![]() ![]() ![]() Lower grit sandpapers remove more wood than higher grit sandpapers, but they also leave deep sanding marks in the wood. Those sandpapers are made for other uses, like autobody work. Higher grit sandpapers create fine sawdust that can clog the pores of wood and inhibit staining and finishing, which is why most projects recommend stopping the sanding process at 180 grit, unless you’re intentionally trying to close up wood pores (see staining end grain post.)Īt the store, you’ll also see sandpaper that is well above 240 grit, like 400, 800, and even 1000. Most wood projects use sandpaper between 40 and 240 grit, with the exception of wood floor sanding, where you might start with a 24 grit sandpaper. Lower grits indicate corser sandpaper, while higher grits represent smoother sandpaper. And no matter what I did afterward, I couldn’t get the marks off.Īnd so those marks you see above will forever be embedded in the tabletop, all because I didn’t sand with the grain. I had a real hard time getting the paint off, so I decided to sand against the grain for a bit. And here’s the thing about sanding against the grain: it actually removes material faster than sanding with the grain. I used a belt sander to remove multiple layers of paint. Take a look at this tabletop ( full saga here) I refinished back when I didn’t know better: Not only are scratches against the grain difficult to remove, they’re also really obvious. Therefore, if you sand with a low grit sandpaper against the grain, you’ll have major scratches in the wood that you won’t be able to get out of the piece. Secondly, scratches that aren’t in the direction of the grain are really difficult to remove. While there might still be a scratch, it will be unnoticeable because it looks just like the grain of the wood. The are two reasons for this.įirst off, any scratches that still exist at the end of the sanding process will blend in with the grain. The first way to minimize sanding scratches is by sanding in the direction of the grain. Sanding the right way means the finish product won’t have any visible scratches on it, which is exactly what you want! Sanding With the Grain ![]() So it’s important we minimize those scratches as much as we can during the sanding process. While you might not be able to see the scratches initially, both wood stain and wood finish can highlight them, because the scratches take finish differently than the rest of the piece. You probably can’t see the scratches as you sand, but I promise you, they’re there!Ĭoarser/lower grit sandpapers leave larger scratches than higher grit sandpaper. Sandpaper works by scratching the surface of the wood, removing a very thin layer of wood from the piece. But there are a few other details that help your project come out as flawless as possible! How Sandpaper Works Sanding wood really is as simple as grabbing some sandpaper and rubbing it against the wood. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive compensation (at no additional cost to you.) Sanding Basics Note: This blog contains affiliate links. This is the general process for sanding wood, but the directions can be a little different depending on your exact purpose, so lets look a little closer! Repeat with 80 grit, 120 grit, and 180 grit sandpapers, working your way from lowest to highest grit. Rub 60-grit sandpaper against the wood in the direction of the grain until the pencil line is gone. To sand wood, scribble a light pencil line on the wood. Don’t! Sanding wood is an important prep step before staining or finishing wood, and it’s really not that hard to do! Sanding wood is one of those steps that people like to skip. ![]()
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