Jump to content

Quick Question... What Kinda Adhesive?


Recommended Posts

Hey All...

Quick Question...

What kinda adhesive do you use on the radiused blocks? I just ordered a set for fretwork after using straight blocks for quite some time. Anyway... I noticed stewmac has this stikit stuff for them. But dayum!!!! It's nearly $50.00 per roll! What the?! There's gotta be an easier way. I mean... Spray adhesive would work if it wasn't too tough to get off. Any of y'all got any suggestions?

MLAR, Cor

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i use stewmac's radius blocks in my shop all the time and never found the need to use adhesive at all. you can just hand hold a quarter sheet of sandpaper and radius away. one little tip though. if you're sanding new frets to match the radius of the neck fold a quarter inch or so of the paper up over the front edge of the block so that it doesn't catch on the frets and tear. if you're radiusing a fretboard there's no need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have a couple options, Spray-Tac II by 3M, I've used it quite a bit when I was sanding boats. I also picked up a tube of adhesive from the local autobody supply store. Just spread a thin layer on the block, let it set about 10 min. and then stick your paper on. Good for at least 6 sandpaper changes. I was also toying with the idea of sticking a hook and loop (Velcro) setup on my blocks as a lot of the sandpaper I have on hand is hook and loop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can get double-sided Scotch tape at CVS, Office Depot, Staples (to name a few), works great. Comes off easy, occasionally you might have to scrape off a little of the gum with a fingernail.

It is really a good idea to cut the sandpaper at the same size as the block and stick it down. If you just hold it in place, the edges of the fretboard (or frets) tend to erode slightly faster than the center.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carpet tape is quite handy for all kinds of things. It's double sided and usually white. Then someone gave me several rolls of this double sided tape that comes with those kits for placing plastic over your windows for the winter. It's thinner than the carpet tape. Imagine that typical scotch tape, but double sided.

I have also used the spray stuff, and probably even have some left, but haven't used it for years, because it's messy and you breathe some of it, and you have to concentrate on spraying it evenly. Too much hassle for me for a task that should be quick and super simple. And I also remember with the spray stuff, much of it would stay on the sanding block after you peeled the paper off, then you have to clean the gunk off the block with solvent. With the tape, I can often pull it off and it all stays on the sandpaper, then I'll often stick that onto another sanding block for general shop use (like quickly sanding the rough edges of a jig I made, etc)

If you don't already have the sandpaper, then you should shop around for the stuff stewart Macdonaldtrump sells.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...