Thread: How finely do you sand?

Depending on the job, up to 2500. Rarely less than 800.

It really depends on the finish you are going to use.
Pigment stains need to be sanded with 120 to 150.
Anything finer doesn't provide sufficient key for the oil stain.
120 to 150 is adequate for clear lacquer.
If its a woodturning (or crossgrain sanding) I might go to finer grits then.

I sand to 4,000,000 then leave the piece in starlight for 2 years. Each coat of finish is then caressed by the feathers of the greater Ibis, before being finally polished with a secret mixture of 11 different bees' wax.



Each to thier own, but I have seen plenty of evidence that 150-180 for any timber is heaps. Search for 'raising the grain'. Once this is done and dealt with, your efforts are put to 'finishing the finish' rather than the timber itself.

Originally Posted by TassieKiwi

Each to thier own, but I have seen plenty of evidence that 150-180 for any timber is heaps. Search for 'raising the grain'. Once this is done and dealt with, your efforts are put to 'finishing the finish' rather than the timber itself.

Exactly. Timber dosnt need any more than 150/180, and if anyone doubts that, then do a board up with different grits and polish it and see.

And as you say "finishing the finish" is then a different matter. And for me 320/400 - 600 for lacquer is heaps and 600/800 and a final 1200 for oil is also heaps, and often ill not worry about the 1200. Going up to 2500 is only appropriate if your into marquetry, otherwise its ridiculous as it serves no purpous at all.

Yeah - would you rather make shavings or dust?

For an oil finish, I wet sand to 1200 with a ROS. I don't buy extra disks without holes unless I don't have any. I just rotate the holes so that they are off the dust extraction holes.

For a film finish, I power sand to 320 and hand sand to 400 for spots I can't get to with the sander.

Disagree that 180 is equivalent to finer grades, maybe on some more open grained timbers, not on others with denser grain. Brushbox, grey ironbark, turpentine and greygum all can be made to shine prefinish, apply a damp cloth to raise the grain and start again quickly up through the grades finish off with white scotchbrite, then we get real serious with the oil . Works for me and I have done the comparo, plenty of times with control pieces cut from the same wood, even my floor in Grafton went to the white scotchbrite prefinish, admittedly mostly on an ROS, presanding dust removal is very important when doing this.

Bruce C. self admitted maschoist

Gotta agree with Bruce, the wood detemines the final grit.

With desert woods such as Boree, Red Bauhenia(sp?), etc. it's possible to get an almost mirror finish with higher grits before applying a finish, especially on a lathe. Well worth the extra effort. Crapiata, on the other hand, is a waste of 80 grit.

Must admit that 0000 steel wool on raw timber is a no-no... unless one likes the eventual effect. [shudder]

Originally Posted by Lignum

........Moral to the story for me is dont sand over 150# theirs just no point

I agree. 120 grit belt sander makes a good enough job for me. But I'll hand sand (lightly) between coats with 240 grit. On MDF the edges look better if they are finished with an orbital sander at 120 grit.

Another that can determin final grit size is if your using oil/spirit based stains on light coloured woods any sanding marks will show up, nothing worse than dark ROS swirls in the middle of a table top!(600 is needed IMHO)
As Lig said you just dont need that finer grit... if using lacquers or poly 180 is well fine enough, and 320-400 between coats, I dont fancy going all the way to 2000 on a large cabinet made of crapiarta!
On a small box made of nice wood yes 2000 is well worth it, as people tend to inspect hand held sized/arty farty items much much closer.

I made a table last year that i belt sanded straight as i could with the grain to 80# then lightly dampened it with water and when dry, used a brass brush over (with) the grain to clean it up. Then a light hand sand over that with 150# to clean up any roughness on the top. Six coats of Livos were applied using a scotch bright. The top ended up just sensational. you just couldnt help rubbing your hands all over it and the proud new owners were just over the moon. They also couldnt stop touching it. The scratches left were very small but the texture was very evident, and cleaning wouldnt be a problem just wiping with the grain and a damp cloth.


Thats one extreme to what some are talking about here. Furniture i have seen with people going up into to the other extremes of sandpaper on bare timber, and way, way up in the polishing stages makes me ask myself why, whats the point. Apart from being proud that you can achieve such a high level of finish, or you are finishing special veneering or marquetry that calls for it, the extreme high end sanding on bare timber then with the polish is pointless. Good furniture has ballance, and that includes the final finish which should be in tune with the rest of the piece.

If your mind tells you 150# isnt enough on bare timber then 280# should be the maximum. 600# on your final lacquering stages, buffed with a compound will give an incredible level of quality finish. Wet sanding with oil and 800# and again buffed when completely cured will also achieve a stunning finish that will improve only a small fraction if you use 1200#.

And on the ROS swirl marks, what ever grit i want to finish at, and in my case its 150# i will ROS to 180# then go back and hand sand at 150# Since i have been doing that i rarley get swirl marks showing through

Reading a few of these posts I'm sitting here shaking my head, and if I say much more I'll just get in a Sh$t fight. But I think I'll sell my jointer and thicknesser and get a broad axe and adze.

Originally Posted by Termite

Reading a few of these posts I'm sitting here shaking my head, and if I say much more I'll just get in a Sh$t fight. But I think I'll sell my jointer and thicknesser and get a broad axe and adze.

Why dont you enlighten us with your methods, after all thats what everyone id doing

Originally Posted by Lignum

Why dont you enlighten us with your methods, after all thats what everyone id doing

Let's just say that near enough is not good enough for me. and I have already stated what I do.