wall mounted file sorters from the thrift store for $1

mine was a freebie !!

i keep my sanding disks, grinding wheels, and cutoff disks in small akrobins mounted behind the workbench in the garage

 

[FreddiFiche]

Anyone know what these pre-cut strips fit? 2-3/4" X 17", and there is a LOT of it...

Its for longboard sanding blocks, typically used when your blocking automotive body panels, to prevent wavy panels.

like this:

 

[Outlawmws]

Its for longboard sanding blocks, typically used when your blocking automotive body panels, to prevent wavy panels.

like this:

Wow, these seem awful coarse for body work" two boxes of P36 and about 1/2 a box of P80... would longboard sanding blocks be used elsewhere?

EDiT: maybe surfboard building...

 

[FreddiFiche]

Wow, these seem awful coarse for body work" two boxes of P36 and about 1/2 a box of P80... would longboard sanding blocks be used elsewhere?

EDiT: maybe surfboard building...

Not for the first knock-down on Body filler. It seems like no matter how good you are filler, and how thin you spread it, you still end up with ridges between strokes. Take the ridges off with 36, then move your way up. Back in the day, we had just longboards, and air operated longboards.

 

[great adventure]

I store them like here

 

[NUTTSGT]

On the garage side, I merely have them on a shelf laying flat. On the wood side of the garage, all I have are 5" round pieces. They stay in their box they came in, tossed in a plastic bin, bought used from TSC. (old bolt bin)

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I guess I don't keep nearly as many abrasives on hand as the rest of you guys. I do have a half dozen new 3x21 sanding belts, 15-20 sheets of sandpaper at any given time, and couple packs of steel wool and some Velcro sanding discs - I keep all that in one of the larger, lower bins in THIS:

I've since repainted it (and everything else!) gray: