How to Scribe a Shelf With Belt Sanders

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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A remodeler's life would be easy if everything were flush, plumb or flat. But, walls and floors of homes don't fit that category all the time. In order to fit a shelf tightly against a wall you need to scribe the shelf and a sander is the perfect tool. Scribing involves a couple of processes so the shelf fits snugly against the wall.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Scrap wood
Compass with a pencil
Vise
Belt sander
Flush trim router bit

Step 1

Begin the process by finding the pattern of the wall. You need to use a piece of scrap wood and a compass. Press the board against the wall and open the compass for the widest gap that exists between the wall and the board.
Step 2

Butt the board against the wall and place the metal part of the compass on the wall and the pencil on the board. Drag the metal point along the wall as the pencil outlines the pattern on the board.
Step 3

Lock the board into position on a vise with the pencil markings at the top. Make sure that you wear safety gear like safety glasses, a mask and earplugs.
Step 4

Scribe the shelf template with a belt sander along the line that you created. Make sure that you keep the sander square in the middle of the board so that both sides are even. As you follow the line go slowly and check frequently for evenness.
Step 5

Complete sanding the board and remove it from the vise to check it against the actual wall. If the template is a good fit, you're ready to use the flush trim router bit and the template to cut the actual board for the shelf.
Step 6

Lock the template and shelf board together and use the flush trim router bit. The bit cuts the shelf board in the exact pattern that you scribed with the belt sander. Test the shelf board to see that it fits.

Comments

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