Sandpaper Storage Solution

The problem

My old storage “solution”

Woodworkers always struggle with organization. The there are countless old jokes about the time spent looking for that tool we just set down, vs actual woodwork. Then factor in that most of us have 5” and 6” orbital sanders, non-woven pads (scotch brite), various types of steel wool, wet sanding paper, and the list can go on and on. For such a glaring and common problem, I could never find a good and affordable solution. All the solutions I found either required several hours of shop time to make something that was heavy and still required expensive plywood. Festool makes great tools, but I can’t pay $90 for a plastic tub they make for sandpaper storage.

The solution

After a few late nights down google rabbit holes, I came across these perfect bins on Amazon for around $25. They are designed to be “art bins". But the inside height is 6” so its perfect for basically all sandpaper. The dividers are removable too, so you could use them for sheets of paper, belts, or most anything else you can think of. They come in three different colors so I bought one of each color. One for 5”, one for 6”, and one for my specialty grits up to 12,000 grit.

I added labels to my bins, although a sharpie would work just as well.

6” (150mm) fits like a glove