15 Tips for Using Sandpaper

Tips from Mike Way contributor to Wood Carving Illustrated

Wood Carving Illustrated Issue #26 - Pages 46 and 47

1. Regain your focus. Sanding helps you determine where to remove additional wood throughout the carving process. Whenever I lose the focus of what I want the final piece to look like, I put down the tools and spend some time sanding. The shape of duck heads often confuses me, and I have to stop carving to visualize exactly where and how much wood needs to be removed. When I reach a spot like this, I put down the cutting tools and sand everything smooth while contemplating what needs to come off next. Regardless of the piece being carved, this change in focus allows my hands, eyes and mind some quality time to perfect a shape that is not only pleasing to the eye but also to the touch.

  One gauge I use to judge the quality of my carvings is the willingness of people to touch or handle the finished pieces. Time spent sanding helps me achieve the finale shapes necessary to achieve this. However, used indiscriminately, sandpaper can blur small forms and take the sharpness away from where it needs to be retained. Making a shape smooth does not automatically make the shape a good one.

2. Don't skip the scratches. Start with a coarse-grit paper and progress through a series of finer grits until the desired finish is achieved. The reason is that each finer piece of sandpaper removes scratches left by the previous grit. If you think that skipping grits will save you time, you may end up sanding longer just to remove scratches left from the previous sanding.

3. Sanding across the grain is no gain. I'm sure you've heard an old adage that warns about sanding across the grain. Taking that approach produces deep scratches that are hideous to look at and are challenging to remove. But, most carvers don't realize that more wood is removed when you sand across the grain. A compromise for early stages of sanding is to sand a moderate angle to the grain. More material is abraded away, but the scratches are less visible. However as you work incrementally through the finer grits of sandpaper, sand only with the grain.

4. Save the Cutting Edge. Since sandpaper sheds it's particles, make sure that you remove them with a cloth or old brush before carving. Grit quickly dulls a finely honed cutting edge.

5. Prime for smoothness. If you are painting a project, consider applying a heavy coat of primer, which fills small scratches left by coarser paper. Then, smooth the primer with a medium-grit paper and finish up with fine grit.

6. Beware of over-sanding. Consider the kind of wood you are carving before over-sanding. Soft and coarse-grained woods such as cedar do not need as much fine sanding as basswood, which does not require the same effort as a harder wood like oak. In general, softwoods take less work to sand smooth than hardwoods, and you can probably skip some grits in your incremental sanding.

7. The stain game. When sanding, keep in mind that over-sanding to the point of polishing the wood surface limits the amount of stain the wood can absorb. And if a stain is used, the primary goal is to sand out nicks or scratches that will otherwise be magnified when the stain dries. If the imperfections are bothersome, you will probably have to re-sand.

8. Fresh sandpaper, please. Use fresh sandpaper whenever possible. Remember, the primary advantages of this tool are that it is fairly inexpensive and disposable.

9. A question of balance. When using water as a lubricant, do not let the surface dry out. When excessive wet waste builds up, wash it away.

10. Upon further review. If the paper becomes clogged after only a short period of use, check the surface being sanded. If damp, let it dry out thoroughly. If it is too resinous, try a different type of paper.

11. Sand evenly. Simply holding sandpaper in your fingers can result in uneven sanding. The paper sinks into the softer areas and rides high over the harder ones, resulting in hills and valleys. Use sanding blocks or sticks whenever possible because they ride over the harder areas and prevent the softer ones from forming depressions. These devices also allow you to apply both hands to the sanding process, and greater force can be exerted. Blocks and sticks can be made from furring strips, dowels, pieces of molding, or paint stirrers. These can quickly and easily be shaped for almost any project. Simply wrap or glue the sandpaper around the block. If you desire a lighter touch with the sandpaper, cut out a pad from a piece of sheet cork and glue it to the block. Even a piece of packing Styrofoam can be shaped and covered with sandpaper.

12. Keep it unclogged. Whenever possible, remove glue from the surface prior to sanding. Glue tends to quickly clog sandpaper. Use a knife, chisel or sharpened scraper if necessary.

13. Repair with moisture. To repair a dent in the wood, place a small drop of hot water on the damaged area. Similarly, if a super smooth finish is desired, wipe the surface with a warm, damp cloth. The warm water will penetrate the surface and raise the grain, which can then be sanded smooth. In some woods, the stain or sealer will raise the grain, requiring additional light sanding.

14. Try scraping. For an extra-fine polished look, scrape the surface as the final step before applying a finish. Again, raise the grain with a damp cloth; then use the sharp edge of a piece of steel, glass or plastic held perpendicular to the surface and scrape with light pressure in the the direction of the grain. Professional cabinetmaker's scrapers made from steel can be purchased in most fine woodworking catalogs along with directions for their use.

15. Keep paper cool and dry. Store sandpaper in a cool, dry place and keep the sheets flat. If they were purchased in a cardboard sleeve or box, leave them in the packaging.