DIY Sandpaper Storage Ideas

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I stated thinking of DIY Sandpaper Storage Ideas for my mom after using her palm sanders to sand our DIY Wood Slice Centerpieces! Andrew and I borrowed one of her palm sanders for our DIY project since we only own one. She was storing her sanders and sandpaper in a big plastic bin. As I was digging through the bin, I knew I could fix this for her!

I stumbled upon 2’x2’ plywood squares and knew this would be the perfect material to make a storage organizer for my mom’s small workshop.

Step 1: Measure & Draw the Cuts

To make things easy, I opted to make my box 24” long x 12” wide. This allowed me to simply divide one of my 15/32″ plywood squares in half. I planned to use half for the bottom and half for the top.

Next, I divided another 15/32″ plywood in half for the back of the box.

For the walls, I divided my remaining 15/32″ plywood into four 12”x12” squares.

Lastly, I marked where I wanted the shelf groove. I made sure sanding disc packages would fit on the shelf. I drew a line at 7” from the top and another 7 ¼” from the top. This would create the space needed to easily slide the plywood shelf in place.

Step 2: Cut the Frame & Dividers (Trim as needed)

Using a Circular Saw, I cut out the different sections. I did a dry fit by holding the boards together and realized I didn’t allow for the backing and top for my dividers. When I planned the dividers out, I knew that I wanted the box to be 12” tall, so it made sense to cut each divider at 12”. However, with the dividers sitting on top of the bottom piece, it added an additional 15/32” to the height. This wouldn’t have been a big deal but I had already cut the wood for the back which was only 12” tall. Therefore, I needed to trim 15/32” off the dividers. I stacked them on top of each other and was able to do one cut! This made for a perfect fit!

Step 3: Cut the Shelf Grooves

Initially I thought I’d cut the grooves out with a router. However, with the Circular Saw in hand, I decided to use that instead of dragging out more tools (ah, laziness!). I set the gauge at approximately 1/8”. I did a test cut on one of my cut offs. When cutting the grooves, be sure to do a test cut to ensure you are not cutting too deep. For the center dividers, you will need to cut a groove on both sides.

TIP: Be sure to cut the shelf groove less than half the thickness on each side.

Once I had the depth of my cut correct, I was ready to start cutting! I cut along each line, at 7” and 7 ¼”. Then, I took my blade and “shimmied” it along the small line of wood that remained. This created my groove.

The two end dividers only needed one groove, since the other side was the outside of the box! For the two inside dividers, I cut a groove on both sides of the wood.

Step 4: Glue and Nail

Starting with the top and sides of the box, I ran a thin line of gorilla wood glue along the edges and balanced the top on each side. I also pushed each side to the front of the board to ensure the back could fit later. With the top balanced on the two sides, I used a Brad Nail Gun to nail each side in place.

TIP: Be aware of the placement of your shelf grooves; inside & top of box!

Next, I measured the section between the two sides and divided it into thirds. I marked the location of each of the two center dividers.

I then glued and nailed the center dividers into place. Again, I ensured both center dividers were flush with the front of the top bord.

Next, I glued and nailed the bottom onto the sides and center dividers. Finally, I glued and nailed the backing into place!

Step 5: Cut Shelves (dry fit!)

Next step was to cut the shelves. I measured the open areas between the dividers and determined each shelf needed to be 7 3/8” wide. I already knew they needed to be 12” long. To stated, I cut the ¼” plywood in half. Then I cut one shelf at 7 3/8” on the line. Once cut, I dry fit each shelf.

Step 6: Glue & Slide Shelves into Place

After confirming each shelf fit tightly, I applied wood glue and slid into place!

Step 7: Soften the Edges

This is optional but I highly recommend! Using a palm sander, I sanded along the edges of the plywood to make it more rounded and less sharp.

There is a lot more you could do with your sandpaper storage rack if you wanted! I considered staining the wood beforehand, however I knew it was just going to be used as shop organization. That said, I may apply some paint as a finishing touch later! I love the little shelves in the sandpaper organizer for the different sanding discs and two containers will fit on each shelf.