Mix hand planing and sanding?

[Tom Jones III]

I am approaching the end of a project and I'm not sure where to go next. I have hand planed the entire project and it looks great. Wiping it down with mineral spirits tells me that it is time for final assembly and then the finish. However, there are a couple of small trouble spots and I will need to either use a card scraper or sandpaper.

Can I sand only the small trouble spots, or do I have to sand the entire project to get a uniform look when I apply the finish?

I know that someone will quickly ask what finish I will use ... I don't know yet. I'm still wrestling with that question. It will not be anything glossy. I would love an oil type finish but I may need something with more protection.

Most likely, I will decide on the finish, then hand plane a test board and sand a small section of it to see what it looks like. But, I was hoping that someone would know off the top of their head and point me in the right direction.

[Jim Becker]

A hand planed surface can be wonderful, especially if you'll be using a finish that provides a silky tactile feel, such as tung oil, BLO or even an oil/varnish mix. But having a whole project with a hand-planed surface can be challenging for sure! Sanding can also provide adhesion help for some kinds of finish as long as you don't go really super fine with it.

Your plan to work though things with a test board or three is a good one...both for the sanding vs planed as well as for working out the rest of your project's finishing schedule. Never experiment on the "real project"!!

[Wayne Lomman]

Don't mix surface finishes on the one component. The change in texture changes the way the timber accepts the finish which changes the appearance. So if a rail has a defect, sand that whole face. If it doesn't, don't touch it.

If you are staining, it is better to use the same finish regime on everything. This is actually an important finishing skill. A sanded surface will stain darker than a planed surface. A coarser sanded finish will stain darker than a finer sanded finish. You can use this textural difference to colour match a job. Cheers