Gaijin's Guide Sanding Block System
Don Myra of Gaijin's Guide to Polishing came up with this easy to build sanding system. As shown in the picture above it is built on a 2x4 with two pieces of 1/2" plywood on either end. The ends of the 2x4 are cut so you can fold the paper over the end and hold them in place with a wedge. On the other end a hole is drilled and then a block is drilled with the hole slight offset. When the peg is tapped in place it holds the paper securely. One block is flat and the other is slightly domed for polishing different areas of the blade.
I have found an adhesive backed paper at my local auto paint supply store that works well too. This comes in rolls of various grits and will stick in place temporarily while you use the paper. The pink paper on the far end is the adhesive kind. I like Mirka brand papers the best.
There is real advantage to using this system because you use arms, back and legs in the process. Also having a wide surface to work on yields nice flats and sharp edges. I found the job of polishing a sword went much faster and I was able to a better job working this way. As you can tell, shop space is at a premium for me so I mounted my block on my drill press table. This turned out to be a wonderful spot because I can adjust the table to vary the working height. It is stable because the table can be locked down and the drill press is bolted to the bench.
I also recommend the Gaijin Guide to Polishing video series. Don does a great job of explaining what he is doing and looking for as he restores a sword blade. The tapes are thorough and filled with insight into the craft.