Sanding

All good things takes time and sanding your project is no different. While I talked about the type of electric sander I prefer in the Tools post (random orbital), today I want to focus on the technique of sanding to make your project look the most professional.

Have you heard the saying, if it/a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well.  That's the epitome of sanding. When you start out with a rough 2x4, before you even join it with another piece of wood, it always helps me to sand it out first. You'll need 3 different grits of sandpaper for the best outcome. I typically use grit 60, 150, and 220. The lower the number, the rougher the grit. So start projects out with 60 grit until you have a mostly even piece of wood. Always move your sander in the direction of the wood grain. Sanding against the grain inevitably leaves scratches that defeats the purpose of sanding the wood in the first place.

After assembling a project, I always sand with the finest grit I have, typically a 220 grit. It should feel smooth and finished when you're finished. Some people use gloves while sanding, but I find that I want to feel the wood to ensure it's finished before I turn off the sander so I do not. Sanding is messy and dust will settle all over while sanding - make sure you fully wipe down your project before you paint or stain!

Please note - furniture is like art - there's always more than one way to get the job done. Figure out what works best for you! 

If you are staining your project instead of painting, you may want to stain your project after the 60 or 150 grit so that the stain really sets. You can sand with a finer grit after that and polyurethane it, sanding finer after each layer until you have it as smooth as you wish.