No matter how much technology we apply it seems that hand sanding is still unavoidable. Still, new technology applied to hand sanding can make the chore more efficient.

That’s the thinking behind Freud’s Diablo brand reusable angled sanding block. It is designed to be an ingenious hand-sanding solution that works when and where machines can’t go.

Angles, foam, screens
Three key technologies combine in this new sanding block. The most basic is shaping the block in an angled profile so it fits in tight places.

Next is a two-sided, dual-density foam construction. One side features softer cushion foam for controlled material removal when contour sanding. The other side has dense foam for more aggressive material removal on flat surfaces, as well as digging into 90-degree corner sanding.

Both sides are faced with a hook-and-loop connector surfaces to mount the Diablo Sandnet screen abrasive material. Screen abrasives resist clogging and last longer; Freud claims 10 times the sanding life compared to conventional sandpaper.

How does it work?
A sample pack that came with the angled sanding block included three grits of the Sandnet abrasive, 100, 150 and 180 grit. You attach the abrasive screensheets just like hook-and-loop sanding discs on a palm sander. You can put a coarser grit on one side or the same grit on both sides of the block.

I liked being able to quickly change abrasive sheets as well as speedily switch from a firm side to a more cushioned side. Both sides held up well in sanding operations, providing more corner support for sanding in tight places than some of the softer all-cushion foam sanding blocks I’ve tried. 

The size and shape of the block was easy to hold and fit in most of the places I needed to sand. The cushioned side is thick enough to retain shape but fit in most profiles I tried. Having the dense foam backing seemed to make the cushioned side perform just a bit more aggressively. Using the dense foam side was comparable to using regular rubber sanding blocks.

This angled sanding block combined with the Sandnet abrasive is definitely a useful addition to your hand-sanding tool kit. Learn more at DiabloTools.com.