Old timer told me to quit sanding with the grain every time.

He said I was wasting time. Showed me to go diagonal with 80 grit, then switch to with the grain for finish. Cut my sanding time on a oak table by half. Tried it on a cherry desk last month. Worked perfect. Anyone else get told to change their sanding pattern?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly38526d ago

Wait, you didn't think that was just some hack job trick at first? I sure did. I was stubborn about going with the grain for years because that's how my grandpa taught me. But then I tried the diagonal thing on a big walnut table and it blew my mind. You're saving so much time and getting a way smoother surface before you even hit the fine grit. Now I only do straight with the grain on the last pass, and it's way faster than fighting the wood forever. That old timer knew what he was talking about.

ellioth3726d ago

Agreed, @kelly385. The diagonal trick works way better than you'd think. I've noticed this same pattern in a lot of different stuff. Like with sharpening knives, you don't just push straight one way, you use an angle. Or when you're trying to break in a new pair of boots, you gotta walk on them at odd angles, not just straight ahead. There's usually a smarter, faster way to do things that isn't straight up and down. But you can't skip the last pass with the grain, that's the part that ties it all together.

mark43626d ago

@ellioth37 my buddy tried the diagonal pass on a dresser and ended up sanding right through the veneer.