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Having major problems sanding spruce baseboards, please help.

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Prizen 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi all

I have sitka spruce baseboards that I am installing. I got them from my local builders yard, planed and sanded do a certain level. I had somebody else route a channel through the wood for decorative effect, however this has left a raised line on the spruce on the other side. I am trying to sand this out, but I am left with a fuzzy mess after ( I've tried 120 and also 220 grits) as in the pic.

How can I get rod of this line without a fuzzy mess after? I plan to prime the wood with an oil based primer (Zinsser Cover Stain) before painting with a white semi gloss paint. Will sanding after the oil primer get rid of the fuzz?
Brown Wood Beige Wood stain Flooring
 

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#3 ·
Sorry about the pic. Just want to show the "fuzz". The line in the picture is actually a raised line, not a crack or crevice. I have been trying to sand this out and you might see where this line is faded in the picture, if you look closely can see some fuzz or raised fibers. I guess this is a general question about how to correctly sand sitka spruce with a view to getting a glass pike finish at the end after application of paint
 
#4 ·
SPF, are all three similar in characteristics as it relates to painting

Does best with finer grits

avoid coarse grits

prime, then sand after, may need spot priming afterwords

Whats up with the oil base primer ? Someone at the paint store tell you that was best ?

Interior baseboard ? I would use latex primer and latex paint.

Depending on you and the paint . perhaps just prime with the paint and second coat it.
 
#5 ·
SPF, are all three similar in characteristics as it relates to painting

Does best with finer grits

avoid coarse grits

prime, then sand after, may need spot priming afterwords

Whats up with the oil base primer ? Someone at the paint store tell you that was best ?

Interior baseboard ? I would use latex primer and latex paint.

Depending on you and the paint . perhaps just prime with the paint and second coat it.
 
#6 ·
Prizen,

It sure looks like a narrow groove in the photo, but since it is a raised line, it may be fairly easy to remove with a cabinet scraper. Once the raised line of wood is removed, the surface could be prepared for paint.

An idea for dealing the fuzziness left after raw wood sanding would be to prime the sanded wood and then sand the primed wood. Sanding at 150 grit would probably leave a smooth, but fuzzy, raw wood base on which the primer can be applied. After the primer has dried, hopefully the primed wood could be lightly sanded at 150 or 180 grit to leave a smooth, fuzz-free surface for top coats of paint.

This suggestion is based on my belief that as you sand the raw wood, the grains of the sanding abrasive catch and lift the wood fibers where the pores exit the wood. The primer coat could seal these pores and hold the wood fibers more tightly together when the primer sanding is performed.

If you are inclined to give the sand, prime, and sand the primer method a try, doing so on a small sample board could keep you from wasting your time; should my idea turn out to be lame.
 
#7 ·
Softwoods fuzz up from sanding. Since you are painting, just sand all you want to remove the defect, prime, sand again with next higher grit. Re-prime to cover where you break through the primer. I don't anyone will be on hands and knees inspecting your baseboards, except maybe you.
 
#8 ·
If that's the back side, it won't be seen. Is that correct? Why worry about it? If the raised line affects how flat the baseboard lays up against the wall, sand it off and the fuzz won't matter.
Aside from that, the cabinet scraper is the best way I can think of to remove the repaired line. The planer used to mill this likely had a nick in the knives.
 
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