What grit do you start with when sanding?

[George Bokros]

I have some raised panels I just ran the profile on my router table and the field is smooth from the planer. In the past I found that using 100 grit left a surface not as smooth as what came out of the planer or off the router table. I am thinking I would start with 120 or 150 grit and for this project I have only been sanding up to 180 grit.

How do you determine what grit to start with? I realize it depends on how rough the surface is but what do you do with stock out of the planer or off the router table? Is there some surface test you do to determine the starting grit or is the rule always start with a minimum of 100 grit?

Thanks

[Bruce Page]

I start at 150 with softer woods and 120 on hard woods. I usually finish at 220, occasionally finish at 320. I rarely use 100 unless I'm trying to work out a blemish.

[Chris Merriam]

I always start with 120. While sanding if I see a defect that's not disappearing fast enough I'll drop down to 80, then back to 120

[Chris Padilla]

I usually start with 80-grit but usually a "likely worn to 100 or 120 grit" 80-grit disc for my ROS.

[Marc Burt]

I almost always start with 120. Unless I did a really poor job with the glue up.

[jack duren]

80 grit to eliminate defects and finish with 120. Remember that too high a grit accepts less finish so beware unless going natural...

[George Bokros]

80 grit to eliminate defects and finish with 120. Remember that too high a grit accepts less finish so beware unless going natural...

Sounds like an aweful coarse start and not vrty smooth finish to me. IMO.

[Matt Day]

80 grit to eliminate defects and finish with 120. Remember that too high a grit accepts less finish so beware unless going natural...

+1
........

[Jim Becker]

80 or 100, depending on the project and species.

[Mark W Pugh]

80 or 100, depending on the project and species.

80, is this because of big tool marks? I think I way over sand. So, if I don't have a lot of tool marks, do I need to start at 80?

Another question. Do you guys make your project thickness a little bigger so you can and it down smooth? Example, I plane to 3/4", but I need to sand the crap out of it for tool marks. What say you?

[Jim Finn]

I use 100 grit to do any shaping. (Rounding corners a bit) 180 grit after that to remove 100 grit scratches. I use 180-400 grit to sand between coats of finish.

[Art Mann]

If I started with 80 grit on a furniture or cabinet project where the material was run through my planer, I would be making the finish worse. I typically start with 120 grit though not always.

[John Lankers]

I use Abranet on my Mirka Ceros and start at P120 then P180 and finish with P240 on flat surfaces, I usually hand sand profiles. Plywood gets a once over with P240.
My go to tool for face frame faces and door edges is my hand plane unless I get huge tearout.

[Wayne Lomman]

The test is whether it worked. With more experience you get better at the starting point. I generally start a grade finer such as start with 120 and go back to 80 only if I'm not getting anywhere. I also keep touching the surface - if it's getting warm either the grit is too fine or the abrasive is worn. Jack Duren's approach is right. Too fine is wasted effort. Also, when staining, you can colour match by sanding dark areas finer than light areas before stain application. This varies the penetration and therefore colour. Cheers

[Martin Wasner]

I start sanding with whatever grit I plan on completing my sanding with. I've got a really decent widebelt sander though. Most of the time I'm roughing it back up with a da after running through the widebelt.

[Brad Barnhart]

Mr. Mark, no offense, but if you're having to "sand the crap" out of your work piece after hand planing, several things may be happening. 1)you may be trying to plane to deep at once, & leaving marks. 2) you're using a plane in dire need of a good sharpening. 3)possibly using the wrong plane for the job, or planing to fast. My experience with a hand plane is it should take very little sanding afterwards. You should end up with smooth surface.

Sandpaper can do more quicker than most realize. Depending on the wood, & I use all rough sawn hardwoods, I'll start with 100 grit, & finish up with 220. Sanding has its limitations, & every grit has it's limitations.

[Cary Falk]

80 grit to eliminate defects and finish with 120. Remember that too high a grit accepts less finish so beware unless going natural...

This but I usually start with 120 and end with 120 on most things. The guitar I ended with 220. Most things that I have to stain or dye I stop at 120 so the color takes. I use 320-400 between laquer, poly, etc. for most stuff. If it needs a high gloss high polish then I have some micro mesh in the 1000s.

[Rich Riddle]

80 or 100 grit is typically the starting point. There have been terrible projects where 36 grit was needed, but that's few and far between.

[Chris Padilla]

As to dying maple, I've found the best result taking it to 180 grit and spraying the dye on. I've had to do A LOT of this lately and this works for me.

[Erik Loza]

..There have been terrible projects where 36 grit was needed, but that's few and far between.

I remember when the crew was refinishing our hardwood floors and they were loading a 20-grit disc onto the machine. Had to stop and stare for a second because I had honestly never seen a disc so coarse.

Erik

[Wade Lippman]

80 or 100 grit is typically the starting point. There have been terrible projects where 36 grit was needed, but that's few and far between.

In general that is my answer also, but for the OP's question it is more likely to be 120. He should have a pretty good finish as it is.
Ending is a matter of what the particular wood.

[Joe Calhoon]

80 or 100 grit is typically the starting point. There have been terrible projects where 36 grit was needed, but that's few and far between.

We have one of the few wide belts in the area and do sanding for other shops. We see a lot of poor joinery, cupped and uneven glue ups and planer chip out. We keep a 40 grit belt around for this and call it the "road gravel"
Certan customers pull up and we say "better get the road gravel out"

[Shannon Cuffe]

I start at #180 for machine marks from a thicknesser or router. #320/#400 if I have smooth planed the surface prior to sanding. I will remove machining defects with a card scraper or plane.

[peter Joseph]

Yeah, not to sound like an elitist but I remove any and all "tooling marks" with a plane or card scraper. Only in certain woods can I go from the plane to a finish (ie. tiger maple) which is preferable in some instances. When I do sand, I start with 220 and go up to 600.

[Cody Colston]

I normally start with 120 grit and go up to 220 if I'm using a film finish. For an oil or wax finish I'll go much higher on the grit.

[Chris Fournier]

This question can only be answered intelligently if it is framed by the material, profile/face, condition off machines, use of hand tools etc.

For flat surfaces excluding commercially sliced veneer lay ups I'd start at 180 and maybe even 220 because I have cleaned things up with a hand plane. For the veneer mentioned previously 120 to finish.

For profiles and curvy edges usually 150, 120 if things are rough in spots and the rough spots get the coarse paper only, up to finish.

80 grit is for floors and turnings with some terrible tear out.

If you machines are properly tuned, cutting edges are sharp, feeds are appropriate for the material and depth of cut sanding should only really be needed to touch things up. Sanding at 220 actually kills a hand planed surface in my opinion but sanding an entire piece is best for the finishing stage as colour and films seem to like it best.

A good selection of files is an alternative to coarse paper on some surfaces.

I don't mind sanding at all but I have learned over the years that careful stock preparation and sharp tools reducing sanding greatly.

[peter gagliardi]

We have one of the few wide belts in the area and do sanding for other shops. We see a lot of poor joinery, cupped and uneven glue ups and planer chip out. We keep a 40 grit belt around for this and call it the "road gravel"
Certan customers pull up and we say "better get the road gravel out"

Joe, now that there ^^^^^^^ is funny!
I tried a 60 grit belt, only once in our SCM machine, and it couldn't handle it- wouldn't track well at all.
Of course, it is an entry level machine, made for light work.

With 40 grit, I bet you can almost hear the individual grains hitting the board, :D

[Martin Wasner]

Joe, now that there ^^^^^^^ is funny!
I tried a 60 grit belt, only once in our SCM machine, and it couldn't handle it- wouldn't track well at all.
Of course, it is an entry level machine, made for light work.

With 40 grit, I bet you can almost hear the individual grains hitting the board, :D

The shop next door bought a few 36 grit belts. They were making tables from recycled fir and the customer wanted a rough finish. It made an eerie sound. The belt also weighed way more than a typical grit.

I keep a 60 and 80 belt(s) for hogging in the widebelt. Full width passes and I can take .040" passes in most materials with pulling too hard on the machine. Though the 60 is doing the majority of the removal.

It amazes me, (and i can't wrap my head around), how a fine belt removing almost no material pulls so much harder than course belt that it's just hogging material off.

[Chris Padilla]

It amazes me, (and i can't wrap my head around), how a fine belt removing almost no material pulls so much harder than course belt that it's just hogging material off.

Sitting here thinking about it a bit, I would say that there is more surface area grabbing the wood the finer one goes with the grit level.

[Martin Wasner]

Sitting here thinking about it a bit, I would say that there is more surface area grabbing the wood the finer one goes with the grit level.


Yeah.... but if you think of it longer you swing back the other way. Give it more time yet, and you're back to the other conclusion.

I've just succumbed to the fact that widebelt sanders are all made at Hogwarts, and we just aren't told that

[Chris Padilla]

I did think some more. There is also less air between the wood and finer grits and they also clog up faster and that could result in fighting a suction force.

No Hogwarts involved...just physics!! :)

[Martin Wasner]

Yeah.... but with 120 & 180 in my machine I can take about .010 - .015" a pass on something 40" wide.

Do 60 & 80, and I'm at .040" per pass and pulling about the same amperage.

With the finer belts I'm probably just barely pulling a full scratch. With the course belts I'm well past the depth of the scratch.

I understand what it is, just not why.

[J.R. Rutter]

I understand what it is, just not why.

Same reason a 100T blade has more resistance than a 24T blade.