Baltic Birch Drawer Boxes - Sander vs Card Scraper?

[Bugsysiegals]

I've cut up all my BB drawer box panels and got them dry fitted ... is it better to sand/scrape them before or after glue up? 

Should I use my Festool 150/3 sander and progressive move through various grit pads, use a card scraper, or is there a "better" method?

FWIW - I've the following sandpapers ... Rubin 2 (80, 120, 180, 220), Brilliant 2 (80, 120, 180, 320), and Granat (80, 120, 180, 320) and also LN #4 Bronze Smoothing Plane.

 

[bertv]

I tend to do just a little sanding on BB with 120 and 180 grit Granat (2). Interiors before glue up. Exteriors and touch ups afterwards, before finishing. To remove glue remains I use a carbide scraper and a sharp chisel.

 

[afish]

Yea Im with Burt on this one.  It shouldn't take much. Hit the interior sides with some 120-180 assemble and blend in any alignment issues, glue etc. Spray a couple coats of some clear sanding sealer then a quick once over with some 180-220 to knock down any raised grain, dust particles etc. followed by some clear finish of your choice. 

 

[Bugsysiegals]

Thanks guys, really looking forward to finishing these  boxes so I can make the drawer fronts and have my first project I started a year or two ago done ... maybe this will motivate me to find more time in the shop!  To bad I wasn't recording every mistake a long the way ... it would've made a good "blooper" reel!