Sophisticated Sanding

It is fact of life for finishing professionals in woodworking and many other industries: No matter what they do, they can't get away from sanding. And sanding. And sanding. And then sanding some more. For this reason, the sanding materials are just as important as the type of coating used. Just as different sawblades are used to make the correct cut depending on the type of wood/substrate and whether it is being crosscut or ripped, abrasives are a precision tool used to bring about the exact finish needed.

However, inherent with the use of abrasives are problems such as clogging and wear. These problems can actually stem from the way sandpaper is manufactured. Adhesives, which are used to hold the abrasive grains in place, heat up during use and cause dust particles to become part of the sanding grit. Haphazard placement of the grains can cause different sheets of sandpaper of the same grit and type of abrasive used on the same material to mysteriously wear down at different speeds. Another problem with this haphazard placement is the tendency for coatings to gum up the sandpaper. Previously, the only solution was to replace the sandpaper and continue sanding.