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Many people take pride in doing things with their own two hands, whether it’s refinishing kitchen cabinets or building a pergola to create a designated outdoor living space. When Cincinnati, OH-area DIY enthusiasts need top-quality building materials, they turn to Huber Lumber Co. For over 110 years, this home improvement store has helped customers find the tools and lumber they need for all of their building projects.

No matter how large or small your lumber project is, you need to sand the wood to remove gouges and markings, which creates a smooth finish. There are three methods commonly used for wood sanding — holding the sandpaper in your hand, using a sanding block, or using a small random-orbit sanding machine. Whichever method or combination of methods you prefer, the following tips can help you create the perfect finish.

3 Tips For A Proper Wood Sanding Technique

Work With The Grain

Examine each piece of lumber to determine the direction of the grain, and use that as your sanding guide. Work in long, even strokes along the grain for the best results. You can rub the sandpaper back and forth while you are working as long as you maintain even pressure. If you’re using a random-orbit sanding machine or block, you may want to switch to paper alone to work along edges and in corners. Remember to keep sanding with the grain in these hard-to-reach areas. Sanding across the grain or at an angle will result in scratches that become more pronounced after you stain your project.

Work From Coarse To Fine

lumberWhen you buy sandpaper, you will see that there are numbers printed on the package. This number refers to the paper’s grit size; smaller numbers indicate a larger grit size, and larger numbers indicate a smaller grit size. Using multiple grit numbers for your project will give you the smoothest results. Grit sizes 36 to 220 are most commonly used for hand sanding. You do not need to use all of the sizes in that range for your lumber project — just remember to progress from a coarse size to a fine one and work lightly until you achieve a smooth finish.

Work Clean

Sanding your lumber creates a considerable amount of dust, so wipe down the wood periodically with a piece of tack cloth. You can buy prepared tack cloth or make your own by soaking pieces of cheesecloth in tung oil. Keeping the lumber dust-free reduces the risk of scratches and poor stain adhesion.

Visit Huber Lumber online to learn more about their selection of building materials and trusted manufacturers. You can also call (513) 731-4035 to speak with the knowledgeable staff about your upcoming project, and find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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