Flat sanding cawl

[Christophe Mineau]

In luthery work, for the purpose of leveling the frets of a fingerboard, you need a dead flat sanding cawl.
Here is how to make one out of wood and glass.

I first shape a wooden handle block, planned as flat as possible.
Then I cut with a standard glass cutter three layers of the same size out of a scrap piece of window glass, maybe 3mm thick.
All these, glued together using CA glue (works very well on glass)
After the glue has cured, the edges are smoothed using a dremel and a diamond wheel.
Eventually, I have stuck a sheet of 1000 grit sandpaper using double side tape.

[DIYer]

Thanks Christophe Mineau! We've added your Flat Sanding Caul to our Luthiery category,
as well as to your builder page: Christophe Mineau's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Flat Sanding Caul by Christophe Mineau

tags: sanding block

[JoeH]

Very cool, Christophe. This is something I can use in my guitar making and repair work. I note your wooden pattern makers vise in the photo.

[Christophe Mineau]

Thanks Joe. Yes, I think I have showed already this one, yes it's here :
A wooden vise for instrument making

I like this vise, and the wooden build doesn't make it less usable than the cast iron version. It's been maybe 12 years I have built it I think, still in use.
Maybe , sooner or later I'll have to redo the handle of the crank witch pivot is maybe too far backward from the bearing that supports the screw.

[mwmkravchenko]

Laminated glass! Nice touch. I made something like this 30 years ago when i started doing piano gloss black type finishing. It is a very effective way to make a flat area very flat!