It’s critical to sand the surface before painting it, removing flaws (also known as pimples) and creating a nice, smooth finish while also establishing adhesion by generating tiny, rough ridges for the paint to stick to.
Choosing the appropriate sandpaper for a woodworking, painting, or finishing project may make all of the difference; however, selecting among the numerous sorts of sanding pads online available might be difficult. Here are some pointers to assist you in choosing the finest sandpaper for your next project.
Sandpaper is often graded numerically from 0 to 400, with lower numbers representing coarser grits and higher numbers signifying finer sandpapers.
Start with the finest sandpaper that will do the task easily and move up to finer grits for deeper scratches. Here are some of the most popular sandpaper grit sizes, as well as suggestions for using them on different projects.
Popular sandpaper grades
- 40 to 80 Grit Sandpaper: Coarse grit sandpaper is excellent for rough sanding and rapid stock removal, such as sanding the edge of a sticking door with a belt sander.
- 100 to 150 Grit Sandpaper: For most projects, coarse sandpaper is a suitable starting point, from rough wood to old varnish removal.
- 180 to 220 Grit Sandpaper: Use finer grit sandpaper for removing gouges caused by coarser grits on unfinished wood and lightly sanding between paint applications.
- 320 to 400 Grit Sandpaper: Fine-grit sandpaper is used for light sanding between paint applications, as well as hard surfaces like metal and plastic.
How much should you sand?
It’s very hard to be sure you’ve cleaned all flaws from the surface and then each scratch in between grits before attempting the next. Because we’re not confident if these flaws and scratches have been removed, most of us sand more than required.
When you’ve sanded enough, learning comes from experience. However, there are two methods that can assist you. After removing the dust, look closely at the wood in a low-angle reflected light, such as from a window or a light fixture on a stand. Second, wet the wood and examine it from various angles while looking at it in reflected light.
Sanding is a time-consuming endeavour, and it may appear to be an endless one. If you don’t sand properly, any flaws will be accentuated when the final finish coat is applied.
A freshly sanded wood floor, a freshly painted wall or ceiling, and a newly varnished tabletop all provide evidence that a task has been completed nicely. They’re all feasible due to the exquisite sanding.
