The Sandpaper Rack (aka Spoon Rack)

First, as I’ve said many times, I hate sanding. Consequently, the sandpaper bin has never been well organized. a mishmosh of new and used sandpaper of all grades and sizes. No more … at least no more mishmosh. Still can’t stand sanding.

“I certainly don’t need a rack to put my spoons in. But, I saw this lovely old piece…” says Richard Maguire in the first video of the “Spoon Rack”
series at The English Woodworker’s site. Richard and Helen Fisher, longtime proprietors of a business that created top quality woodworking benches, have recently changed direction and begun offering video lessons. If you don’t know of them, go visit. You’re in for a real treat.

My spoons don’t need a rack either, but I saw this project as a chance to organize the sandpaper bin. I’m not big on step by step guides, so what you see here are results. … very satisfying results from my point of view. Richard packed a lot of woodworking techniques into this project:

• Through “Duvtail” joinery for the cabinet frame. (you’ll enjoy his UK accent)
• Half blind and through dovetail joinery for the drawer.
• Drawer bottom fitted into a hidden groove.
• Dado / housing joinery for the shelf.
• Ship-lap joinery for the back pieces.
• Tongue and groove joinery for the upper back.
• Mouldings accomplished in several ways.

Some of the work also “goes to the dogs.” Richard shows an unexpected way of using pinch dogs, and Jeremy the shop dog shows up too.

My version of the rack is as described in the videos. My only addition was a simple divider that I placed inside the shelf to offer 3 compartments for different grades of sandpaper.

As Richards says, the drawer is a very odd size, almost taller than it is deep. Yet, it’s just fine for a few other finishing supplies and tools.

And of course, the drawer wanted some carving.

Finish is the usual shellac and wax.

Richard has a very entertaining colloquial style of teaching and Helen has done a superb job of videography. The series consists of 6 videos totalling a bit over 3 hours. A few PDF files bring concise drawings. There are also a couple of video “rants” about thicknessing timbers and managing fillister planes. Richard at his best!

I thoroughly enjoyed the series. In the end, I have only two complaints.

1. Jeremy, the shop dog didn’t really do much work.
2. Days in the U.K. must be very much longer than days here in the U.S. Richard described this as a one-day project. That can’t possibly be right. 🙂

The series is a real bargain at £26, currently $38.30 US. The quality of the teaching, the quality of the presentation, and the overall value delivered is easily worth a lot more in my mind.

Lastly, kudos to Greg Merrit for helping organize the sandpaper. His sandpaper cutting jig makes it easy to stock the rack.

P.S. New rule in the shop: NO used sandpaper goes back into the rack. It’s expendable. Don’t clutter things up with partially used junk.