Say you’ve got a 20″ x 30″ glued-up Cherry table top. It’s flat, it’s drum-sanded to 150-grit, and you’re getting ready to do final surface prep before finishing.
Based upon reading various threads here for many months, I know there are probably 19 distinct ways to proceed with the surface prep — that’s not what my question is about. I’m trying to understand how long it should take an experienced woodworker to get from the state I described to “ready-to-finish”? I know it will vary by individual and will depend on how you do it — but in general, how long do you think it would take you to do it?
I’m asking mostly because I suspect I’m being too impatient with my surface prep, but I don’t have any benchmark to compare against.
-M.
Replies
Mark,
After scraping and sanding with 220-grit abrasive, the finishing process depends entirely on the finish I apply.
Shooting lacquer takes very little time (setting up and cleaning the gear takes longer than the spraying on a small project like the tabletop you describe). Sanding in an oil finish, spread over several days to allow for curing between coats, would take considerably longer, as would French polishing, or applying and rubbing-out several coats of varnish. If I am going to apply pore filler to achieve an ultra-smooth finish, that'll add to the finishing time.
Can you provide more information about the kind of finish you intend to apply? Do you intend to dye or stain before applying the finish? Are you looking for a utilitarian protective finish, or a glass smooth show piece.
Paul
5 minutes.
If it gets clear finish I sand with a random orbital with 150 grit. If it's stained, 180. The edge could require more time but you asked only about the surface.
Lee
Mark
I understood your post to say "ready to finish", not till the finish is actually complete. I will answer based on that.
With cherry I would ROS with 180 grit and stop. Even though I attach a small Shop-Vac to my ROS, I would wipe it with naptha to clear micro-dust. What, about 15 minutes for that size top.
When the naptha dries and that's pretty quick in GA., I hand scrape it. Another wipe with naptha and let it dry. Another 30 minutes maybe. So with both steps complete and a cup of coffee inhaled, about 50 minutes to an hour. Depends on if I take a nap or get the second cup of coffee between steps. ha..ha..
Regards...
sarge..jt
If the tabletop is flat and already surface sanded to 150 grit, the final steps should take no more that 20-30 minutes to be ready to apply the finish.
First thing I would strongly recommend, is to lock up your ROS and put some 180 grit on your pad sander. A ROS will most likely inject some circular swirls in your nice flat surface. Sand the surface--both sides--and then using 180 grit mounted on a sanding pad, hand sand in the direction of the grain. This will remove all the makes left by the machine sanding. It's an important step. 180 grit is the highest you need to sand the wood but going to 220 is OK. Don't go above that as all you do is burnish the surface which can present finishing problems.
Vacuum off the dust using a dust brush attachment. Now wipe the surface down with a rag dampened with mineral spirits, naphta or alcohol. This will preview the color of the wood when clear finished, highlight any glue residue or sanding swirls you missed in your sanding and pick up the final amount of sanding dust. The chemicals will dry without leaving any residue.
Now get out your finishing materials, thoroughly clean your finishing area, go away for a few hours and change your dusty clothes. When you go back again wipe down with mineral spirits and with a minimal amount of fuss, start your finishing.
Edited 11/9/2003 10:13:47 AM ET by Howie
Howie
I use the ROS all the way. But, I hand scrape after the final grit. The scraper will IMO, leave a better surface than either the ROS, pad or any other sander they've come up with yet.
Regards...
sarge..jt
Oh, the old debate about how fine to sand before the finish. But the original question did not specify the finish.
Sarge, I agree regarding scraping as the final step before finishing. The clarity of any film finish is far superior, if the wood is properly finished with a scraper vs the 180-220 grit surface.
I would not sand finer than 180 for a film finish (varnish, shellac, lacquer). But if an oil finish is going to be used, sanding to 320 is worth the extra work. And for an oil finish, scraping does not seem to improve the result. Have you found differently?
The wood specified is cherry. The above would apply to just about any domestic hardwood. If the question had been asked about a dense tropical hardwood such as rosewood or padauk and even bubinga I would sand to 320 for lacquer and 400 for oil. They don't "burnish," meaning they take the finish without any problem and their clarity is improved with the finer polishing. I don't get better results with the scraper on these kinds of woods. I don't know why. (I guess I just have bad technique?).
VL
Venicia
To answer the question truthfully, I don't know if the scraper will give a better result with the oil finishes. :>)
I have pretty much always used the film finish. Just recently have gone heavy with the oils an I do like them for specific purposes. After 31 years of trying to perfect getting the stock jointed, assembled and broadening my knowedge of tools; I still got a lot to learn about this finishing thing. From what you just stated, I may have possibly just learned something. To-nite I will try that on scrap just to comfirm what you said.
I have built peices that I designed well and would have been difficult to improve upon, only to ruin in about 5 minutes because I had not developed a true touch with finishing yet. I have just within the last two years started to concentrate and learn proper techniques. That's one reason I came to the forum a couple of years ago and it's paid dividends.
So as I stated, I just don't know. If you check back tomorrow morning I bet I will. ha..ha..
Thanks for the input as I am about to learn something, one way or the other.
Have a lovely Sunday, maam...
sarge..jt
I'm going to assume prep for waterborn poly top coat, fresh abrasives with good dust collection and no nasty linear scratches from a rouge grit on the drum:
150 RO - 2 minutes ( I start with the same grit as the drum to randomize the linear scratch pattern)
180 RO - 5 minutes
220 RO - 5 minutes
Raise grain with water - 1 min
Dry time - 1 hour to overnight
Hand sand with 220 - 5 min
Total = 21 min.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
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