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Tried sanding a thrift store nightstand with a sponge vs a cheap electric sander
Honestly, I spent like 3 hours hand-sanding this oak nightstand from Goodwill in Austin and got nowhere. Switched to a $20 electric sander from Harbor Freight and finished both drawers and the frame in 20 minutes flat. Has anyone else hit a point where you just had to give up on manual tools to save your sanity?
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spencer_sanchez671mo ago
Did you notice any warping on that oak from the cheap sander's heat?" That's actually a solid question. My buddy Darren tried the same thing with a bargain sander on a cedar hope chest he found at a garage sale. He was going fast on a thin spot and the heat actually made the wood cup a little bit right near a knot. He said it wasn't super obvious at first but when he put a straight edge on it later, you could see the dip. I think if you keep the sander moving and don't press down too hard, you're usually fine on oak since it's denser. But yeah, cheap sanders can definitely generate more heat than you'd expect on softer woods if you're not careful. Just something to watch out for.
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