Even the best unfinished woods require some sanding before you apply a finish. If you know the basics of sanding, you'll be better prepared for the task. Power sanders can save you lots of time. The orbital hand sander (figure A) spins in a circle with an elliptical orbit and may be used in any direction on the wood. A hand sander that moves only back and forth (figure B) must be used along the grain of the wood. When you've finished using a power sander, it's a good idea to do the final sanding by hand. Start with 60-grit (medium-coarse) sandpaper (figure C). Use a sanding block to help you apply even pressure. If you don't use a block, your fingers will create uneven pressure points (figure D) Don't sand across the grain, especially with coarse-grit sandpaper. Sanding across the grain tends to roughen wood. After the scratches have been worn away, move to a finer-grit paper, such as 100-grit. When you get to the edges, lift the sandpaper off the surface to prevent rounding off the edges more than you want. Move to progressively higher grits as you sand. If your project will be painted, work up to at least 120-grit sandpaper. If you'll stain the project, work up to 150-grit sandpaper. If you're going to paint a project that has deep gouges, fill them with wood putty before priming and painting. Let dry, then sand the wood putty.
| 
)
)
)
)
)
