The problem with sanding small parts on a disc sander is the gap between the table and spinning disc. Should the piece tip or your grip slip, the disc will wrench the wood out of your hand (see our Workshop Mishaps on page 80). In an instant, you’ll find yourself with a ruined part and sometimes a really bad case of road rash.
To save all my parts, I cut a piece of ¼"-thick hardboard a few inches wider than the table and positioned it against the sanding wheel, neatly bridging that finger-eating gap. Use clamps to keep the auxiliary table in place. Consider screwing a stop to the bottom of the hardboard to keep the table from creeping into the sander and disappearing in a cloud of dust.
