Troubleshooting Tips for Woodworkers

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• Excessive sanding pressure


• Inadequate dust exhaust


• Excessive belt speed


• Moisture content of wood too high

Abrasives Dulling Prematurely

• Grit too fine


• Excessive sanding pressure


• Wrong product for application


• Belt too stiff for application

Streaking of Workpiece

• Belt loaded or dull


• Sanding pressure too high


• Dust on workpiece


• Overloading due to glue lines or pitch material on workpiece

Abrasive Grit Chart

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Miscellaneous Great Tips for Woodworkers

• Sand lacquer finishes only after the 1st coat to remove dust nibs, runs, etc.


• Sand lacquers also after the final coat to level the surface or as part of rubbing process if high gloss is desired


• Sand varnishes such as polyurethane in between coats to give a rougher surface for the following coats to bond


• Always sand with the grain


• Wipe the surface of the work piece frequently with a soft, cloth or tack cloth


• Use strong light to illuminate the work piece from an angle to see how the sanding is progressing


• Keep sandpaper clean, either by belt cleaning stick or by tapping the sandpaper lightly


• When sanding picture frames, sand the cross sections first, then sand the stiles


• Final sanding on hardwoods is normally accomplished with 180 to 220 grit


• Final sanding on softwoods is normally accomplished with 120 to 180 grit range


• When bare wood sanding, moisten the wood with a wet cloth and allow the surface to dry


• Do the final sanding, then raise the grain, and then sand again with the same grit


• Sanding sealers should be sanded with zinc stearated Silicon Carbide in grit ranges of 220 to 320


• Foam sanding pads, Mac Mops, non-woven abrasive pads also work well when sanding sanding sealers