Took me 4 years to realize I was sanding wood grain the wrong direction on every project

I was at a maker space in Detroit and this retired carpenter watched me for 30 seconds before pointing out I was sanding against the grain on a maple desk top. Has anyone else had a basic technique click years late because you just never had anyone correct you?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_gonzalez613d ago

and @noahcampbell is exactly right about that dust thing, I noticed the same thing after I finally figured it out. I spent like two years sanding end grain the wrong way on cutting boards before a friend at a woodworking meetup laughed and showed me the difference. It's crazy how nobody tells you this stuff upfront, you just keep making the same mistake until someone actually watches you work. The dust would just sit there when I went against the grain but now it actually comes off the surface clean. I still catch myself doing it wrong sometimes when I'm not paying attention, muscle memory is hard to break.

noahcampbell3d ago

Start by remembering that sanding with the grain actually lifts the dust better than going against it.