Bench cookies: Workshop delicacy

The other day I was flipping through the Rockler Woodworking catalog--one of my favorite sources for tools and hardware--and came across a new, and most-interesting product: Bench Cookies.

A bench cookie is a hockey-puck-shaped plastic disk that has high-friction rubber adhered to its top and bottom surfaces. You get four cookies for $12 (about the same as Mrs. Field's white chocolate macadamias).

When placed on a workbench, the sure-grip cookies allow you to sand a board without using clamps. I know what you're thinking. I didn't believe it myself, until I conducted my own cookie test.

I set four cookies down on a painted plywood benchtop, and placed a short 1x10 pine board on top. Then I used a belt sander fitted with a very aggressive 50-grit belt to sand the board.

When I squeezed the sander's trigger, I stood off to one side, expecting the board to go shooting by. Much to my surprise, nothing happened.

The 1-inch-thick x 3-inch-diameter bench cookies stuck fast to the benchtop and after several minutes of sanding the board didn't budge at all. Pretty impressive.

Bench Cookies are also useful when routing, carving, even applying finishes.