After years in the shop, I've ditched hand sanding for good.

Using an orbital sander gets the job done faster and with better results. I mean, why spend hours on something a machine can do in minutes? Just make sure to use the right grit sequence to avoid swirl marks.

3 comments

3 Comments

tessa_thompson1mo ago

Man, @raym68 is right about not rushing the grits. I once saw a guy jump from 60 to 220 on a maple table and it ended up looking like a cat went to town on it.

raym681mo ago

On hardwoods like oak, an orbital sander can still leave faint swirls even with a proper grit sequence. The key is to keep the sander moving and never let it sit in one spot. I've seen guys jump from 120 to 220 grit and wonder why the finish looks hazy. You need to step through each grit slowly, maybe 80, 120, 180, then 220 for a truly smooth surface. Skipping grits or rushing the process will undo all the time you saved by not hand sanding.

tarawilson1mo ago

Did you ever start sanding something and find a total mess underneath? I was refinishing a dresser with my orbital sander, and under the varnish was this weird layer of wallpaper someone glued on. It gummed up the paper so fast I had to stop and scrape it all off by hand.