Things that are important when sanding:

  1. Use the appropriate grit
  2. Change your sand paper often
  3. Sand with the grain.

Start with the 60 grit. Use this to shape the wood, remove imperfections and mistakes from cutting (that’s why even the experts add an 1/8 inch sanding allowance).

Once the wood looks the way you want it, switch to 100 grit sand paper and smooth it out. If you find that the sandpaper “glides” over the wood very smoothly, you need a new sheet of sand paper. You can switch to 150 grit when you have removed the cuts and gouges left by the 60 grit.

Pine is a soft wood, which makes it difficult to get it as smooth as a hard wood like maple. Your pieces may have “fuzzies”, which look like sanding dust, but are stuck to the wood. Don’t worry, if you are applying an oil finish, they will disappear. With Polyurethane, you can sand between coats to remove them.

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