Sanding issue

[Steve Hayes]

I'm working on a couple of projects that I used Basswood on. It came out great but when I sand it the wood just fuzzes up. Is there a trick to getting a smooth surface or is it just how the wood reacts when sanding?

Steve

[Prashun Patel]

One trick I've used is lightly wetting the piece with a washcoat of shellac. It helps freeze the fibers in place so they can be ground off by the sandpaper, instead of partially pushed around as happens with soft fibers.

This is a problem if you are coloring. If not, give it a try. It works with varnish as well.

The only downside is that you'll waste more sandpaper.