That moment 3 years ago when I realized my finish work looked trash because I was rushing the sanding step

Used to think a quick once-over with 120 grit was good enough until a homeowner in Red Deer pointed out every ridge on their cabinet doors and now I spend at least 40 minutes per project on the fine sanding alone, anyone else catch themselves skipping prep work just to get done faster?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade2261mo ago

My first real wake up call about sanding was actually on a set of maple cabinets in Edmonton, where I found out the hard way that skipping from 120 to 220 leaves those cross grain scratches that only show up after the first coat of finish. It's not just about the time you spend, it's about how you work through the grits and paying attention to the light hitting the surface from different angles. Maybe it's just me, but I think a lot of folks miss that you can actually feel the difference between a rushed sand and a careful one by running your palm over the wood, not just your fingers. I mean, I've started keeping a sample board with the grit progression written on the back so I don't talk myself into cutting corners again.

spencer_thomas41mo ago

Red Deer is a seven hour drive from here so maybe it's just different humidity doing its thing.