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Is There Any Reason To Sand To 10,000 Grit?

5K views 20 replies 19 participants last post by  miles125 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Obviously I exaggerate but it seems to me that way too much time is spent on sanding. (And my random orbit sander is one of my favorite tools.) If you have a project that is going to be stained an then a topcoat applied what is the advantage of a super high grit? Once the milling marks have been removed and the surface is smooth, I do not see how more sanding will make a topcoat more smooth. That comes from properly applying the finish, doesn't it? In fact, as the grit gets higher it actually makes the wood less stainable! I bring all this up as a fellow woodworker was aghast that I rarely (if ever) go above 150 grit-like I was breaking some unwritten law.
Now as far as something that is only being oiled or waxed… that does need a lot higher grit and I understand that.
Oh… and why would you sand an end grain cutting board to 220 and higher? That's another discussion he and I had. It's meant to get cut on after all.
What say you fellow LJers?
 
#2 ·
I never go above 150 either. Stained or Natural Wood, then usually three coats of poly. First is a sealer, quick rub with 000 Steel Wool, Second Coat and 000 Steel Wool, Third Coat of Poly and that's usually it. Sometimes rub down the Third with 0000 and Fourth Coat of Poly.

However! I don't, as of yet use any "Exotic Woods". That might make a difference?

I have NO compaints about that Finish on Tables, Benches, Cabinets etc. Agree on the Oil or Wax Finish. I don't "Do" Cutting Boards, end grain or otherwise.

Rick
 
#3 ·
I hate sanding and do as little as possible. I use hand planes because I can get to a desired finish after a couple passes with a #4 or 4 1/2. That is normally where I stop unless the wood is figured, then I take a couple light passes with 150 grit with the grain to open the pores a little accentuating the figure. I basically follow Rick's method for poly except I stop after 3 coats if poly is used.
 
#4 ·
typically, I'll go to 220 on bare wood just to avoid having too much loose fiber at the first stage of finishing. Particularly with open pore species like oak, anything higher seems pointless. I'll sand 300 and higher on topcoats depending on the finish I'm trying to achieve. If you're looking for the glass smooth piano finish, some kind of fine grit abrasive (whether it's wet sanding to 1000 or above, pumice or rottenstone) will be necessary before polishing.
 
#5 ·
lobro,

Actually, after I turn an acrylic pen or use a CA finish on wood, I wet sand from 1500 up to 12,000. Yeah, it's a different range, but you get the point. I don't see anything wrong with what you are doing with the prep. for your poly finish.

Rance
 
#6 ·
Personally, I hate sanding any more than is absolutely necessary. I use my planes and scrapers as much as possible to smooth the wood. I can often go from that to just a little bit of hand sanding to be ready for finish. The only time that I use anything finer than 220 grit is when scuff sanding between coats or in some cases when I want a highly polished surface and I intend to use primarily a wax finish.
 
#7 ·
I will sand to 150, if I am going to apply stain, or 180 when going for a natural finish. You are correct in pointing out that the final smoothness comes from the finishing the finish and not the wood.
 
#8 ·
Accepting the caveat that "I know nothing" and am a pretty inexperienced woodworker…

I actually quite like sanding, which, reading the comments above and elsewhere, makes me a bit weird.
My (limited) experience is that the wood I work with (oak, ash, and beech - all that's available here where the provenance is known) hasn't "coloured up" until 300 or 500. I love the way the oak changes, quite suddenly, from "pretty dull" at 150 to "wow that's beautiful" as the grit gets finer.
 
#9 ·
I bought a set of high grit sanding discs at peachtree woodworking, just to see what finishing the finish would look like. Hand sanding or wet sanding produced a glass like finish. It was time consuming but now I have big muscles in my knuckles. :)
 
#10 ·
It depends on what I am going for.
I sanded to 800 on the Headboard and Nightstands I made because I was going to put Gloss Poly on them and wanted them to be as smooth as glass. And they are.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
sanding the wood is really prepping it for the finish - you are trying to make a flat surface bump free. but not glass smooth. you do want to leave the pores somewhat open for the finish to soak in. as mentioned - 150-220 should be as far as you sand bare wood.

Mogebier- when you put finish on the wood, what you eventually feel smooth as glass - is actually the finish, not the wood. if you sand the wood to 800, you are making it hard for the finish to soak in, and do it's job protecting the wood - you'll see it easier if you try to stain that wood as the stain will not seem to work very well. where you want to use 400+ sanding is on the last coat of finish.
 
#12 ·
At some point you're polishing wood instead of sanding it. Which can have adverse effects on how a piece takes stain and finish. I never sand raw wood past 120/150. High lustre finishes are achieved by saving high grit sanding for the finish itself.
 
#13 ·
I go to 320. Mind you I came out of an auto repair / refinishing background, so sanding to super fine grits is normal and natural for me. 320 seems kind of coarse to me, but I cut it off there as I realize going any further is kind of silly…

For my power sanders, the highest grit I even own is 220, I typically "buff" with 320 on a rubber block.
 
#14 ·
Lobro,

I like most here usually sand to 150-180 tops, There are times I go a lil finer depending on the project…

As far as the end grain, I read somewhere a long time ago to go to the next finest (ie: sanded face with 150-then sand end grain to 180) for end grain to help the end grain and the face match well if staining-and i now do this with nearly all my projects and feel i get a nice even finish…maybe thats what your fellow LJ meant?

I also sand softwoods such as pine to 220….
 
#15 ·
""I actually quite like sanding, which, reading the comments above and elsewhere, makes me a bit weird.""
KnickKnack

Nahhh. You're normal. A woodworker who hates sanding is like a surgeon who hates the sight of blood :)
 
#17 ·
Depends on the wood. There is never a need to take oak or other course grained wood beyond 150. Some finer grained domestics and many exotics I will take to 220 or 320.

I have some Kauri that I take to 1500. Kauri is a very unique wood. It is estimated to be over 30,000 years old. It has been preserved in a bog in New Zealand all these years. Its real beauty comes out when sanded to a very high grit (1500).
 
#18 ·
lobro,
First off…"Hook'em Horns!"
Secondly, anytime I look back on previous projects, I ALWAYS fault myself for a poor sanding job.
Like most, I never go past 180, and it's usually 150. But the most important thing in my mind is the progression through the grits. Each grit is designed to 'erase' the marks the more coarser grit leaves behind. Now, I don't ever skip a grit, and the results are dramatically better.
 
#20 ·
Good question ! answer ! definitely not , in my worthless opinion, but there it is anyway for free. People get carried away somtimes with the need to sand, one dvd I have shows a guy making pens going all the way to mars ,sanding to 30000 grit or whatever I just sand till I'm happy never wanted a pen to be glass smooth anyway especially if you have a nice bit of burl.my 1 cent Alistair
 
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