Making your Woodwork Project Look Good: Sanding and Finishing

You’ve put in the hard yards making sure you get every detail correct in creating your woodwork piece of art. You think you are on the home straight and a quick sand and finish will do the job. But think again. If you don’t put plenty of effort into the final stage of your piece, you will undo all your hard work. People will judge your final piece on its finish. Even if you have chosen a beautiful piece of wood and have spent hours on making sure the joins are meticulous, you can undo it all with a rough finish.

Final Check of your Woodworking Project

Before you sand, look over your project. Fill in any gaps or cracks with wood fillers and sealers. Filler shrinks as it cures, so leave a little extra filler on each hole rather than scraping it down to be level

If you have any dents in the wood, grab a wet rag and a hot iron. Place the rag over the dent and apply the hot iron. The pressure of the steam and the water soaking into the wood will pop out the crushed fibres if they haven’t been severed.

Sanding your Woodwork Piece

It’s not only how your piece looks but also how it feels. If your piece has any sharp edges or rough parts, it’s less appealing. Use a piece of sandpaper to take off any roughness or sharpness. It’s natural for people to be tactile with wood pieces. Wood is one of those materials that is irresistible to run your hand over it.

Remember, sanding is a gradual process. Start with a coarse sandpaper to level out any obvious inconsistencies then work through finer papers to refine. If you have a large piece, using a random orbital sander is fine, just be careful around any edges as it doesn’t take much to accidentally round out an edge. Once you have done one, all the other edges will need to match. Be careful not to tilt the sander either or it will dig in to the surface. You then have to match the rest of the surface or live with it. If it’s a detailed area, sand by hand.

Wipe over the piece with a clean rag and run your hand over again to ensure all parts feel smooth and inviting to the touch. Use the sandpaper again if there is still a rough spot. Applying any kind of finishing product, even a coat of oil, will magnify the imperfections not hide them so you want to make sure you get them all.

Applying Finish to your Woodwork Piece

Being a porous material, wood needs a finish to protect it from stains, dirt and the elements. There are plenty of wood finishes to choose from - paint, stain, clear coat, varnish, lacquer, shellac, polyurethane or polyacrylic.

The first step is to decide on the finish you want for your piece. Paint will completely cover the grain of the wood or if applied very thin, will be semi-transparent. A stain allows the wood grain to show through and add warmth to the wood. A clear coat such as linseed, tung or mineral oil is quick to apply but may feel slightly sticky. Wax can be use on fine wood grains and buffed to a sheen. Varnish will give your project a much shinier look and protect against moisture. Lacquer is a durable, fast drying finish prone to cracking and chipping with time. Shellac is an older style finish with a high luster if you apply several coats and sand between each one. but doesn’t have the same moisture repellent properties as varnish. Polyurethane and polyacrylic are tough durable finishes.

Brush, wipe on with a rag or spray the finish, depending on the look you are after. Use a good quality finish product so your project looks good for years.

With all finishes, practice makes perfect. Find one you like and try to use it as often as possible to achieve the best result each time.

If you are looking for good quality finishing products and accessories contact us online today.