Sanding Sticks

I love working with raw chipboard. I like being able to transform it into anything I want. When I began working with and designing chipboard for our family owned business about 3 years ago I was so frustrated by the sanding options on the market. I wanted something to sand paper off chipboard that was durable, that could reach small places, and that I could count on.

Our sanding stick is the perfect answer to my frustrations. It simply is a wonderful tool that has many uses. The smaller stick measures 1/4" wide and the large stick measures 1/2" wide. Each stick has a sand paper belt that rotates when you push the handle on the end. When the belt gets dull, or filled up with adhesive you just rotate the belt. If the belt wears out we have replacement belts. How simple is that?

The pointed end is small and reaches into cracks and tight spots. The rounded end is perfect for the inside of letters or numbers. We call the sticks lil sis and big brother...you know family members that you WANT to have around. :)

Let's talk about covering chipboard with paper!

For adhesion

I like to cover my chipboard with Scotch Quick Dry adheisve. Have a wet wipe handy so that when you put the paper on, you can easily wipe up the excess ahesive. If you are putting your chipboard in an album where it won't be handled a great deal you can use a glue stick, but for chipboard books you need greater adhesion, so use a high tack liquid.

I like to place my paper on the chipboard, and use a brayer on it. The brayer flattens all the glue out, and insures I have glue on the edges!

Next place your project on the edge of your table, and take the stick and pull down. Do not "saw" with the stick as it breaks the adhesive bond. Just pull straight down. If you are working with basic pattern paper you will first sand through the color on the top and be left with the white core of the paper. Keep sanding until the entire white of the paper is gone and you have a clean chipboard edge.

Sometimes people come to scrapbook shows and show me projects that look like...welll....not so great and they want to know what they are doing wrong. Most often they have used WAY to much adhesive and the paper got wet and then they tried to sand the paper when it was wet and loaded with adhesive. You end up with this mangled shredded mess. To avoid this don't go crazy with the glue. I always say a lot of glue lines...but THIN ones. Let your glue set for a minute or two before sanding....this will give things a chance to adhere and set before you sand. If you are covering two sides of a project then cover one side, go do something else for 2-3 minutes and then come back to finish the other side.

It's a fun way to create many wonderful chipboard projects.