The good news is that I’m back working on my chair again. The bad news is that it’s all sanding. I hate sanding.
Chuck Brock starts with 24 grit and moves through an entire “schedule” of grits up to 1000, and then he sands some more with three types of 3M pads. Sorry Chuck, but that is just not going to happen in my shop. I don’t have the time or the patience.
When I cut the parts, I tried to minimize the saw marks as much as possible, and then I sanded as I went. At this point, I used 60 grit paper to remove saw and tool marks. I am also continuing to shape some parts. I then follow up with 120 grit and then 220 grit. The object of each pass is to remove the scratch marks from the previous pass. At the 220 grit level, the wood is already pretty smooth. I plan to go to 400 grit before finishing and then to use a 3M pad between coats. I didn’t include any pictures this time because I figured everyone has seen sawdust before. I made good progress this weekend, but I still need to complete sanding on one back leg and 5 more spindles.
Here are a few things I’ve learned: Use power tools whenever possible. I use my random orbital sander as much as possible, but there are just some areas that must be sanded by hand. After using the ROS, go over the piece by hand and sand with the grain. Don’t be afraid to back up to a lower grit if the scratches are not coming out. Use sanding blocks or dowels whenever possible to save wear and tear on your hands. Use a soft cloth to clean the dust from the wood and use your hands to feel the wood. Your hands can often feel imperfections that cannot be seen. Finally, don’t give up. Sanding is a horrible task, but keep at it until the wood looks and feels perfect. Don’t settle for good enough.
I’m looking forward to the long 4th of July weekend. I hope to finish sanding the individual pieces, and then assemble the chair again, and complete the joint sanding.
