So, you think you know how to sand, eh?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มี.ค. 2021
- FULL OF TIPS! A comprehensive tutorial on one of the most important parts of any woodworking project.
Guide to Grits►
60-80 (carbide discs for leveling/shaping)
80-120-150 (When applying a lot of stain)
80-120-180 (When applying a little stain)
80-120-180 (When applying polyurethane or built-up film finishes)
80-120-180-220/240 (When applying natural oils)
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I can't tell you how your calm voice and expert instruction has completely changed then way I work. The main takeaway I get from your videos is to slow down and pay attention to what I am doing with these potentially dangerous tools, and you accomplish this without crazy background music and distracting graphics. Thank You!
Agreed!
yeah i agree. i've only just discovered this channel and my sawing/sanding etc has always been fast and aggressive. usually by the end of my project i'm sweating like a pig, cursing, swearing and shouting insults at the wood's momma haha. 'your mom was a fuckin tree!!' but stumbling across this guy, i think i need to slow it down and just enjoy the craft a bit more
Exactly.
Exactly thanks for your comments.
I agree as well. I don't need someone screaming to get my attention. I can actually retain info from Stumpy and I already have issues with that.
I feel like I’m in a graduate level university course when I watch James Hamilton. He dives deeply, but explains the dive so clearly that even a neophyte like me can learn via his friendly and personal approach to Internet learning.
I luh dis guy
I have to tell you this. I have been selling sandpaper in many forms forms for 22 years. This video you made just blew my mind. It’s not necessarily the knowledge you implied it’s how you implied it. So straight forward and so understandable to non woodworkers. Unreal job, I am stealing some of your words to help my business. Huge new fan. You are awesome!
It's always good to use flattery before stealing some words. You've done well there, sir.
Sandpaper salesmen can be so abrasive.
I think James will forgive you, if you recommend his channel to your customers. ;)
Someone needs to look up imply.
@@terrysullivan1992 What are you implying?
This guy is an excellent instructor. TH-cam needs to provide an award for teaching exemplars.
Yes. Agree. In a digital world inundated with different level of knowledge people, and professionals, it would be great to have that somewhat more identifiable. This was really good. Makes you want to have 6hs of deep dive one each key moment of the video.
I like to sand. I like the way it makes your hand numb and I like watching the wood slowly get removed. I really find it to be meditative. Sanding is one of my favorite woodworking tasks. I’m not kidding. Getting a rough piece of wood to a smooth sanded texture is one of my favorite things.
Maybe I'm odd - I enjoy sanding. Feeling each layer become more even and smooth is a semi-Zen experience for me, and I'm really proud once I've created a very smooth surface.
Same here. It's a messy process, sure, but it's incredibly rewarding as each level progresses.
Amen brother. That's what sets us apart!
Oh sure, until your boss pushes 500 panels over to your bench and says make it fast, they have to be perfect and not one sand through.
@@AuldViolin Hard for the boss to do that in an engineering department...
@@rodshop5897 sure, I guess puffing out a rosewood jewelry box once in awhile is ok but in general sanding is the hardest job in any wood shop. In my next life I’ll stay in college so I can be an engineer.
When I watch these videos I realize that I know nothing. Thanks for doing these. They really help us beginners who don't have a master to teach us.
I'm a technical instructor by profession, but I'm nowhere as effective as you are at explaining something in a calm, friendly, logical, and easy-to-follow way as you. I thought I was going to learn a few "golden nuggets" of unknown information, but you opened my eyes up to so many considerations! I totally enjoy your videos and I immediately subscribed. Kudos to you for sharing your knowledge and experience.👏👏👏
Southerners must be better woodworkers as they never skip their grits.
instructions unclear. sandpaper clogged with butter and cheese.
@@ElTurbinado That's not clogging. That's lubrication!
@@wisenber lol. if i ever make a woodworking video i'll have to remember to slip "now, wet sand to 320 with butter and cheese" in without breaking a smile.
The amount of northerners who completely missed that joke....
GitRDone Son! GO VOLS!!
One thing I’ve found that also helps is ensuring you have good lighting. Ideally low angle/raking light either from windows or from an LED light. Imperfections show up while you can still do something about them.
THIS! Sunlight is your best bet, but hard side lighting *raking light is very good. There are mill marks you CANNOT see in shitty lighting, as I found out today but luckily caught it before it went to the paint shop.
I now know 300% more about sanding than I did at first. The cool thing is I do happen to have a sanding project coming up so this was timely information, thank you!
I am new to the sanding world but in three months I have fallen madly in love! I am a female in a very male-dominated warehouse and I have picked up skill fast but know I can be much better. I have absolutely made it my mission to be a sanding Superstar basically 😂 I think it is fascinating and a bit of magic and love the fact that each piece has different challenges and I see upwards of 100 pieces daily, EASY. I would enjoy to see some videos for an industrial setting that could include large pieces, both solid and veneer and moulding tips and tricks too! We make various pieces from raw wood examples include; refrigerator end panels, cabinets of all shapes and sizes, moulding, etc. we work with a lot of solid wood but some is just the veneer overlay that you showed in this video. We are sanding 60 hrs+ per week and at that rate I am worried about maintaining a good quality while also managing time to keep the production up to par. I'm a perfectionist with pride lol so I'm worried about what quality my team and I are sending to the next department for paint and stain. Thank you for the video I am so glad I found it and look forward to more!
I've been wood working for fifty years and your videos are excellent and so informative. Keep up the great work and thank you! ( You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. )
Ive been a carpenter for over 40 years and a trim and finish carpenter for over 20. The one thingI like about it is there's always something to learn and projects to challenge ones self. I appreciate the sharing of your knowledge.
I used to hate sanding, grade 7 Shop class ugh!! That teacher did me no favor for the love of the grain.
I now, after decades of sanding, know better, and find it thrilling (yeah I'm weird) to see what's underneath that old thick paint(yes I use PPE 😉) or ah ? whatever the people before me used as stain. Omg 😲 sometimes your like, "did they mix tar with Coca-Cola??" 🤣🙄🤨
I6 months ago I finally decided I'll buy myself an orbital sander, and 😲 WOW!! the difference.
I will admit to a learning curve. Today I decided to look up how to use it,and thank God I found your videos. So much help I've been watching for hours now.
So thank you for your non annoying voice, and for conveying in a way that I can understand. You have introduced me to so many great tips. The one about putting the mark on the sand paper To see if I'm pushing too hard, that's brilliant.
I'm going to try the pencil trick now I'll tell you how it goes
After watching your video yesterday, I went home and started sanding my latest project, a walnut cutting board. I needed to level out the surfaces a bit. I grabbed what I thought was an 80 grit disc and started sanding just as you instructed. When I thought it was pretty level, I checked the surface. It felt a lot rougher than I had anticipated. When I double checked the disc, I discovered it was actually a 60 grit. Apparently, these old eyes don't see so well. I remembered what you said about increasing the grit number by 50%. I cracked out the closest grit I had to 90 (which was 80 grit and went to work. Then jumped to 120, 180 and finally 220. The finish was beyond my wildest expectation. I think your formula worked perfectly.
I found this particular cutting board design in a woodworking magazine. The walnut pieces are 3/4" x 1-1/8" and laminated such that the board is 1-1/8" thick. I have a special strip assembly that is made up of (2 pieces each) 1/4" x 1-1/8" pieces of Padauk, mahogany, purple heart and maple, each about 18 inches long. I stack and laminate them to form a block that is 2" wide, 1-1/8" thick and 18 inches long. On my miter saw, I make cuts at a 22.5 degree angle and create laminated wedges that are about an inch wide (angle face to angle face). Those short angled strips are sandwiched between two 1/4" x 1-1/8" maple strips (18 inches long) and glued together. The width of the assembled strip ends up at 1-1/2" wide x 1-1/8" thick and is placed about 1/3 of the way within the walnut laminations. I have been considering sending this glued assembly through a thickness planer, rather than sanding with a random orbital sander. My concern is with the small, 1/4" thick laminated pieces of padauk, mahogany, purple heart and maple. They sit at about a 22.5 degree angle to the walnut grain. I'm afraid the planer will rip then out of position, destroying the board or I'll get tear out within these pieces due to the grain being at a different angle than the walnut grain. Have you had any experience with this type of laminations? I assume I need to take very, very thin cuts, but I am still worried about the laminated pieces catching on the blade. I wanted to attach a photo of the board but couldn't. What are your thoughts? Thank you. Don
As a complete novice, this was incredibly helpful and informative. Love the pencil idea - definitely trying this! Thanks so much 😊
I’ve been working with wood a long time. I feel I know more than my friends and family. BUT I do know 1/2 as much as you. Thanks for another video that took me to school. Lol
Possibly the best woodworking channel out here
We can talk all day about sanding techniques.....sure WE can....
Don't get my wrong I would listen.....but not talk....
GREAT channel. Will watch everything you post!
I never knew that tip for end grain! Thank you :- ) for making this vid !
So helpful. I love that you didn't just share what to do, but why. I knew some and definitely learned some. The light pencil pattern is genius.
Just did my first project. I thought I did great but after watching your video, I realized all the mistakes I made. Next project, I will definitely follow your tips. Thanks!
And I thought I knew how to sand ! How naïve I have been. At the age of 62 I'm learning all over again ! Driving the wife mad because I'm now saying things like: "Stumpy says . . " or when she thinks she knows best: "Not according to Stumpy". That one really gets up her nostrils. . . . . just light hearted humour, while learning some 'game changing' stuff. Thanks for all your excellently presented tutorials.
Stumpy, I have to say that you are my "go to" source on woodworking. I really appreciate all that you do help us less experienced guys that who are just getting into woodworking. Thank you very, very much.
You are hitting it out of the park with your content lately!
Stumpy you are the best narator on whole YT, maybe you will be first YT channel that I will mark with bell icon.
The next time I have some sanding to do I'll definitely rember your tips!
I appreciate how precise you are with your processes. It's always a relief to find someone whose mind works the same way. I did, however, do a double take when you said "no one likes sanding", because it's my favorite part of woodworking! So satisfying.
This is perhaps the most well done and comprehensive video I've ever seen on any topic. You are a gifted teacher. Thank you.
You've just given new meaning to the phrase "Hand Finished". Love the bit about not pressing too hard. I'll stop doing that. Great tutorial.
I swear, I press down so hard that I have 6 broken sanders in a box (I keep saying that I will fix them). My "it cant be me" attitude has just been canceled.
Happy to be a fan of a fan of one of the original 6.
This guy way of teaching his ideas works like a charm. Ive been sanding bad for a while, but after his video ill be able to challenge it totally different.thatd why i never miss a video, lated but shorely.
After lots of experimentation, I've settled on a rule of thumb of roughly doubling the final grit of my long grain when finishing end grain. I've found it gives me the most even match when staining. So if I finish the face at 180, I use 320 on the end grain. For 220, I use 400. Great video, there are some things I hadn't considered that I'm going to start adopting.
That part of the video on long grain and finishing grain required for me a deeper dive and several playbacks. Your shared tule will help me build some technique too. Thanks.
Whoa. Sanding discs? That sounds life changing
The most sanding I've done on a project was in high school. I was in an engineering technologies class and the one project was to make a CO2 powered model drag car. We were given 4 weeks to build it and I finished the design and shaping after only the 3rd day. We weren't allowed to do anything else during class so I sanded that car up to 4000 grit. It was as smooth a glass when I was done. It also broke the schools record for fastest time down the track
Never heard of you before watching this video. After 1 minute of watching I decided to subscribe!
Project Farm recently did a great head to head comparison of quite a few sandpaper brands. It's worth the time to watch!
For whatever reason he didn't include festool paper.
@@ThekiBoran 🤦🏼♂️
@@ryane6719 💩
@@ThekiBoran lol, I was agreeing with you FYI
@@ryane6719
It's so tiny I couldn't see it. I wrongly assumed you were somehow making fun of my comment. My apologies. Festool isn't perfect, I have issues with a couple of my festool tools but there are lots of festool haters out there.
I don't know how I found this channel but I am so thankful I did. I was taught how to use a power sander incorrectly when I was a teenager and would have otherwise never have known any better
Edit: spelling
You and Steve Ramsey are the two best instructors of the woodworking craft on TH-cam IMO. This is an excellent video, thanks very much!
Wow. Now THAT was a comprehensive lesson. Going to require it for my wood shop class! Thanks!
I love sanding. It's my way to destress. I enjoy the small and fine details
Yes, please, talk all day about sanding techniques 😍
Your sander is so happy because you use good quality sandpaper and go through the grits properly
Wow! The amount of sanding knowledge packed into this video is incredible. Thank you for making this!
I’m the odd man out I actually like sanding, it means that the project is nearly finished.
I don’t particularly like it all the time but I do find it nice time to listen to a podcast or get deep in thought
I like it because its a really good feeling to be able to touch your project and it being smooth
I agree. It's the final stages and the point where you see all the hard workl come together. I find it quite therapeutic.
Agreed! It's a part of the process. :)
I'm the same, means I'm nearly done with the body work and on the way to paint!
Thanks so much for your videos! I have learned so much from you!!! I appreciate the fact that you aren’t showing everyday beginner woodworkers how to do it with your Festool sander. Not hating on Festool but they are out of reach for most people and it just irritates me when people try create relatable videos with stuff I will probably never even hold in my hand. Your videos are practical and when you say I should spend the extra money I know I should.
You promised I would learn something new and you delivered! I like the idea of a carbide disk for 60 grit, reducing pressure on the sander, and jumping up grits by 50%. A couple of things you might talk about next time: when to change the sanding pad, how to clean the buildup in sand paper (maybe with an eraser?), and cleaning an orbital sander.
Bought a Harvey ambassador and expanded my skill base after discovering your channel; thank you from Houston
Your videos are amazing. I’ve learned a lot from many different channels but you always explain the why? question so well. I love learning the proper way to do things with theory behind it.
Good video. Been a woodworker since I was 10 (built my first boat). Been a professional woodworker for o ver 40 years. Had a shop as large as a dozen employees, and have trained dozens. And, from that perspective, this is almost all excellent advice.
My quibbles --
1. About using your first grit in consistent, even, strokes... with NO bearing down or focusing on certain lower or rougher spots. I'd call that theoretically true, and the ideal approach. But in the real world... it really IS possible to bear concentrate on such areas - which, you're right, does compromis perfect flatness - and then ameliorate that compromise by 'feathering the divot. Feathering in taking larger and longer strokes with that same grit... so that a 'bowl' area becomes an area of long, gradual tapers. Yes, that's next level stuff, but deserves a mention at least.
2. Active dust collection IS ideal. But I never use it, as the hose can get cumbersome. Instead, I keep an air gun handy and occasionally just blow off the sanding disc. Never had the 'pigtail' problem.
3. It appears you are making a mistake that is one of my pet peeves with hook & loop pads. That is, setting a sander down with no disc attached. Doing so... esp. if is then slid around... and very esp. if it is accidentally turned on... will break of the fragile hooks. In the same way that bearing down and generating heat will compromise them. If you aren't actually making that mistake - I couldn't be dead certain from the video - that danger should at least be mentioned. I NEVER allow a sander to be set down or put away sans disc/paper.
Thanks for your good work!
The 320 grit tip for in-between sanding was life saving. About to varnish a bench and your the only one to recommend this. I was about to use the wrong grit. Thanks
I love my 80 grit Duragrit block, it’s a great investment.
I am new to wood working and enjoy sanding. For me it’s somewhat meditative and I learn a lot about what I did wrong on the project that I can hopefully learn from.
Thanks for all the videos, such a wealth of knowledge!
Duragrit only makes 40, 60, and 80 grit sandpaper. The other grits have been discontinued.
But those remaining grits are my “Go-To” sandpapers.
Great video: Thanks!
I should have watched this before building my son's loft bed. The finish would have turned out better. Thanks for the great tips!
Wonderful wonderful wonderful, so much in that I have had to save to watch several times, note not enough at first viewing.
Cheers
Bob
England
One time I found a pack of sand paper from a dollar store and figured why not. Well you would be far more productive to just use the dollar bill.
Well said, lol!
It happened to me too (well, with euro coins); the sandpaper had been manufactured in a certain big Asian country...
No matter how long I've been doing something in woodworking, every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new I can use, in a clear and concise manner. Thanks much and thumbs up to crush a troll.
I'm currently 40 years old if I were to ask 20-year-old or even 30-year-old me if I ever thought I'd watch a video about wood sanding techniques or if that specific topic would ever seem interesting at any point in my future, I would have died laughing...... Yet here I am voice to texting a comment on that very same subject matter.... Not only that the information was delivered in such a concise manner I now feel compelled to look up this channel and dig deeper into the art of sanding wood....... I must say this seems like a rabbit hole from which I may never escape
Great video! I definitely learned a few things. I was taught the best way to conquer sanding was to avoid it as much as possible by hand planing 👍
I totally agree 👍
That was the best sanding advice I've heard yet.
I have done a substantial amount of finish carpentry using alternative methods. I've had a lot of success with those methods but the cost of material and time adds up over time. I really appreciate the effort you put into making these videos to help individuals such as myself make better use of our resources and time. Once again, thank you for your effort.
I love sanding. I love the meditative quality of it. I love the the experience of slowly seeing that wood take on that smooth luster and “mature” before my eyes into a finished product.
You are so easy to listen to. As my French daughter in law taught me: I go to bed less stupid 🌞. Thanks for sharing
But then you wake up and you're back to square one.
J espère que tu feras un saut à Paris with your son and his fiancée!🇫🇷Si ce n’est déjà fait !
@@jolldoes1515 He worked in Frog pubs for a long time and lives 40 km North of Paris.
@@raydriver7300 probably pontoise surrounding I left my town Paris close to 3 decades ago and live today in North America and can see Canada at the end of my street France has became harder I don’t know frog pub but I worked at France 2 TV station as a freelance video assistant .It hard everywhere but I m happier in the US 🇺🇸
@@jolldoes1515 It fascinates me that we can exchange messages in seconds over 6000 miles. My granddaughter was born in Pontoise so you are close. Look up the Frog and rosbif in Rue St Denis in Paris. He worked in the Frog and Rosbif in Toulouse before moving to Paris. I’m in the UK. Stay safe
Using dust extraction on a palm or mouse sander helps to extend the life of the sander as it pulls in more cool air, and doesn't rely on the sander alone to cool itself.
Just goes to show that every day is a school day. I've sanded a million miles of timber ( oh the joys of a workshop apprenticeship and making a terrible brew) and I never got taught the end grain nugget.Great video and to think my wife shakes her head when she catches me watching woodworking vids. I'd probably look less guilty about some naughty internet search history 😋
As a beginner, this has to be one of.. no, THE best sanding video out there!
how do you feel about the newer sanding "nets" that are becoming more popular? Personally I love them.
I've been using those Abranet pads for years & they are truly excellent. They even become smoother evenly as they wear out, so you can just use a single one in place of a couple of different sandpaper grades. Apart from dealing with really aggressive chip-out or glue removal, I'd not go back to paper or cloth backed stuff on the lathe now because the open mesh builds up so much less heat too.
I had to laugh when this video popped up. I just picked up some diablo sandpaper and ready to sand for a project. Holy coincidence. 👍
Watch the project farm video as well?
@@_P0tat07_ LOL, yep!
Absolutely.
I just bought some more Diablo stuff yesterday too..
Got some 40 grit and 80 grit pads for my 125mm AEG (called Rigid in the US), these will compliment the 120,180,220,320 and 400 pads I got a few months ago.
Having just looked at the Duragrit link, I'm nearing the $210US for the 7 piece set, but I have a wider range of grits with the commonly available Diablo stuff..
Also, I'd need to add 30% (plus shipping) to that $210 to get them sent to me in Australia.. So, Diablo it is.
@@genelomas332 Well, you can't go wrong with Diablo. Project Farm did the sandpaper shootout and it pretty much came out on top. 👍
Sanding by hand that final grit with the grain is so important for a finish that will withstand scrutiny.
Fellow Red Wings fan here! 👊 I’m refinishing our dining room table for the first time and this video was incredibly helpful! It was instructional with enough detail that was concise and wasn’t overwhelming or superfluous or boring and yet wasn’t lacking. Great video!
I always enjoy learning something that I thought I already knew but didn’t. Thanks for the sanding techniques especially about proper pressure of the orbital sander, I also wonder how you have a Dewalt sander, but have a Festool hose fit? Do you have a special adapter?
I normally use a Mirka sander and Festool extractor, but I didn't want people thinking you needed a $600 sander to get good results :) The hole just happens to fit the Dewalt. It goes inside the port instead of over the outside.
need some googly eyes on that orbital sander
I'm a novice and I've learnt so much in this video. Please make more videos to share your experience. Maybe videos on different grades of wood, conditions, say if it's rough sawn vs wet. Treated pine vs untreated vs hardwoods. Thank you!
I'm about as beginner as you get. I got into this after replacing the floors in my home and now I'm working on building built in bookshelves in most of the common rooms in my house. Simple and easy to understand I found myself actually staring intently at this entire video able to absorb the information. As one mentor to another great job.
I hate using 80 grit paper, I always endeavor to have my tools do a good enough job to be able to start with 120 grit.
That's true if you have a planer and jointer but not everyone has them. Rough lumber can definitely use the 80 if you don't have those tools.
I've been wearing snug-fitting cloth gloves when I hand sand. Much much less fatigue..
Good tip. Which mask do you recommend?
@@Avital4414 Well the masks with the hair that sticks out wildly to the sides like Bozo work best for me, but everything beyond the gloves is just preference really.
@@mickblock as clowns go, I think I prefer Crusty. But I do have nostalgia about Bozo.
I love sanding. Both with tools and by hand. It can be hard but with good music around I am fine.
dude you're the real deal. You helped me so much with this information. Greetings from Peru!
On plywood, I tend to only hand sand and then it's with very fine grits like 220 or so. Power sanders no matter what grit can eat through that veneer way too fast.
So nice to see a video by someone who sounds like he really knows what he’s talking about! Thank you!
Still the most useful video on this whole channel, and I come back to rewatch often and share with others. Thank you very much!
I like your delivery very much. Keep'em going!
Very glad I found this video. I have not spent enough time learning about wood prep and finishing. Thanks.
The reward for good sanding...is a good finish. Conversely, the reward for lousy sanding is a lousy finish. Good point about people putting their hands in places you can't see. The sense of touch is sharper than eyesight for most people. Thank you James.
Thanks for your FREE tips. I definitely learned something new. Don't leave too much pressure on your orbit sander (medium pressure), pencil marks for even level wood, quality difference in sand paper, use 3 levels of sanding grids in order to level the wood even, good idea to remove former grid level of sandpaper and extraction of woodparticles by vacuuming. I have a whole bunch of wood work to do. Can't keep up! :'D Thanks a lot! :-)
Graig G best said being a beginner really nice to hear and quality tips. Really really enjoy listening and learning. I was getting frustrated as I looked at different videos. It’s overwhelming I came across your video. No more looking at other videos. Awesome job well spoken great information. Now I’ll be able to take a bigger projects. Looking forward to more videos.
All Day IPA?! Nice choice! Love a GR brew.
Belt sander tips would be a nice subject too.
As a hardwood flooring contractor my go to finish sander is the Porter Cable 505 vibe, or 1/2 sheet sander. It's aggressive enough to take out edger or rotary sander marks; and it leaves a nice inconspicuous scratch pattern. 60 grit for oak, 80 grit for maple.
Thanks...you've just opened up my eyes to the why's and wherefore's of sanding techniques...
Stumpy I love watching your videos. I learn something every time. I am a 58 year old wood worker and consider myself schooled and good at what I do. I am a learner when it comes to wood working and always will be. I learn stuff that I use every day. I don't watch the other guys anymore because when you find what works, and works good l, then just keep coming back. Thank you Edward
Thank you for the sanding tips, Stumpy, especially the 'Guide to Grits'.
I was just looking at that Dewalt, variable speed DA sander this morning, and I'm glad to learn about these long-life, carbide sanding disks.
I always enjoy your informative videos, many thanks, I'm learning a lot from them!
A great video.
I would agree with about 98% of what you said.
Before watching some of the "woodworkers" on youtube I didn't even know that anyone thought it was fine to go directly from random orbital sander to finishing. In our refinishing/restoration show we ALWAYS hand sand before finishing.... and we rarely go higher than 180 on the wood - though I will go to 220 for table tops.
You COULD go directly to finish from a mechanical sander, but you would need to sand to like 320 - 400 (i.e. so fine that the swirls, and they are still there, aren't noticeable). In my opinion, it isn't worth the trouble. The only places I would leave without a hand sanding would be table undersides and other places no one will see.
If you notice antiques were not cleaned up or even finished on unseen areas - because they weren't going to waste time and materials doing it. It is only with the advent of modern finishing machines that we see backs and undersides being cleaned up and finished - because it is much faster and costs are lower (not that you would think so with lumber prices).
And YES - about extra fine sanding on end grains. It seems very few people realize this. The end grains absorb much much more stain then the long grains do - resulting in much darker wood.
You can presoak the end grains. So say I'm using an oil based stain. If I soak the end grains with paint thinner, less stain can soak in, preventing darkening.
You can also pre-seal end grains by using thinned shellac or a sanding sealer. This will simply partially seal the end grains and prevent the stain from over soaking in.
I do prefer to just sand to a finer grit since, in my opinion, it just looks better.
My personal method is to mechanically sand to one grit higher than I actually want to be at. Then I drop back 1 grit for hand sanding. This means I am not actually doing much hand sanding because my hand sanding grit is going to go deeper than an swirls left from the one grit higher.
I do disagree about raising the grain and then doing a sanding with your final grit. You will still need to do a bit of sanding with your final grit.
If you are going to pre-raise your grain by dampening it - do it after ALL your sanding and then only lightly go back over it. ONLY enough to knock the nibs off. The reason is, that layer of wood you raised the grain on is very thin - as in just the surface. If you aggressively sand it at all, you will cut through to fresh wood and the grain raising would need to be done again to have any effect.
About marking the wood with a pencil as a signal you've sanded enough...
Maybe, but I'm not sure. The scratches from, say 80 grit, are well below the surface. The pencil marks are only on the surface. So if you only sand until you get through the pencil marks have you really removed the previous scratches? I generally have a feel for how long I need to sand... but it is an interesting idea - I will need to test it with raking light and see if it works.
Just a thought - if you are planning to stain the wood... You can make checking the surface for swirls or cross scratches by use raking light and wet the surface using a rag with paint thinner. Wetting the surface with paint thinner will not raise the grain, and will soak into cross scratches and swirls more - making them slightly darker.
Also - raw wood with paint thinner wiped onto it will let you see what the wood will look like with a clear finish.
The pencil technique is an awesome recommendation to evaluate highs and lows on the surface.
Sanding is a big world.. Full of details.. A real woodwork must know sanding tricks.
Excellent information. Thank you!
Dang, I've watched so many sanding videos in preparation for a project I plan to start & yours was by far the most insightful for me. Cant thank you enough, I look forward to checking out your other videos as well!
The details given in this video is what it takes to achieve the highest quality work. This is science of sanding. Thank you.