Remember sanding blocks made of scrap wood? Feels like a different era now.

I started hanging drywall back in 98 in a crew out of Omaha. We'd take a 2x4, wrap it in sandpaper, and staple it on the back. That was your sanding block. Your wrist would be shot after a couple hours of that. Then around 2005 I picked up one of those rubber sanding blocks with the handle at a supply house... thing cost maybe 8 bucks. Felt like cheating. These days I use a pole sander with a swivel head for most of the flat work and only bust out the hand block for corners. Saves my shoulders a lot of grief. Did anyone else's old-timers swear by the scrap wood method or was that just my crew?

3 comments

3 Comments

ruby4508d ago

Reminds me how a lot of the best gear is just stuff you threw together with what was laying around. My dad still has a metal ruler he's used since the 70s, probably worth more in scrap than what he paid for it. There's something about making your own tools that sticks with you longer than buying the fancy plastic version. But then again, I got a cheap pole sander last year and it's saved my back so much I can't go back. Progress is good, even if it makes you feel soft sometimes.

the_paul8d ago

Man, that pole sander is a game changer for sure. Have you tried putting a drywall knife on a broom handle for scraping old texture?

drew_park8d ago

Funny you mention the drywall knife on a broom handle. I did that for years until I found an old wallpaper scraper at a garage sale, bolted it to a wooden closet rod, and it worked better than anything I've bought since. There's a real satisfaction in rigging something up and having it hold together for years. But that pole sander you mentioned, I finally broke down and got one last spring and it's made a world of difference for my shoulders. You can keep the old ways for some things and still admit when a new tool just makes more sense.