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I was sanding everything to 220 grit for years before finishing
I was working on a walnut table for a client in Portland and the grain kept raising after my first coat of oil, no matter what. Another finisher told me to stop at 150 and let the oil do the work, which felt totally wrong. Has anyone else found that less sanding actually gives a better final surface?
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zara_garcia6mo ago
Honestly, that sounds like a total mess waiting to happen. If you stop at 150 you're just leaving scratches that will show through any clear finish, especially on nice wood like walnut. I've tried the "let the oil do the work" thing before and it left a rough surface the client could feel. You need that smooth 220 base to get a pro feel, you just have to raise the grain with water first and sand it back down. Doing less work on the prep just means more problems later.
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miles9466mo ago
Forget grit numbers for a second and consider what sandpaper actually does. It cuts fibers and leaves them laying down flat, but they're still attached and want to stand back up when they get wet. Stopping at a lower grit leaves a slightly more open surface that lets the first coat of oil sink in and lock those fibers down for good, instead of just wetting the tips of sanded-over fuzz. The super smooth 220 surface can actually act like a seal, trapping moisture and causing grain to pop later. Your finisher friend was onto something.
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