Realized I was sanding plywood wrong for 5 years

Last month a customer pointed out swirl marks on a cabinet door I built. I always thought my random orbital sander was doing the job, but I found out I was pressing too hard and skipping grits. Now I let the tool do the work and go through 80, 120, then 150 grit every time. Anybody else learn the hard way that sanding takes patience?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona5029d ago

Oh man, I did the exact same thing for way too long.

the_henry9d ago

That skipping grits thing is a trap I fell into too lol. I used to think going from 80 straight to 150 was fine because it saved time but the finish always came out rough in places. Letting the tool do the work is a weird mental shift for sure. You have to stop treating sanding like scrubbing a dirty pan and just let the pad float. 80 grit cuts deep, 120 smooths it out, and 150 makes it buttery if you don't rush. Took me wrecking a few projects to realize patience is actually the faster way in the long run lmao.