Drum Sanding Jig

The Family Handyman

This easy-to-build jig transforms an electric drill into a stationary edge sander for inside curves on all kinds of projects. To build one, you need scrap 3/4-in. plywood, a short 2×4, a 3/8-in.-diameter U-bolt to fit around your drill and two 3/8- in. wing nuts. Housing design and chuck length vary from drill to drill, so we won’t list exact dimensions. Use the steps below as a general guide for building a jig that fits your drill.

1. Drill the hole in the jig just large enough for the chuck to clear. It’s ideal if the drill housing above the chuck bottoms out on top of the plywood, but the jig will work even if it doesn’t.

2. Push the chuck through the hole, clamp a sanding drum in the chuck, measure to determine the height of the jig, and cut the sides. Cut them long enough so the drum penetrates 1/4 in. into the base.

3. Screw the top, sides and base together, locate the center of the drum sanding hole in the base, then unscrew the base and drill the base hole.

4. Screw a short 2×4 on edge to the top of the jig to stabilize the drill, then drop in the drill and mark and drill holes in the 2×4 for the U-bolt. Clamp the drill firmly but not too tightly on the 2×4 with the U-bolt and wing nuts, then shim the drill or custom-cut the 2×4 as necessary to ensure the drum sander meets the base at 90 degrees. That’s it—you can now sand inside curves like a pro. Thanks to reader C. M. Engebretson for this great idea.

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