Sanding Block & Wing Nuts Key

I have a couple of those commercial sanding blogs with the spring clump front and back, but to me those things are big, flat only and don't hold the sand paper firmly and stretched, so it's easily tear out.

I needed I sanding blog that will do few things for me:

1) I wanted it to be smaller and fit nicely in my palm.
2) To hold the sand paper tightly without moving.
3) To be able to sand in tight and big round over corners
4) Easy to change sand papers.

Step 1: The Blog

Some Designs of shop-made sanding blogs that I saw, the paper was been loaded from side to side, and I thought that this is leaving the front and back expose to tear-out and besides the basic movement of sanding is front to back.
Also they are just flat... I can use my power sanders for just flat sanding.

So I come up with a way to feed the paper front to back with the help of some grooves in the body and tongues on the handle.
This way my sand paper fits very tight on my block.

Step 2: Sandbolck Parts

Also I made the blog's body to have a bull nose and the back with a tight round corner; this allows me to sand, in tight round corners and bigger curves.

The size of it is smaller to fit nicely in my palm and to have better control of it.

The two parts are tightened together with a bold, washer and wing nut.

Step 3: The Wing Nut Key

The wing nut should be tight and not to protrude much over the top block, and because I don't like wrestling with my sandblock, as I was on it I made a wing nut key out of two dowels and a center cut.
Now I can screw any wing nut very tight and easily un-screw it.

I'm very happy with the result and the flexibility in use that this sandblock offers me.
It's a very easy and fun to build project.

Step 4: Dimensions

The sanding block dimensions are not very critical for this project, as long as it fits nicely in your palm.
This one is about 11cm (4.25") L by 7.5cm W (3")
I used 3cm (1.25") thick Swedish Pine stock for the lower block and 1.8cm (0.75") Marine plywood for the block's top.

The Wing Nut Key is made out of two beech dowels (3cm/1 3/16" and 1.6cm/5/8") with a 10mm/3/8" hole at the bottom center and a 6mm/1/4" cut to accept the wings of the nut.

Thanks for watching and commenting
Stelios L.A. Stavrinides
AKA Steliart