Last sanding pass: With the grain? By hand?

[smorgasbord]

Just watched Sedge's latest:=myZkrgzro3t2XLtY&t=165

He's using the DTS400 although he doesn't have corners to sand (in orbital mode), I suspect because he has lots of edges to do and even the ETS EC125 can be ungainly without an edge guide.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

He's sanding on plywood at 180 grit for his one and final pass. The grit choice is OK since, as he says, a lot of plywood is pre-sanded to 120. But, this is his last pass before finishing. Maybe it's just my old school, but I've always made sure my last sanding pass is linear sanded with the grain. For small-medium projects that's by hand (I use a cork block to which I've attached velcro hooks and I have a Mirka vacuum-compatible hand sander), and for larger projects I use an LS-130.

Do people not do this anymore? My expectation is that a linear sand at any grit produces better results than orbital sanding at that same grit.

Maybe because he's using Rubio it doesn't matter as much? I haven't used Rubio, but the Tung oil finishes (pure and polymerized) and Odies I've used sure seem to elevate any sanding scratches to high visibility.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Unless I'm using really high grits on a light sand, I always sand with the grain towards the end.

 

[PaulMarcel]

I guess I (almost) always use a raking light to decide when I'm done with a grit. That said, if for some reason my last 180 ROS pass didn't look clean, I'd hit it with a Granat pad linearly. The light really helps with speed: you can easily sand a pass until you're done and not longer. Also, it clearly highlights any area you missed since the lower-grit scratches will be obvious.

While I did eventually get the STL-450 inspection light (and it is fantastic with the tripod you can easily repurpose), I used to use an articulating light on the corner of the MFT (think "Pixar Lamp"). The inspection light has a more directed light that more clearly reveals the scratch pattern without blinding you. Some well-placed foil on the Pixar Lamp can keep the glare from your eyes.

This is what I'd use to decide on a linear pass or simply continuing to the next finer grit in a ROS pass.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Just watched Sedge's latest:=myZkrgzro3t2XLtY&t=165

He's using the DTS400 although he doesn't have corners to sand (in orbital mode), I suspect because he has lots of edges to do and even the ETS EC125 can be ungainly without an edge guide.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

He's sanding on plywood at 180 grit for his one and final pass. The grit choice is OK since, as he says, a lot of plywood is pre-sanded to 120. But, this is his last pass before finishing. Maybe it's just my old school, but I've always made sure my last sanding pass is linear sanded with the grain. For small-medium projects that's by hand (I use a cork block to which I've attached velcro hooks and I have a Mirka vacuum-compatible hand sander), and for larger projects I use an LS-130.

Do people not do this anymore? My expectation is that a linear sand at any grit produces better results than orbital sanding at that same grit.

Maybe because he's using Rubio it doesn't matter as much? I haven't used Rubio, but the Tung oil finishes (pure and polymerized) and Odies I've used sure seem to elevate any sanding scratches to high visibility.

Not in my experience. Machine sanding at any grip is less “scratchy” than hand sanding at the same grit. Especially since the abrasive on the sander is well broken in by then. If I’m going to hand sand as the final step I use the next finer grit and break the abrasive in (down) on scrap stock first.

 

[Packard]

I always finish sanding with a block sander by hand.  I have a directional light that makes spotting imperfections easy. 

There is only one good reason for the hand sanding:  It makes me feel like a craftsman.

The directional light skewed at a 20 to 30 degree angle from the work piece, is in my mind, a good addition.  It shows the imperfections before applying the finish. 

A long block sander (12” or so) helps keep the surface flat. 

I usually spot one or more small areas that are worthy of my attention.  But mostly, this is done to satisfy my need to feel like a craftsman.

So much of my work is done with machines, that this “slow-down-the-process” step is a good mood changer for when I apply the finish.

That’s just me, though.

To tell you where my head is, I have beyond the standard grits, 320, 400. 600 and 800 grit in my shop.  I rarely go beyond 220 grit for the wood, but will use 400 between coats and 800 when applying wax (though I do use 0000 steel wool for that also).

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Not in my experience. Machine sanding at any grip is less “scratchy” than hand sanding at the same grit. Especially since the abrasive on the sander is well broken in by then. If I’m going to hand sand as the final step I use the next finer grit and break the abrasive in (down) on scrap stock first.

I tend to agree. Linear scratches may indeed look more natural, but they also seem to stand out, being more obvious, at the same time. The next finer grit usually takes care of that, maybe even used paper.
Where I find difficult to get that is frame and panel doors. Running into the rails stops the natural sanding stroke.

 

[Cheese]

To tell you where my head is, I have beyond the standard grits, 320, 400. 600 and 800 grit in my shop.  I rarely go beyond 220 grit for the wood, but will use 400 between coats and 800 when applying wax (though I do use 0000 steel wool for that also).

For applying clear poly, I always lightly hand sand between the last 1 or 2 top coats. I find I can more easily remove the small dust nibs without reducing the build coat thickness. For this, I have several USED 400-500 & 600 Granat foam pads that I use.

[attachimg=1]

 

[squall_line]

To tell you where my head is, I have beyond the standard grits, 320, 400. 600 and 800 grit in my shop.  I rarely go beyond 220 grit for the wood, but will use 400 between coats and 800 when applying wax (though I do use 0000 steel wool for that also).

For applying clear poly, I always lightly hand sand between the last 1 or 2 top coats. I find I can more easily remove the small dust nibs without reducing the build coat thickness. For this, I have several USED 400-500 & 600 Granat foam pads that I use.

Two comments:

Love the organization in the Open-topped ToolBox

I spy the O.G. screwdriver handle that uses actual Centrotec chucks.  Nice!