The Genius Tennis Ball Hack That Makes Sanding Curved Surfaces A Breeze

If you consider yourself an amateur wooden furniture refurbisher, you know that it can be a fulfilling pastime to give a piece new life; it can also, however, be a bit of a headache to work around challenging angles that certain pieces possess. Fortunately, there is an incredibly easy hack that can simplify sanding down difficult concave curves, and you probably already own the unconventional tool you need — a tennis ball. 

Begin by arming yourself with a tennis ball and cutting your sandpaper into a strip thin enough to contour around the tennis ball — an inch or two in width. Then, grip the paper and let the tennis ball guide the movements required to sand down the previously maddening curve. In addition to a much simpler sanding job, another benefit of this sanding hack is the natural hold that it forces you to take, as the ball should fit more comfortably in your hand than a clunky sanding block.

Since you'll be working with a small strip of sandpaper, you may need to replace it after a few minutes of vigorous sanding — depending on the grit and condition of the paper you started with — with a fresh strip of paper. If you want to make a more efficient job of it, wrap multiple strips of sandpaper around the tennis ball, covering the entire surface of the ball, and securing the strips in place with a rubber band.

Depending on the condition of your furniture prior to sanding it, remember to go through the correct preparation steps. These may include using a paint or finish stripper, which can remove any heavy buildup of substances on the piece and make the curve easier to sand. You can also utilize your homemade sanding tennis ball's helpful curve to sand away rust from your patio furniture with the aid of some WD-40 and a little elbow grease.