How To Sand Wood Projects By Hand
Tip 1: Choose three grits
Three basic sandpaper grits
Using grit sizes 80, 120 and 220 will smooth most wood projects quickly.
I know, you're probably thinking, “Yuck, I hate sanding. ” But the truth is that with top-quality
sandpaper and a few special tools, sanding by hand can be made a lot more pleasant. Sure, hand
sanding is a little slower than power sanding. But it's quieter and doesn't spew dust all over the
place. And besides, there are some places that you can't reach with power sanders. In this article,
we'll tell you how to choose the best type of sandpaper for the job and show you some of our
favorite hand-sanding tools.
When you sand, you're scraping away material from the surface to remove imperfections or to
shape and contour edges. The goal is to start with the sandpaper that's just coarse enough to
remove the worst defects easily. Starting with sandpaper that's too coarse will mean extra
sanding later with finer-grit papers to remove the deep scratches left by the coarse grit. On the
other hand, if you start with sandpaper that's too fine, it'll take forever to sand out defects. In
most cases, 80-grit paper is a good starting point for sanding planed or shaped wood. Start with
100-grit if the wood is already smooth with no deep scratches, planer marks or other surface
defects.
Both 80- and 100-grit leave a network of fine scratches behind, so the next step is to sand with a
little finer grit. This replaces the scratches with smaller, less visible ones. If you started with 80grit paper, skip to 120-grit paper, or if 100 then to 150. Finally, sand with 220-grit sandpaper. For
most types of wood, this is the finest grit you'll need. Wood with very dense grain, like ebony,
may require one additional sanding step with 320- or 400-grit paper to eliminate visible
scratches. Here are the two grit progressions we recommend: 80/120/220 and 100/150/220.
Tip 2: Use a sanding block for flat surfaces
Use a sanding block
A sanding block increases sanding speed and efficiency. Change paper often.
It's tempting to just fold a piece of sandpaper and go to work. But you'll get better results with far
less effort if you use a sanding block. The block distributes sanding pressure more evenly and
maintains a flatter surface. A block also lets you bear down harder. You can make a sanding
block by cutting a small square of rigid foam or gluing a thin layer of cork to a wood block. Or you
can buy a simple rubber sanding block at almost any hardware store, paint store or home center.
But for the ultimate in hand-sanding convenience and efficiency, consider ordering a sanding
block like the one we show here. Its shape conforms comfortably to your hand, and the welldesigned clamps make it easy to install quarter sheets of sandpaper.
The biggest mistake I see people make when they're using a sanding block is failing to change
paper often enough. To encourage more frequent changing, use a straightedge and utility knife to
cut to size a bunch of paper sheets in each of the grits you'll be using. With exact-size sheets on
hand, it'll be easy to change the paper often—as soon as you notice it isn't cutting efficiently.
In general, it's best to sand with the grain of the wood, especially for the final grits. But to
remove deep scratches and stains, it's OK to angle across the grain, up to about 45 degrees for
the initial sanding. This goes contrary to popular opinion, but it's a good method to remove
material quickly. But before switching to the next finer grit, sand with the grain to remove all
cross-grain scratches.
Tip 3: Foam pipe insulation and swimming noodles make great sanding pads
Simple sanding pads
You can adapt many household objects to become sanding pads if you like the contours and
they're a bit soft.
Soft, flexible foam makes a great base for sandpaper because you can easily squeeze or compress
it to fit a variety of shapes. Wrap sandpaper around scraps of foam pipe insulation to sand
medium-size coves. For large concave surfaces, use scraps of foam swimming noodles. These
are easy to cut with a bread knife. Stick paper to the inside surface of pipe insulation to make a
sanding pad for dowels and other cylindrical shapes.
Tip 4: Save your fingers—try contour sanding grips
Special sanding grips
Special sanding grips reach into contours and are easier on the fingers.
grips make it easier to sand molding profiles because you can get a good grip and the shape stays
consistent as you sand. We're sanding a coved edge created with a router. You can buy a set of
these shaped rubber sanding pads. (They're also sold under the Tadpole brand name.) Simply
choose the one that fits the profile you're sanding and wrap sandpaper around it. I like to use
sandpaper with pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back and stick it right to the pad. You can buy
small rolls of adhesive-backed sandpaper at home centers and woodworking supply stores.
Tip 5: Stick sandpaper to a putty knife to reach into tight corners
Sand tight corners
Sandpaper wrapped around the blade of a putty knife reaches into and smooths square corners.
It's difficult to sand “with the grain” into tight corners without scratching the adjacent wood.
Here's a tip that works great for these hard-to-reach areas. Wrap an adhesive-backed sanding disc
over the edge of a flexible putty knife. Trim the sandpaper flush to the edge of the putty knife
with a utility knife. Adhesive-backed sandpaper discs are readily available at home centers and
hardware stores. Otherwise you can use spray adhesive to mount regular sandpaper or buy a roll
of sandpaper with adhesive backing.
Tip 6: Buy 'clog-resistant' sandpaper for sanding painted surfaces
Clog-resistant sandpaper
Paint quickly builds up on standard paper. Paint builds up more slowly on special resistant paper.
Paint and resinous wood like pine will clog most types of sandpaper quickly. To avoid using
reams of sandpaper, look for sandpaper labeled as “no-clog” or “clog-resistant.” It's coated with
a soapy film, called stearate, that is shed as you sand, taking the paint or resin with it and leaving
the grit exposed for more efficient sanding. This “no-load” paper is easy to recognize. Look for a
mottled gray or colored surface. Two common types of sandpaper, brown aluminum oxide and
yellow garnet, are not coated and will clog easily. Clog-resistant sandpaper costs a little more,
but it's worth it because it'll last three or four times longer and save you sanding time.
Tip 7: Make a custom sanding block to speed up sanding of complex shapes
Photo 1: Glue 120-grit paper to the molding
Spray the molding and the backside of 120-grit sandpaper with spray adhesive. Stick it to the
molding, making sure to press it into recesses with the blade of a putty knife.
Scraps of rigid foam insulation (extruded polystyrene) make great sanding blocks and have the
advantage of being easy to shape. The photos show how to make a sanding block that conforms
to your molding profile. Make three blocks while you're at it. Then glue three progressively finer
grit papers to the blocks to complete your sanding sequence. If you don't have any extruded
polystyrene, ask for scraps at a local building site or look for a damaged sheet at a home center
or lumberyard.
This profile sander has one drawback. It's difficult to fit the sandpaper tightly into the sharp
corners of the custom-shaped block. This can result in rounded-over edges on some molding
profiles. To prevent this, slice the sandpaper with a utility knife in the “creases” and press it tight
to the block with a putty knife. The other solution is to cut the custom-shaped block into sections
to eliminate the parts that could round over a sharp profile. Sand these areas separately with a
small square sanding block or a small piece of folded paper.