I thought I had posted about this before, but I guess I haven't. So, here is my recipe for making wilderness sandpaper.
I take a piece of scrap tanned caribou hide (deer or elk or other hide will work too) about 4"x4" (you can use a bigger piece of hide, but I find the 4"x4" is the best size). Once I have the hide I collect some sand from surrounding streams and rivers. There's various coarse grades of sand around me, so I gather these various sands and keep them in jars labeled "Fine" "Medium" "Coarse".
Next, I mix-up some deer dung, wood ash, sinew and pine pitch glue. This type of glue works very well for all types of adhesion, and it makes my wilderness sandpaper last the longest. (deer dung is a generic term I use.*) I take 4 parts pitch, and 1 part of each of the other ingredients. I bring the pitch to a boil in a can of water. Once the pitch is softened I add each of the other ingredients, one at a time and mix them thoroughly before adding the next ingredient. Once all ingredients are mixed, and the glue is the consistency of honey, it is ready to use.
*Elk, caribou, mulie, or any other "grass" eating herbivore dung can be used to make a good glue. The dung acts as a binder and makes the glue much stronger, as does the sinew, and wood ash.
Next, I take a stick, dip it in the glue and coat one side of the hide. I then dip the glued hide into my fine, or medium, or coarse sand.
Now with the hide ready to sand, I can either use it as a profile sanding cloth, or I can wrap it around a block of wood and I have a wilderness sanding block.
Give it a try! It's cheap, easy to make, and lasts every bit as long, or longer, as commercially made sandpaper.
Oh, BTW, you can re-use the hide after the sand wears off to make a new piece.
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