When are we done sanding?
I get this question a lot. People usually are no fan of the tedious and time consuming chore of sanding anything. Sanding is important though and knowing what one is trying to achieve can help a lot in determining how much sanding to do. Whether we are sanding metal, drywall, or wood, there is a reason to sand. The finish. What is the result we are trying to achieve? Is it to clean and prepare the piece for a next step? Is it to achieve a "proper" finish appearance? First rule, sanding is cutting. Just like any blade, the finer (and sharper) the teeth is like the finer the abrasive. A much smoother finish result. Probably most important to start is starting with the right grit. Too low of a grit can cause problems. We don't want to damage the piece we're working on by making gouges and taking too much material away. So often it's a good idea to test in a single, small spot with an estimated grit. Then you can decide whether to go down, go up, or ke