Sand Paper Selection

ForumMFG

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Jun 25, 2009
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What grit do you guys typically start off with when you have a piece of wood that just came off the knives? (Jointer & planner)
And you want to take it to a fine finish?
 
Dave,

Most lumber I buy is S2S.  I then joint one edge and run the opposing edge though my table saw or 55.  I then use 120,180 and 320 grit brilliant with my Rotex to get everything pretty smooth.  I will also use my LS 130 with comparable grits on the edges and profiles.

Not that you asked, but ... depending on how I am finishing, I have started to use brilliant 320 in my ETS 125, a sanding sponge or a plastic scouring pad between coats.  Steel wool works pretty well too as long as you are not using water base finishes.  I have also used platin, 500 through 4000 to finish.  I have also completed a cherry coffee table with shellac and rubbed it out with pumice and rottenstone.  Worked great.

The point to be made is that you have lots of options up and done the line.

Neill
 
Today, I brought home a piece of S4S and started with rubin 120, 180 on my RO 125.  Then switched to brillant 2 - 220, 320, 400.  I jumped to plantin 2000 because thats all I had.  It came out to be a mirror like finish.  Looked like I had used wax on it.  Amazing.
 
ForumMFG said:
Today, I brought home a piece of S4S and started with rubin 120, 180 on my RO 125.  Then switched to brillant 2 - 220, 320, 400.  I jumped to plantin 2000 because thats all I had.  It came out to be a mirror like finish.  Looked like I had used wax on it.  Amazing.

Dave,

Yeah, truly amazing.  Was the mirror finish what you wanted or were you just messing around?

By the way, we have regular formica countertops in our kitchen.  I used Platin 500-1000-2000-4000 on them with my RO 125.  They now have a very smooth, satin glow.  Wifey was pleased.

Neill
 
Neill,

I had seen a video on youtube of someone going through this process with a RO150.  So I decided to try it.  It wasn't a finished item or anything, just a scrap piece of maple I was fooling around with.  I brought it into work and showed everyone.  Most people said "you know you can't stain that now".  That wasn't the response I was looking for =).

 
Neill,

When I hear Formica I think of plastic laminate.  Formica is a brand of plastic laminate. 

If this is what you meant to say then how do you polish plastic laminate?  The sand paper would exposed the phenolic back.
 
ForumMFG said:
Neill,

When I hear Formica I think of plastic laminate.  Formica is a brand of plastic laminate. 

If this is what you meant to say then how do you polish plastic laminate?  The sand paper would exposed the phenolic back.

Dave,

It is plastic laminate.  The finish had dulled over the 7 years we have been in the house.  Going through the grits with the Platin buffed it to a gloss.  I did not spend a lot of time with each one.  You might say it was more of a buff than a polish or sand operation.

She would like granite but then I would have had to cut back on my Festool purchases. ;)

Neill
 
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