This article discusses the benefits of a simple yet versatile accessory made from MDF and sandpaper. The speaker in the video explains how he originally made the accessory for use with his table saw, but discovered it has many other uses around the shop, such as squaring up scrap sheet goods and guiding larger pieces at the router table.
The article goes on to explain how to create your own MDF accessory, including choosing the size and attaching the sandpaper. The speaker also shares tips for using the accessory as a push block and creating a thin rip jig. Overall, this article offers a practical solution for woodworkers looking to improve their accuracy and efficiency in the shop.
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Key Takeaways
- MDF and sandpaper accessories are simple and versatile tools for woodworkers.
- They can be used for a variety of tasks, including squaring up scrap sheet goods and guiding larger pieces at the router table.
- By creating your own MDF accessory and attaching sandpaper, you can improve your accuracy and efficiency in the shop.
Creating Your Own MDF Accessory
If you’re looking for a simple and useful accessory to add to your workshop, consider creating your own MDF accessory. As described in the data provided, this accessory is made from a simple piece of MDF with 150 grit sandpaper fixed to one face and one edge. It’s easy to make and best of all, it’s basically free.
One of the most useful applications for this accessory is as a bearing or guide when cutting odd shapes, tapers, or patterns safely and easily at the table saw. By sliding the workpiece up to the fence and laying the MDF on top of it, tight against the fence with the sandpaper side down and bare edge to the fence, the fence references the MDF instead of the crooked edge, resulting in a perfect straight line rip.
This accessory also works well for squaring up and cutting certain tapers on weird scrap sheet goods. By laying the MDF on one edge of the piece and running it through the saw, a straight edge is created to turn around and run against the fence like normal. With two straight and parallel edges, a square can be registered against one of them, and the other end is now 90 degrees and ready to use.
The sandpaper edge of the MDF works great as a simple push block, and its length helps keep pieces flat to the table, reducing chatter throughout the cut. A smaller version can be made to use as the best thin rip jig you’ll ever use. It also works well as a push block when resawing at the bandsaw and holding down short pieces at the miter saw.
To make a template for a silicone dust collection boot, a similar but smaller version of this accessory can be made and used as a removable guide at the router table. The sandpaper side helps grip and guide the material through the cut, repositioning it with each cut that needs to be made.
The size of the MDF accessory can vary depending on personal preference. A good place to start is to use 3/4 inch material for its strength and stability and make it about as wide as the smallest distance you’re comfortable getting your hands between the blade and fence of your table saw. Spray adhesive or double-sided tape can be used to attach the sandpaper.
Overall, creating your own MDF accessory is an easy and convenient addition to any workshop.
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Straight Line Ripping
This simple piece of MDF with sandpaper fixed to one face and one edge has become one of the most reached-for accessories in the shop. It acts as a bearing or a guide, making it safe and easy to cut odd shapes, tapers, or patterns at the table saw.
When you want to rip a straight line or joint one edge of a board, sliding the piece up to the fence and laying the MDF on top of it tight against the fence with the sandpaper side down and bare edge to the fence will help you achieve a perfect straight line rip. The fence references the MDF instead of the crooked edge, resulting in a straight and parallel edge.
The MDF also works great as a simple push block, and its length helps keep pieces flat to the table, reducing chatter throughout the cut. You can make a much smaller version to use as the best thin rip jig you’ll ever use.
In situations where your hands are too close to the blade, the MDF works well as a push block when resawing. You can also use it at the miter saw for holding down short pieces that would require your hands to be closer to the blade than you’re comfortable with. Elevating it a little closer to the same height as the material you’re cutting by putting an offcut under the MDF will help hold the material perfectly still while you make the cut.
The Sandpaper edge of the MDF works great as a removable guide at the router table. After drawing out your design on the template material and cutting it roughly to shape with the bandsaw, you can use the sandpaper side to help grip and guide the material through the cut, repositioning it with each cut that you need to make.
Overall, this simple and convenient accessory is easy to make, easy to use, and practically free. It’s versatile and can be used for multiple things in the shop, making it an essential tool for any woodworker.
Squaring Up Scrap Sheet Goods
One of the most useful accessories in the shop is a simple piece of MDF with sandpaper fixed to one face and one edge. It’s a versatile tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, including squaring up scrap sheet goods.
When working with odd-shaped pieces of plywood or other sheet goods, it can be challenging to get a straight edge. However, by using the MDF guide, it’s easy to create a straight edge that can be used to run against the fence of the table saw.
To use the guide, the MDF is laid on one edge of the odd-shaped piece of plywood, and the two are run through the saw together. This creates a straight edge that can be used to register a square against one of them. The MDF guide is then slid up to the square, and a cut is made, resulting in a perfectly square edge.
The MDF guide can also be used for cutting certain tapers. By using the sandpaper edge of the MDF as a simple push block, it helps keep pieces flat to the table, reducing chatter throughout the cut.
Overall, the MDF guide is a versatile and useful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes in the shop. It’s easy to make, easy to use, and best of all, it’s basically free.
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Cutting Tapers
The Sandpaper edge of the MDF works great as a simple push block and its length helps keep pieces flat to the table so there’s less chatter throughout the cut. The MDF can also be used for cutting certain tapers. This is actually how the speaker got a piece of plywood out of square to begin with.
To cut a taper, the speaker laid the MDF on one edge of the odd-shaped piece of plywood and ran it through the saw. This gave a straight edge to turn around and run against the fence like normal. Now that there are two straight and parallel edges, a square can be registered against one of them. The MDF can then be slid up to the square and the cut can be made. The other end will now be 90 degrees and ready to use.
The speaker notes that the size of the MDF is really up to personal preference, but a good place to start is to use three-quarter inch material for its strength and stability and make it about as wide as the smallest distance one is comfortable getting their hands between the blade and the fence of the table saw. The speaker’s MDF is about three inches wide.
Overall, the MDF is a versatile tool that is easy to make, easy to use, and convenient for multiple things in the shop.
Using MDF as a Push Block
MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard is not only a cheap material, but it can also be used for various purposes in the workshop. One of the most useful ways to use MDF is as a push block. In this section, we will discuss how to use MDF as a push block and the benefits it can provide.
When using a table saw, it’s important to have a push block to keep your hands away from the blade. MDF can be used as a push block by attaching sandpaper to one face and one edge. The sandpaper provides grip and helps keep the material in place during the cut. The length of the MDF also helps keep the material flat to the table, reducing chatter throughout the cut.
MDF can also be used as a push block at the bandsaw. When resawing, it’s important to keep your hands away from the blade. MDF provides a safe way to push the material through the cut. Elevating the MDF with an off-cut helps bring it closer to the same height as the material being cut, ensuring it holds the material perfectly still while making the cut.
In addition to the table saw and bandsaw, MDF can also be used as a push block at the miter saw. Short pieces can be difficult to hold down, and MDF provides a simple solution. By placing an off-cut under the MDF, it can be elevated to the same height as the material being cut, allowing it to hold the material perfectly still while making the cut.
Overall, using MDF as a push block is an easy and cost-effective solution that can be used in multiple applications in the workshop. By attaching sandpaper to one face and one edge, it provides grip and helps keep the material in place during the cut. Elevating the MDF with an off-cut at the bandsaw and miter saw ensures it holds the material perfectly still while making the cut.
Creating a Thin Rip Jig
The speaker in the video shared a simple and useful accessory that can be made in the shop for free. This accessory is made of MDF and has 150 grit or so sandpaper fixed to one face and one edge. It can be used as a bearing or a guide to cut odd shapes, tapers, or patterns safely and easily at the table saw.
One of the many uses of this accessory is creating a thin rip jig. When trying to rip a board with a crooked edge, the speaker recommends sliding the board up to the fence and laying the MDF on top of it tight against the fence, sandpaper side down and bare edge to the fence. This way, when the board is run through the saw, the fence references the MDF instead of the crooked edge, resulting in a perfect straight line rip.
The speaker also suggests using this accessory to square up weird scrap sheet goods. By laying the MDF on one edge of an odd-shaped piece of plywood and running it through the saw, a straight edge is created that can be turned around and run against the fence like normal. This results in two straight and parallel edges, allowing for the use of a square to make a 90-degree cut.
This accessory can also be used as a push block at the bandsaw, especially when hands are too close to the blade. It can also hold down short pieces at the miter saw, allowing for a safer cut.
The speaker recommends using three-quarter-inch material for its strength and stability and making it about as wide as the smallest distance one is comfortable getting their hands between the blade and the fence of their table saw. Spray adhesive or double-sided tape can be used to attach the sandpaper.
Overall, this accessory is easy to make, easy to use, and convenient for multiple things in the shop. It is a great replacement for push pads and can be used for a variety of applications.
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Using MDF as a Push Block at the Bandsaw
The MDF sandpaper push block is a versatile tool that can be used in various applications in the workshop. One of the ways to use it is as a push block at the bandsaw. When resawing, the hands can get too close to the blade, which can be dangerous. The MDF push block can be used to push the material through the cut, keeping the hands at a safe distance from the blade.
To use the MDF push block at the bandsaw, the user should first position the material to be cut on the bandsaw table. The MDF push block should then be placed on top of the material, with the sandpaper facing down. The user should then apply pressure on the MDF push block to push the material through the cut.
The length of the MDF push block can help keep the material flat to the table, reducing chatter throughout the cut. The sandpaper side of the MDF push block provides a good grip on the material, ensuring that it does not slip during the cut.
It is important to note that the MDF push block should be used only in situations where the hands are too close to the blade. In other cases, it may be better to use other push blocks or guides that are specifically designed for the task at hand.
In conclusion, the MDF sandpaper push block is a useful tool that can be used in various applications in the workshop. When used as a push block at the bandsaw, it can help keep the hands at a safe distance from the blade while pushing the material through the cut.
Holding Down Short Pieces at the Miter Saw
One of the many uses for the MDF sandpaper block is to hold down short pieces at the miter saw. When working with small pieces, it can be difficult to hold them in place while making a cut, especially if your hands are too close to the blade. The MDF sandpaper block can be used as a push block to hold the material in place and keep your hands at a safe distance from the blade.
To use the MDF sandpaper block, simply place an off-cut under the block to elevate it to the same height as the material you are cutting. This will allow the block to hold the material still while you make the cut. The sandpaper side of the block provides a good grip on the material and helps guide it through the cut.
The MDF sandpaper block can also be used at the router table as a replacement for push pads. If you forget your push pads at the router table, the MDF sandpaper block can be used to hold the material still while you make your cuts.
Overall, the MDF sandpaper block is a simple and useful accessory to have in your workshop. It can be used for multiple purposes, including holding down short pieces at the miter saw and as a push block at the bandsaw. It is easy to make and essentially free, making it a great addition to any workshop.
Creating a Template for Silicone Dust Collection Boot
The speaker in the video shared how he created a template for his silicone dust collection boot using a similar but smaller version of the MDF accessory he made. After drawing out the design on the template material and cutting it roughly to shape with the bandsaw, he used the sandpaper side of the MDF to help grip and guide the material through the cut, repositioning it with each cut that he needed to make.
He also mentioned that he used a larger MDF accessory on occasion to help guide larger pieces when he’s at the router table. It works great as a replacement for push pads when they’re not available.
The speaker advised that the size of the MDF accessory is up to the user’s preference. A good place to start is to use three-quarter inch material for its strength and stability and make it about as wide as the smallest distance the user is comfortable getting their hands between the blade and the fence of their table saw. In his case, this is about three inches wide, but it can vary from person to person.
Overall, the MDF accessory is easy to make, easy to use, and convenient for multiple things in the shop. It’s a simple, useful, and practically free tool that can come in handy for various woodworking tasks.
Guiding Larger Pieces at the Router Table
The MDF sandpaper guide is a versatile tool that can be used for multiple things in the shop. One of its uses is to guide larger pieces at the router table. The speaker in the video mentions that he uses a larger version of the guide to help guide larger pieces when he’s at the router table.
To use the MDF guide for larger pieces, the speaker suggests attaching the guide to the edge of the piece that needs to be routed. The sandpaper side of the guide should be facing down and the bare edge should be facing towards the router fence. This way, the router fence will reference the MDF guide instead of the crooked edge of the piece being routed, resulting in a straight and accurate cut.
The speaker also suggests using the guide as a removable guide at the router table when making templates for projects. He mentions that he made a smaller version of the guide and used it to guide the template material through the cut at the router table. The sandpaper side of the guide helped grip and guide the template material through the cut, resulting in an accurate cut.
Overall, the MDF sandpaper guide is a useful tool for guiding larger pieces at the router table. Its versatility and ease of use make it a great addition to any woodworking shop.
Using MDF as a Push Pad at the Joiner
The speaker in the video shares how he uses MDF as a push pad at the joiner. He explains that he found it to be a great replacement for his push pads when he realized he left them at the joiner. He mentions that it works best by putting an off-cut under the MDF to elevate it a little closer to the same height as the material that he’s cutting.
The speaker explains that the MDF works well as a push block when resawing. He also found it comes in handy at the miter saw for holding down short pieces that would require his hands to be a little closer to the blade than he’s comfortable with. The MDF works as a great replacement for push pads when he realized he left them at the joiner.
The speaker recommends making the MDF push pad about as wide as the smallest distance you’re comfortable getting your hands between the blade and the fence of your table saw. He usually uses spray adhesive to attach the sandpaper, but he’s also used double-sided tape in a pinch as well, especially if it’s a one-time use case.
Overall, using MDF as a push pad at the joiner is an easy and convenient solution for keeping your hands safe while working with wood.
Choosing the Size of Your MDF Accessory
When it comes to making an MDF accessory for your workshop, the size of the accessory is important to consider. While the speaker in the video recommends using three-quarter inch material for its strength and stability, the width and length of the accessory can vary depending on your needs.
The width of the accessory should be as wide as the smallest distance you’re comfortable getting your hands between the blade and the fence of your table saw. For the speaker, this is about three inches wide. However, the width can be adjusted to fit your personal comfort level.
As for the length of the accessory, it can be made however long you think you need it to be. The speaker in the video recommends using spray adhesive to attach the sandpaper, but double-sided tape can be used as well, especially for one-time use cases.
Overall, the size of the MDF accessory is customizable to fit your specific needs and comfort level. It’s important to consider the width and length when creating your accessory to ensure it’s safe and efficient to use in your workshop.
Attaching the Sandpaper
The speaker in the video explains how to attach the sandpaper to the MDF block. He suggests using either spray adhesive or double-sided tape to attach the sandpaper to the MDF. He notes that he typically uses spray adhesive, but double-sided tape can be used in a pinch, especially for one-time use cases.
The speaker emphasizes that making the sandpaper block is easy and inexpensive. He suggests using 3/4 inch material for strength and stability, and making it about as wide as the smallest distance you’re comfortable getting your hands between the blade and the fence of your table saw. He notes that he typically makes his block about three inches wide, but that it’s really up to personal preference.
The sandpaper block is a versatile tool that can be used for multiple tasks in the shop, including acting as a bearing or guide for cutting odd shapes or tapers, squaring up scrap sheet goods, and holding down short pieces at the miter saw. The speaker notes that the sandpaper edge of the MDF works great as a simple push block, and its length helps keep pieces flat to the table, reducing chatter throughout the cut.
In summary, attaching the sandpaper to the MDF block is a simple process that can be done using spray adhesive or double-sided tape. Making the sandpaper block is an easy and inexpensive way to create a versatile tool that can be used for multiple tasks in the shop.
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