Questions tagged [sanding]
Using abrasives to smooth or shape wood. Techniques, recommendations
106
questions
4
votes
2answers
70 views
How can variable speed be used on a random-orbit sander?
I see some models of random-orbit sanders have a variable speed control. Under what circumstances would I need variable speed while sanding? It's not clear to me what benefit it offers.
0
votes
0answers
78 views
Exposure to a lot of oak sanding dust when didn’t know the harm…advice please!
I got into rustic oak furniture making a few years ago and used a belt sander and detail sander outside on the pieces (about 20 days solid in total spread over 3 years, but covered in dust). I also ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Planer/jointer/thicknesser worth it?
I have recently been using a table saw to rip cheap 2 X 4 pine for projects. However, it takes a long time to sand these down to a nice finish, and trying to keep them square is difficult.
I'm ...
1
vote
0answers
35 views
Tabletop offcut for cutting board, finishing
I bought a Gerton top for a desk and it is great. I bought a second one and made some shelves from that. I am very happy with this product.
My question is, I have some material left and would like ...
1
vote
0answers
51 views
Prepping new, very rough, pressure-treated pine fence for staining
Our new 6' privacy fence is very rough, shaggy, almost furry. We've been told it's best to get the surface smooth before staining both to allow for better absorption and to prevent unevenness when the ...
1
vote
0answers
18 views
How to smooth out final polyurethane coat? [duplicate]
first time posting here and first time doing any sort of woodworking.
I purchased the Gerton table top from IKEA and it came pretty scratchy. So I sanded it with 120 grit sandpaper and applied 3 ...
2
votes
1answer
42 views
Do I need to sand off old finish completely before applying polyurethane?
I want to add polyurethane to wood floors to protect them from wear. The floors were already finished and looked fine. I sanded one floor with 120 grit sandpaper, and now the finish looks patchy. I ...
4
votes
2answers
72 views
Sanding small corners of panel doors when refurbishing
I'm currently renovating my house and my first project is the doors. I've got some panel doors with very small edges, and I want to keep these edges nice and sharp.
I've put my paint skills to use ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
How to fix white splotches on pine from wood filler?
total newbie here. First wood project is turning a live edge piece of pine into a kitchen island, but I think I've run into a problem.
I wanted to fill holes with this wood filler,
but I covered ...
2
votes
1answer
44 views
How to refinish artificially textured surface?
I'm having a bureau used as a working place (for writing, working, studying).
Its top has artificially (I suppose) texture finished with lacquer or varnish. It looks OK, but using it as intended (to ...
0
votes
2answers
116 views
Fresh sawn oak sleepers deck
I'm planning to make a deck (~18m2) using oak railway half-sleepers (50mm thick, 200mm wide). They are fresh sawn, so they are pretty rough with splinters, etc. Is this a good idea at all? Can I sand ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
What to do after staining table and getting dark streaks
I sanded a secondhand table and after I staining it looks streaky. Don't know the type of wood.
How can I fix this?
Pic added of the table before I sanded and one after I sanded and before I added ...
3
votes
1answer
133 views
How are these toolmarks happening, and how to prevent / get rid of them?
I'm noticing that when I turn really hard woods, even with brand-new and very sharp carbide bits, sometimes I'll see these long scratches on the surface.
Often they'll only become apparent once I've ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Options for filling drill holes
What are some good solutions for fixing my wooden stairs that have giant holes in them?
I am trying to recondition the stairs and have a carpet runway up the stairs but came across these holes that ...
2
votes
2answers
340 views
A beginner's question about sanding, stain, and polyurethane for a SMOOTH finish
I'm doing to hobby pieces using 3/4" pine ply.
On my faces, I've sanded with 80, then 120, then finish with 220 using random orbit sander.
To the touch, it's very very smooth. I'll give it a good ...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
End-grain cutting block surface smoothness
I bought a cherry and walnut cutting block from an amateur woodworker. Inspecting the surface, there are these little pits in the wood, which are possibly table saw or planer marks that weren't sanded ...
3
votes
1answer
235 views
How to flatten out a wavy panel?
So I have created a door panel that has a herringbone design using 1" x 6" thin black walnut panels. I went through and filled small cracks with a glue / sawdust mix and then sanded it down as normal ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
Outdoor teak table and chairs options
I have acquired a ~10 year old Westminster (do they use grade A teak?) teak table and chairs and am now looking to restore to a high quality, starting with the table. I've had a look online for the ...
3
votes
2answers
100 views
Oiling and sanding
Would it make sense to apply linseed oil before sanding and then sand the piece and then eventually apply the oil again? In order to create less airborne sawdust. Or it wouldn't make much difference?
8
votes
2answers
664 views
In what order should I sand and route my edges?
I'm building a kitchen table from a planed slab and want to round the edges over using my router and a 1/8in round-over bit. I am curious if I should sand up (80grit - 320grit) first then do my edge ...
5
votes
4answers
3k views
How to clean clogged sandpaper
I recently bought a belt sander and noticed that while using it stationary it can get clogged (on a certain region) real fast.
The sharpness of the area is not lost but it's just clogged with wood ...
3
votes
5answers
400 views
How can I round edges in places where no router, plane or sanding block can reach?
When building boats, I often have to round edges of various parts so that they are less prone to breaking, and less likely to hurt anyone who might hit against them. However, more often than not, ...
1
vote
1answer
214 views
Finishing wood slices to an even thickness
I’m trying to make some wood slices, which I want to have a smooth flat finish, and be the same thickness across the slice (to within say 0.25mm). Ideally, all the slices would be the same thickness, ...
7
votes
1answer
84 views
How do I achieve flush joinery when the pieces need to be stained differently?
When people need flush corner joints (say, dovetails), I usually see them glue the piece up, sand or plane the joint flush, and then apply stain to the whole thing. That won't work for me, because I ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
How to sand round edges
I want to make many irregular shaped cutting boards. for making smooth edges , I want to use round over bit. because of the round edges , I don't know how to sand perfectly. I just found pipe belt ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Wood table treated with raw linseed oil, how to speed up drying?
After sanding my wood table with sandpaper grit 80, 180 and finally 240, I applied a first layer of a mixture of 25% turpentine and 75% raw linseed oil, then two layers of 100% raw linseed oil.
After ...
1
vote
1answer
57 views
How to remove paint in dent of guitar
I've sanded the body of my guitar but there are still some dents with paint in it. It's ash wood. My question is how I can remove the paint in these dents?
2
votes
1answer
264 views
White spots on ash wood
I'd just sanded down the lacquer from my guitar, which worked pretty well. After a control of the surface I saw some white rough spots as you can see in the following pictures:
As far as I know it's ...
1
vote
1answer
74 views
How can I rotate a wooden ring and still be able to sand the inner/outer surface by hand?
I'm sanding some wooden pull up rings by hand, and I'd like to know of a technique to sand them so that the ring can rotate about its center, but still allow me to grip it with some sand paper in hand ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
Does it matter when you sand in relation to applying a finish?
When I was building my first piece of furniture I remember reading a SO answer or forum post where someone made a special note of how sanding has some effect on opening up the grain, and either should ...
3
votes
1answer
840 views
Finish Sanding before or after wood burning in a design
I am starting to get into pyrography and I am completing my first design; I am wondering if I should finish sand before or after I burn in the design? It would seem that after burning in the design an ...
3
votes
4answers
155 views
How can I flatten the floor of a small carved box?
So I've drilled and carved out a small box. The Forstner bit that removed the bulk of the insides left a load of little holes in the bottom. The finish is far from perfect.
I've tried working it with ...
5
votes
1answer
328 views
Ran into a few issues while staining my table top
My table top is made out of ash. There were a few spots that didn't take the stain well. Any suggestions on how to approach fixing these spots? This is my first build, so any help is appreciated!
5
votes
2answers
579 views
Advice on surfacing board with sander
I have a couple of boards of white oak I want to glue up to make a platform for a computer. They are straight enough for a glue up but will require some surfacing for flatness and overall look.
I am ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
How do I shave off a few millimeters from a board?
When I purchase wood from the local carpenter a lot of boards are 1-2mm off which results in gaps in my furniture which I usually just fill with silicon. I don't have a sanding machine with a length ...
2
votes
1answer
264 views
Using a sheet sander vs hand sanding
I have just made a picture frame that is 30" x 9" and 2.5" from the inside of the frame to the outside.
I was just given a sheet sander and I am looking to sand the frame so it has a smooth finish ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Stair treads do not look smooth after sanding and finishing
I recently bought a house and decided to remove the carpet from the stairs and install hardwood instead. To save money, I decided to buy unfinished stair treads and risers and to finish them myself. ...
0
votes
1answer
155 views
Belt sanding belt joints
I was at the store the other day and they had a different belt available. It was a little more expensive. And instead of having tape on the back like I am used to on this new one they removed a good 1/...
5
votes
5answers
256 views
My contractor sanded our plywood seating… Is there any way to fix the finish?
Just like the title says... any way to make this look less bad?
4
votes
3answers
318 views
Color cross-contamination after sanding
I'm a novice woodworker making a knife handle from two different woods. The front and back of the handle are Indian rosewood, while the middle part is birch root. During sanding, it looks like some ...
5
votes
1answer
206 views
Spots on live edge after sanding
I have a slab of walnut with two live edges. After sanding down the live edges at 150 to remove bark and prep for finishing, I noticed these spots.
Did I over-sand somehow? Or are these some odd ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
How deep will sandpaper penetrate?
This may not be important, but it was something that I would find pretty neat to know. And the question is simple, how 'deep' will a given grit (36,80,120,etc) tear into the wood. I do not think there ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
Refinishing - how much to sand
I'm refinishing a bakers box and it has some scratches and tape over it. Am I supposed to sand the stain off or just the poly?
I generally like the color. I could darken it a shade to a darker ...
4
votes
1answer
650 views
Cheap or Expensive sandpaper?
I read on all the different types like aluminum oxide, silicone carbide, etc. And the open coat closed coat. But what about price? Is, say, a pack of 5 sheets (assorted) for $4 not going to last/...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
Finishing a narrow cavity
This is a continuation from my previous question on the log box I've been carving. Since then I've carved the handle (thanks for the advice!) and added a magnet closure system for my swivel lid (...
4
votes
1answer
242 views
Proper operation of a thickness planer and the “do not's” of planing
So during a current project of mine I ran into the issue of needing to plane down a good portion of a wooden piece (about a 1/16th - 1/8th). Now the key issue with this piece was the size and the ...
5
votes
3answers
805 views
Alternatives to a spindle sander
I was wondering what alternatives there are to a spindle sander or hand sanding when it comes to sanding concave curves.
I have seen artificial spindle sanders created using a drill press/drill, but ...
2
votes
4answers
738 views
Getting sanded poly slurry out of wood grains
I am towards the end of finishing a bench that has paduak. The wood (I found out after the fact) is quite oily and so the finish takes forever to dry. It also turns out that it loses its red color ...
2
votes
2answers
251 views
“Presanding” wood, before assembly?
I am new to woodworking. I recently completely my first job (a small bookshelf/toybox). After it was all put together, I spent a while sanding it, although it was difficult to get into the corners, ...
1
vote
2answers
55 views
Clean and protect cabinets and railing [closed]
Wanted to clean and protect the cabinets and railings in our house. They feel very dry to touch and ones in the bathroom look dirty. But first I want to understand what kind of wood was used for these....
