Question(s) about sanding/finishing from a newbie

[Thompmd]

Again, new to Festool and woodworking so any/all tips are appreciated.

Not sure how much difference the species will make but most of my wood is Kiln dried Walnut pieces. These are rough cut slabs & pieces.

I just used my CT36/150 Rotex for the first time this week. I watched a video w Larry Smith using this set-up and if I remember he said he used 40-60-80-120-180-400-1500 in that order and then used an orange buffing type pad then a sheepskin.

I should also mention I use Odies Super Penetrating oil followed with a couple coats of Odies Oil.
I was having issues with it dulling after a few weeks? The last couple pieces I’ve only used the penetrating oil and it’s been much better.

Does is make a difference to mix styles of sandpaper? I used Saphir in 24/50 then Granat after that.

I turned down the vacuum down to get rid of the swirls but still get a few, are they caused by too much pressure, stopping or something else??

This is getting to long, sorry , just let me know what’s right and wrong from your experience.

Btw, love the 36/Rotex and first piece sanded to 1,200 I love! Do you guys sand higher?

 

[Mario Turcot]

The Rotex is an agressive sander. Mainly to remove alot of material, personally I would not go higher then 160 with a Rotex. If it's your only sander practice is your best approach, not sure you can get the same finish then a ETSC 150.

Saphir vs Granat

SAPHIR
Saphir is for aggressive stock removal and heavy stripping jobs of hard, stubborn and thick coatings. Aluminum Oxide, Synthetic Resin, Semi-Closed Coated.

GRANAT
Granat is our most long-lasting and highest performing abrasive and is well suited for nearly all applications, including bare wood, paints, most modern paint systems, VOC clear coats, plastic materials, solid surface materials, acrylics, and composites. Hardened Aluminum Oxide, Synthetic Resin, Closed Coated.

Source: Festool Canada

Sanding higher then 1200? It depend of the wood specie & the finish you want. I'm not an expert but to me the higher you sand the less the wood will absorb the finish.

 

[Geoffrey]

Well, if you are asking for any/all tips... that sounds like a tremendous amount of sanding to me.

After running rough lumber over the jointer and through the planer, I draw pencil lines across the board faces. I use the ETS 150/5, starting with 120 grit Rubin 2 (but I may try Granat when I eventually need to buy more). I move the sander slowly across the board at a rate of 1 inch per second, to avoid swirls. I do not press down on the sander at all, but only guide the sander along the board. I continue until the pencil lines are gone, which should only take one or two passes (if it takes more, it's time to change the sandpaper).

I repeat the pencil lines and slow sanding with 180 grit, and then do a final sanding with 220 grit.

After that, I apply light coats of wipe-on varnish. I usually do three coats of gloss, then lightly hand sand with 320 grit. Two more coats of gloss, and lightly hand sand with 320. Then, a final coat of satin, and lightly hand sand with 1000, 1500, and 2000.

To me, this is still a lot of sanding. I am starting to work on my handplane skills more, so I can take the board from the jointer and planer, take a few passes with a smoothing plane, and then do one pass with the sander at 220 grit.