Sanding Furniture For Beginners
Sanding plays a big part in DIY projects, but it can feel a little intimidating if you’ve never done it before. So here’s our guide for sanding furniture for beginners! It will become a breeze when you learn these sanding furniture tips and get the hang of it.
There are many reasons why we do this step, and we’ll be focusing on doing it to remove the old finish on your furniture before refinishing. Keep reading to find out more!
We sand furniture to remove an existing finish, and you can also do it to prep your piece before painting. Here, we will tackle doing it for removing old finishes before applying a new stain. This lets you start fresh while keeping or even enhancing the natural beauty of the wood.
We know you’ve got questions. What tools do you use? How long will it take? Does it cost a lot? What should I expect along the way? You will need more than just sandpaper to get the job done. Depending on the project, you might need more for a complete makeover.
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! In this beginner’s guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of sanding furniture and give you all the tips and tricks to make it an easy, smooth, and successful process for you.
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What Sandpaper to Use
This step gets a whole lot easier when you’ve got the right tools and supplies. Cheap sandpaper might save you a few bucks, but it’ll tear and rip way too easily. Spending a little more is totally worth it!
I love these 3M Pro Grade Professional sandpaper sheets, and I also love the Diablo sanding discs and sanding nets. They last way longer, don’t rip or tear easily, and the abrasive holds up really well, so it can handle long use without wearing out too fast.
Which Sander to Use
For bigger or multiple projects, getting a sander is a smart move. It’ll save you time and effort compared to doing this step by hand and leave you with a smoother, more consistent finish. But the sander you choose can still make your project go faster or slower.
Cheap ones are great, but they’ll take longer to get the job done. Say, a Ryobi Corner Cat sander will work fine, but it’s not as quick or efficient as a professional grade SurfPrep sander. If you’re just starting out, though, you probably don’t need the SurfPrep – you’re just gonna need a basic one.
But if you’re ready to invest right way, you can totally do so! Read our honest SurfPrep Sander reviews here to find out more about this powerful tool. Then again, there are other beginner friendly options that will still give you awesome results.
If you’re looking for something to get into corners, the Ryobi Corner Cat is a great choice. Its pointed design makes it super easy to reach those tricky spots. Learn more about this SurfPrep sander alternative here.
On the other hand, there’s the DeWalt orbital sander, which is faster and more aggressive, so you get down to bare wood quickly. However, since it’s round, you cannot get into corners easily. Check out the best orbital sanders here, including this DeWalt model.
So you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the right one. You can learn about the different types of sanders for furniture in this post. Here are the best sander for beginners – perfect for tackling your first DIY projects and even wood crafts.
Sanding Wood Veneer
A lot of furniture these days, and even pieces from the 60s and 70s, use a thin layer of wood called veneer. Underneath that, you’ll often find either cheap wood, particle board (kind of a cardboard like material), or MDF (wood chips glued together).
When you sand, you risk going right through that thin veneer and into the layer underneath. If you’re planning to restain your piece and accidentally sand through, those spots are going to look pretty odd. They’ll usually end up a lighter color or just won’t take the stain at all.
Sometimes, there’s a darker color, and those spots where you got through the veneer will stand out like a sore thumb. So you just want to be super careful not to sand through the veneer.
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How to spot veneer wood?
You can look at the back of your furniture and see if there’s a very, very thin line at the very top – this is a good indication that it’s veneer, but it is always the safest to just assume that your wood piece has veneer.
So, be very careful. Go a bit lighter as you work your way through the finish. Once you’re through, take it slow and steady because you will very easily go through the veneer – I’ve had it happen to me so many times!
It’s not as big of a problem if you’re going to paint your furniture, but if you’re staining it, you’ll need to pick up some professional techniques to hide any spots that you have oversanded.
In this case, you probably don’t want a super aggressive sander. You might not even need to do this step at all. A chemical stripper could be the way to go. It takes about the same amount of time to strip, so here’s how to remove paint from wood without sanding that you can follow!
What grit sandpaper to remove finish?
Another thing to keep in mind is that grit really makes a difference. The lower the number – like 60, 80, or 100 – the coarser it is. It’ll work faster, but the finish will be pretty rough, too. When you use this, you very well can go through your veneer.
Once you get to 220 or 400, you’re working with pretty fine sandpaper. It’s not going to take off the finish quickly. In fact, 400 grit is more for finishing touches and details. You wouldn’t use it for removing paint.
If you know you’ve got solid wood furniture, start with 60 or 80 to strip much faster than using 150 or 220 grit. For pieces with veneer, I would suggest starting with 150 and seeing how that goes. If it’s working well, stick with it. But if it’s taking way too long because the finish is super hard, try going down to 120 to see if it speeds things up.
You can just try to get the finish off first, but don’t go all the way. Then, move up to a finer grit to smooth out the wood. This way, you are less likely to accidentally go through the veneer. Basically, start with the lower grit, and once you’re done with the first layer, move up to the next or two grits after that.
So, if you use 60 and sand everything off, you can switch to 100 and go over it again. After that, move up to 120 or 150, then finally to 180 or 220 grit. You’re starting with a rough, sanded finish and gradually smoothing it out.
You can jump to 220 grit after using 80 and still get smooth results, but you will get sanding marks. If you’re using a powder sander, it’s going to leave those little swirl marks behind. And you won’t notice them until you apply the stain – they will suddenly appear as dark spots all over.
How to avoid swirls when sanding?
So, to avoid those pesky swirls, gradually increase the grit and make sure to thoroughly clean the dust off the surface in between. It also helps to work slowly. Don’t push down too hard on the sander, and avoid moving it super fast back and forth.
Always follow the wood grain – those lines on the surface. Move your sander along them, like staying in your lane on the road. If you work against it, you’ll end up with scratches that will stand out when you stain.
So, in a nutshell, sanding furniture for beginners comes down to a few key tips. It’s important to choose the right type of sandpaper and sander. It’s also important to go slowly, following the direction of the wood grain to avoid swirl marks and scratches.
Go through the grits gradually, starting with a coarse one and slowly working your way to the finer ones. This will help you get smooth and even results. Don’t forget to clean off any dust in between rounds and after the final one.
But you might also consider not sanding and using a chemical stripper instead. It’s a good way to avoid damage, especially if you’re working with veneer or delicate surfaces.
More Sanding Furniture Tips
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