Metal Sandpaper Sander

Metal Sandpaper Sander — a U-STAR metal holder for abrasive paper

A tool from the U-STAR range which, according to the name, combines a metal body with ordinary abrasive paper. The point is simple: paper has no rigidity of its own, the holder gives it some and at the same time gives the modeler something that is comfortable to hold and does not slip on plastic.

The paper is consumable, the tool is not

Abrasive paper clogs and goes blunt. When you use it loose, it ends up in the bin along with the part of it you have not yet used. With a metal holder you change only the paper and the body of the tool stays yours. The practical effect shows above all with modelers who alternate grits within a single session: instead of hunting for another piece of paper you change the sheet and carry on with the same grip, so the pressure and the guidance of the stroke stay the same too.

Wet sanding and dust

A metal body tends to come into its own precisely in wet sanding, when both the surface and the paper are rinsed as you go. The water carries away the sanding dust, which would otherwise clog the abrasive and make scratches coarser than the grit itself, and at the same time it suppresses airborne particles. After work, wipe the tool and let it dry out, so that no moisture is left on the metal. When sanding dry, keep sweeping the dust away with a brush — it settles in engraved lines, and once the paint is sprayed on it produces a grainy surface that is harder to remove than the original unevenness was.

Who the tool is for

• Modelers who sand often and want to spend less on abrasive paper
• Work with changing grits within one session without changing grip
• Wet sanding, where both the surface and the abrasive are rinsed as you go
• Filling out the bench alongside ready-made sanding sticks with a fixed abrasive layer