Loading…
11
Unpopular opinion: I've gone back to using a hand plane for final smoothing on solid wood doors
For years I used a random orbit sander, convinced it was faster and just as good. That changed after a big maple kitchen job where the sander left a slight haze I couldn't get rid of. Now I take the extra ten minutes per door to use a sharp No. 4 plane for the final pass. The surface is clearer and the glue-up lines practically vanish. Anyone else find power sanding can sometimes leave a less-than-perfect finish on certain woods?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
kelly_rivera6mo ago
I've had the same thing happen with cherry.
5
hernandez.gavin6mo ago
My neighbor's cherry tree dropped a ton of fruit last year and it stained her concrete patio. What kind of mess did the cherry make for you?
10
joseph_bailey3mo ago
The biggest jump for me was going from 220 grit straight to the plane. I skip the 320 and 400 grit paper altogether now. That ultra fine sanding just burnsishes the wood fibers instead of cutting them clean. You get a dull look that can't compete with a planed surface. Plus the plane leaves it ready for finish with no dust stuck in the grain.
2