Sanding Wooden Furniture by Grit
Sanding is where a refinish is won or lost. Each grit has one job: to erase the scratch pattern left by the grit before it. Skipping steps leaves marks that only appear once a finish goes on.
A working grit progression
For most furniture restoration, a three- or four-step progression covers the range from removing old surface defects to a finish-ready surface. The right starting grit depends on how rough the bare wood is after stripping; if the surface is already smooth, there is no reason to begin coarse.
| Grit | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 80–100 | Levelling | Only for genuinely rough or uneven stock. Easy to gouge softwoods; use sparingly. |
| 120–150 | Shaping | The common starting point on stripped hardwood that is already reasonably flat. |
| 180–220 | Refining | Removes the previous scratch pattern and prepares for finish on most pieces. |
| 240+ | Optional polish | Useful before oil finishes; going too fine can keep stain from penetrating. |
Sanding with the grain
Cross-grain scratches catch light and stain differently from the surrounding wood, so they stand out badly under a clear coat. Sand in the direction of the grain wherever the shape allows, and on curved or carved areas follow the grain as closely as the form lets you. A sanding block or a random-orbit sander keeps pressure even; a bare hand tends to dish the surface around knuckles and fingertips.
Pencil trick: scribble light pencil lines across the surface before each grit. When the marks are gone, that grit has done its job and the scratch pattern is uniform. It is a simple way to avoid stopping too early.
Raising and knocking back the grain
Water-based finishes and water-borne stains lift the wood fibres, leaving a surface that feels rough after the first coat. Raising the grain on purpose avoids that surprise.
- Sand to your final grit and remove the dust completely.
- Wipe the surface with a barely damp cloth and let it dry fully.
- Lightly sand the raised fibres back with the same final grit, using minimal pressure.
- Remove dust again with a vacuum and a cloth before staining or finishing.
Dust and indoor air
Sanding indoors during a Canadian winter, with windows shut and heating running, concentrates fine dust quickly. A random-orbit sander connected to a vacuum, plus a fitted dust mask, keeps the air and the work cleaner. Wood dust is a recognised respiratory irritant, so extraction is worth the setup time.
With the surface prepared, move on to Protecting Wood in the Canadian Climate, or revisit Refinishing Old Wood Furniture for the stripping stage.
References
For general background see Sandpaper and Wood finishing on Wikipedia. Guidance on wood dust as a workplace hazard is published by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.