Hello all,
I had a quick question for you. I’m building some speaker stands out of padauk and have what looks like a nice surface after using a smoothing plane. Would you recommend sanding before applying finish? Or possibly a card scraper? Or nothing and just begin applying finish? Thanks for your help!
-bill rush
Replies
Totally up to you
Bill:
It really depends on what you want. If all surfaces are smooth and clean and you are happy with the surface go ahead and apply your finish. If you have some rough areas or tear out you can try to smooth those areas with a card scraper or use sandpaper. If I have to resort to a card scraper or sandpaper due to localized tear out or roughness I sand the whole piece so all the surfaces look the same before applying a finish.
When using varnish or other type of film finish that builds layers on top of the wood some folks like to sand with fine grit paper believing this gives the finish something to grab onto. I've never found this to be necessary and prefer the clarity I get from a planed surface. If staining a piece I have found that by lightly sanding before applying the stain I get deeper stain penetration and more even coloring. If using tung or linseed oil I think you get a nicer result if the oil is applied to a planed surface rather than a sanded one.
It's a good idea to prep and finish a sample board first to make sure you get the look and feel you are after.
gdblake
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