If you need to shape narrow, thin stock for projects that require inlays or bent laminations, the Luthier’s Friend, mounted on a drill press, is a relatively low-cost way to do so. The sanding drum comes with a bearing, so it can be used for template sanding. The jig is well-made, and the setup is straightforward as long as your drill-press table is perpendicular to the spindle. The dust shroud supplied with a 2-in. port did an excellent job. Using the adjustable fence, I could easily sand inlays as thin as 1/32 in. The jig comes with three sanding-drum sleeves. Use the coarsest grit for rapid stock removal, and switch to the finer sleeves for the final passes. 

—Rob Millard builds reproductions of 18th-century furniture in Dayton, Ohio.

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