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A finish guy in Reno told me he stopped sanding above 150 grit and I have not touched 220 since
So about a month ago I was doing a built in bookshelf for a lady out in Sparks and her neighbor comes over, older guy, been doing trim and cabinets for like 35 years. He watches me pull out the 220 paper and just laughs and says somebody taught you wrong. I kind of brushed it off at the time but he kept on about it, said above 150 you are just burnishing the wood, closing the grain, and your stain sits on top instead of soaking in. Next cabinet job I ran one door at 150 and one at 220 and hit both with the same stain. The 150 door took the color deeper and more even, the 220 one looked blotchy in two spots near the edges. I have done probably 40 doors since on that one cabinet run and I am a believer now, I only go past 150 if the client wants a clear water based finish where the surface sheen matters, and even then I stop at 180. Funny thing is I still keep a stack of 220 in the truck out of habit, have not opened the sleeve in three jobs. What grit are you all actually stopping at for stained work, and does it change for oak versus maple? He also told me about wetting the grain first but I have not tested that one yet.
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margaretrivera1d ago
Did you also notice 150 cuts down on swirl marks?
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