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Eddie Ormerod
12-20-2009, 4:53 PM
I am finishing a desk for my office. After all of my projects I always think I am sanding to much and always want to get better at the finishing process.
I went to a woodworking show and saw a finishing seminar. He said any sanding below 100 grit is not used for finishing. It's used for wood removal.
So on a desk that I built, I used 80 grit to get rid of the glue spots. Then I used the process that I was taught from the seminar: Use 100 grit, 150, 180, 220. He said to raise the wood by squirting water on the wood from a bottle. Then I used a 320 grit. Sanding only a stroke or 2. On the grain he recommended to double the grit used on the flat surfaces. 320 on the flat and 600 on the end grain. Color matched very well.
Anyway after rambling on, what is your normal process? Am I sanding to much? Oh, and I am doing 2 coats of stain and 2 coats of water based poly on red oak to complete my desk.
Eddie

Frank Hill
12-20-2009, 9:31 PM
I know this will get some people going but raising grain is so insane to me. I will seal my projects with a .5lb cut of dewaxed clear shellac. This will stiffen the wood up for a great final sanding and not raise the grain. Also it will even out any stain or dye application you put on the wood.

Most sanding problems come from two extremes: Not sanding enough before moving up grit and sanding too much which in effect burnishes the wood and makes finishing a bear, particularly in oak.

I can only speak for what I do. I will sand up to 120 on oak making sure that before I move up in grit, I have erased all previous sanding marks from the grit prior to the one I'm currently using. Before using the 120, I will wipe everything down with naptha. Any defects will show up as dark areas and tell me where I need to spend some extra time. Use a piece of chalk to mark these areas. Once the chalk is sanded off, the problems are usually gone also. Once I get to 120, I will hit it with the shellac and do a final sand with 150 or 180 depending what I have on hand and then move on to colored shellacs using a really high grit to just knock off any nibbs that happened to find there way to the surface.

Tony Bilello
12-20-2009, 10:24 PM
....... He said to raise the wood by squirting water on the wood from a bottle. ....Eddie

Yes that would raise the grain, but what good is it actually doing? If you squirted the wood with water a second time or used most finishes or stains, the grain would raise again. The purpose of a primer/sealer is to raise the grain, stiffen it so it will sand easily and seal the grain from raising again.
Also, you are doing way too much sanding. The higher grits in sanding will more or less burnish the wood to the point where sealers and finishes will not penetrate enough to give a good bond.