October 7, 2020 - 220 is where you should normally end up before staining/finishing. If you really care about the project, you should buy some tack cloths and try to pick up as much sawdust as possible before you do any staining/finishing.

The grades of sandpaper used most for furniture finishing fall between fine and very fine, that is from 120 through 220 grit; with 320, 400 and 600 grit reserved for special purposes. For hard-to-stain woods, such as alder, birch, maple and poplar, finish sanding with 120-grit sandpaper will ...

March 9, 2023 - The most critical part of finishing ... surface. Use the following sanding sequences for new wood: For wood that is going to be painted, use 120-grit, followed by 150-grit....

February 22, 2024 - The grades of sandpaper used most for furniture finishing fall in the fine and very fine categories - that is from 120 grit through 220 grit; with 320, 400 and 600 grit used for special purposes. For "hard to stain" woods, finish sanding with 120 grit will usually accommodate the problem.

November 19, 2019 - I would sand by hand up to 400 before stain if I were to do this from scratch. I would sand the center first (per grit), which will go against the grain on the edge, and then sand the edge carefully. You could try to tape the center with bluetape to minimize cross grain sanding the inner surface ...

The grades of sandpaper used most for furniture finishing fall in the fine and very fine categories-that is from 120 grit through 220 grit; with 320, 400 and 600 grit used for special purposes.

MEDIUM: 80-150 grit sandpaper. Medium grit is great for general sanding and removing old paint or stain. FINE: 180-220 grit sandpaper. Ideal for scuffing up furniture before painting and smoothing out a woods finish

June 17, 2020 - No matter what the condition of the wood it will likely need sanding first. Start with a 60-grit sandpaper to strip everything bare and then work up to an 80-grit paper and eventually finish with a 120-grit paper.

Should you choose to hand sand, you’ll want to follow the same general process of starting with coarse grit sandpaper or sponge (80 grit is a good place to start) and moving through the grit range until you reach the desired level of smoothness.

Normally I sand all my projects to 220 grit before staining. My question is whether I can still get a very smooth finish with 6 wipe on top coats each of which will be sanded to 220 grit between top coats.

5/22/20 #7: sanding gritt before dye/wiping sta ... For stain grade wood I suggest from 120 to 180 grit if you're using a wiping stain. The more coarse the grit, the more wiping stain color "development" and less wood color. Be mindful of opacity vs clarity. The more fine the grit, the more ...

Answer: 3 times in my opinion for most projects. The first pass is a coarser grit, generally around 120 grit. The second pass is 180 grit and the final path is 220/240 grit. If I want a glass type finish I will do a fourth pass with 400 grit.

August 25, 2025 - Sanding removes these flaws while opening the pores of the wood to accept stain evenly. Skipping grits or stopping too coarse can leave scratches visible under stain. Sandpaper sheets (80–240 grit) – versatile and easy to control.

November 10, 2019 - Worked it back up to 320 and it's looking great. Excluding whatever you do in the finishing after that, I would say 320 is more than enough. I echo ChipSawdust's comments regarding wood type here. The grain is obviously important to consider. I still can't see anything REALLY benefiting from ...

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August 23, 2004 - Apply another coat, dry and sand with 400 grit. If your using gloss you can always dull the clear finish by using some 0000 steel wool. If you use a flat or semi-gloss finish, you can't get it any shinnier by polishing or rubbing it out due to the flattening agents in the finish.

The type of stain removal project will influence the grit of sandpaper needed. Here are some guidelines for using sandpaper for wood: For furniture, begin with 60 grit sandpaper to strip away the old stain effectively. Transition to 120 grit sandpaper for a smooth finish before applying new stain.

Answer (1 of 2): If no paint is on it but maybe a clear coat in poly or varnish, you will want to start around a 120 grit. As you expose bare wood, slowly progress to 400 grit. Prior to staining use steel wool triple 00. Slow speed sheet sanders ...

December 17, 2024 - Fine grits close up the pores of the wood, so if you sand to too fine a grit, less finish will soak into the surface. Generally, if you're using an oil or clear finish, you can stop sanding at 180 grit. Continue on to 220 grit if you're using ...

October 7, 2022 - Overall, the piece sanded with 220 grit sandpaper looked (and felt) smoother and higher quality than the common board that was not sanded. Again, this is the exact same piece of wood.