What are Sanding Blocks and Why are They Used?

Most auto repair and paint jobs require a certain amount of sanding - a difficult process that demands hours of effort and precision. Thankfully, now, power sanders have significantly reduced the amount of time and effort one needs to spend in sanding a car.

Even then, the sanding procedure is not a one-step process that can be completed without giving attention to the details. While you can use a power sander for the initial sanding process, you need finer sanding to remove smaller rust stains. Finer sanding, as you may already know, requires the use of hands.

If you are new to sanding and feel doubtful about how evenly you can sand the surface of a car, it is better that you use a sanding block or hand sander. Even experts use large or small hand sanders because they help you apply pressure evenly over the surface. This, in turn, ensures that you do not miss out sanding a particular area or sand another too much. It also makes hand sanding much faster and more efficient.

If you want to get the best hand sander, you may be in for a confusing ride because there are too many to choose from. Thankfully, not all hand sanders are used in the auto industry, and your personal choice of hand sander depends mainly on the ‘comfort’ factor.

A few pointers may help you in the process. Firstly, ensure that the block is comfortable. This is an important criterion because it keeps your arm fatigue to a minimum. Secondly, the sander should be easy to use and be of good quality. For instance, Hutchins hand sanders and sanders blocks are comfortable, ergonomic sanders that can be used for years on end. The 5501H model sanding block can be used for Velcro, while the 5502 is useful for stickit or PSA sand paper. You also have the option of using clip-on sanding blocks.