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A client's offhand remark about my stain work made me switch up my sanding grits
I was finishing a maple dresser for a repeat customer in Boise. When she came to pick it up, she said the stain looked 'a bit fuzzy, like the wood was thirsty.' I'd sanded to 220 like always, but her comment stuck with me. The next week, I tried sanding a test piece to 180, then 220, and finally gave it a light pass with 320 before staining. The difference was clear. The 320 step closed the grain just enough so the stain sat on top more evenly instead of soaking in and raising those tiny fibers. Now I add that extra step on hardwoods, and the finish is much smoother. Has anyone else found that going a bit finer before staining helps on certain woods?
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bell.laura23d ago
Oh man, I totally get that. I used to be a firm believer that 180 was plenty before stain, thinking it needed to "bite." But I had a similar thing happen with some ash. The stain looked blotchy and I couldn't figure it out. Going up to 320 made all the difference, it just seals that top layer so well.
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My uncle always sands his oak to 400 before oiling, which seemed crazy until I saw how it pops the grain.
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