What sandpaper is best for refinishing furniture?

The grades of sandpaper used most for furniture finishing fall in the fine and very fine categories - that is from 120 grit through 220 grit; with 320, 400 and 600 grit used for special purposes. For "hard to stain" woods, finish sanding with 120 grit will usually accommodate the problem.

What grit sandpaper should I use before painting furniture?

Be sure to start any painting project by sanding your surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper. (I use this orbital sander with variable speeds.) Be careful not to gouge the surface though: You're just looking to rough it up a little so the primer has something to adhere to; you're not trying to strip the surface.

Can I sand furniture with sandpaper?

I've worked with various grits of sandpaper and have learned a lot from stripping, refinishing and painting hundreds of furniture pieces. My go-to combination for the perfect finish is 80-120-320 grit sandpaper. I start with 80 grit sandpaper to remove the majority of old paint or stain.

What sandpaper should I use to sand a dresser?

A 180-grit sandpaper does the job if you're planning to re-coat the dresser with paint or varnish. If you won't be applying a finish coat, put some extra effort into smoothing the wood by sanding it down with 220-grit sandpaper.

What is the best way to sand wood furniture?

Use a coarse sandpaper, a sanding block or a power sander to strip the finish off the surface. Sand until the surface is smooth and most of the shiny surface is gone. Once the majority of the old finish is off, switch to a medium grit sandpaper and continue to remove any patches of finish still sticking to the wood.

Choosing the Right Grade Sandpaper for Your Woodworking Project - Refinishing Furniture

How do I know what sandpaper to use?

Coarse grits are typically in the 40- to 50-grit range. Medium sandpaper, ranging from 60- to 100-grit, accommodates some final shaping. Primary sanding of rough wood and the removal of planning marks on wood is often best done with medium-grit sandpaper. Fine sandpapers range from 120- to 220-grit.

What is the best sander to sand furniture?

It depends on the type of furniture, but generally, a palm sander or detail sander is the best option for refinishing furniture because their smaller shape accommodates both small and large projects. Rotary, random orbital, or belt sanders also suitable for medium and large woodworking projects.

What is 220 grit sandpaper used for?

180 - 220 Grit: Fine. 180 – 220 grit is primarily used for the sanding finish or to sand in-between coats. It is also great for distressing! There are instances where you can use 180 to 220-grit to rough up a piece in preparation for paint, but you do not typically use these grits until after your first coat.

What is 120-grit sandpaper used for?

For heavy sanding and stripping, you need coarse sandpaper measuring 40- to 60-grit; for smoothing surfaces and removing small imperfections, choose 80- to 120-grit sandpaper. For finishing surfaces smoothly, use a super fine sandpaper with 360- to 600-grit.

What grit sandpaper should I use before staining wood?

Sandpaper with a lower grit number will make wood rougher, allowing more stain to absorb and creating a darker color. Start with 120-grit sandpaper on refinished pieces. With new wood, start with 80-grit and then treat it as if you're refinishing it.

Is it better to sand or strip furniture?

As long as you have enough patience to wait for the solvent to dissolve the finish, it is almost always better to strip than sand. Fortunately, older furniture that is finished with shellac or lacquer dissolves quickly, turns to sludge, and easily wipes off.

How much should you sand before staining?

Many stain manufacturers recommend finish sanding to 220 grit at most and stopping at a lower grit for a darker color. The samples at right show the difference in stain penetration on mahogany between stopping at 180 grit (left) and sanding to 320 grit (right).

What grit is best for scuff sanding?

You will see sand paper with grit ranging from 60 to 400 and beyond. The lower the number, the more coarse the grit. So for a light sanding like we mentioned above, you want something like a 220 grit sand paper to just gently scuff the surface enough to give your paint something to grip.

Should you sand furniture before painting?

DO sand the furniture before applying the paint. Furniture comes in a variety of materials and nearly all will require some level of sanding to make sure paint adheres to the surface, since it removes any imperfections or dimples.

Is 220 grit too fine for stain?

Generally, if you're using an oil or clear finish, you can stop sanding at 180 grit. Continue on to 220 grit if you're using a stain or dye.

Is 400 grit fine sandpaper?

180 to 220 Grit Sandpaper: Finer grit sandpaper is great for removing the scratches left by coarser grits on unfinished wood and for lightly sanding between coats of paint. 320 to 400 Grit Sandpaper: Very fine grit sandpaper is used for light sanding between coats of finish and to sand metal and other hard surfaces.

What is 320 sandpaper used for?

#320 Grit: Ultra-Fine

With wood, ultra-fine grits usually are reserved for smoothing painted surfaces between coats. Many finer grits are used for wet sanding, which creates a fine, gritty slurry that complements the sandpaper's efforts at smoothing.

Can I use orbital sander on furniture?

Unlike a belt sander, an orbital finishing sander rotates at “random” which minimizes scratches and sanding marks. Although best for flatter surfaces, random orbital sanders are great for large pieces of wood and give you the option of sanding on any type of furniture, as well as wood floors and paneling.

How long should it take to sand a dresser?

Sanding a piece of furniture shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. When you picture yourself sanding a furniture piece, you might envision yourself sanding away with a small piece of sander for hours to get every bit of old stain or paint.

Which is better orbital sander or sheet sander?

Orbital sanders provide more versatility than sheet models, making them ideal for those who want to own just one sanding tool.

Which is better palm sander or orbital sander?

As compared to a palm sander, orbital sanders are more massive tools, which means that palm sanders are smaller and more lightweight. The motions of orbitals are Circular and orbiting, and palm sanders only have orbiting motion. If you want to work with larger pieces, orbital sanders are better than palm sander.