Add Dust Extraction Holes To Sanding Discs

By: Woodsmith Readers

At a garage sale, I came across a stack of hook and loop sanding discs. But the discs didn’t have holes. To make the most of my haul, I needed a way to make holes that matched my sander. The jig shown at left does the job.

Custom Sanding Discs Jig

At a garage sale, I came across a stack of hook and loop sanding discs. The price couldn’t be beat. There was just one catch: the discs didn’t have holes, as you can see in the photo above. (Turns out you can also purchase disc blanks new online.)

In order to make the most of my haul, I needed a way to make holes that matched my sander. The jig shown at left does the job.

Two hinged plywood jaws sandwich a short stack of discs (about five), as shown in the inset photo. A pattern of holes in the upper jaw serve as drill guides to create the holes in the discs. I used a disc I had on hand, but you could also use the backer pad from your sander to quickly mark the hole pattern.

Use a bradpoint bit to drill the holes. The abrasive on the discs is hard on the bit, but it still lasts a while. The cost savings on the discs makes the effort worthwhile. -Keith Hoffmann Afton, Minnesota

diagram of how to make diy wood block drill hole guide for making custom sanding disc for your sander