Okay, so maybe not everything. If you are a master carpenter, you should probably just move on to the next topic in your Google Reader. However, if you are just an average DIY guy or gal like me, perhaps I can help.

Sanding is one of the DIY tasks that I really despise, but it is absolutely necessary.  To make the job move a little quicker, I taught myself a few things about the process and materials so that I could sand more effectively.

Sandpaper Grits and When to Use Each One

As you’ve seen in your local home improvement centers, sandpaper comes in a vast array of grits. The larger the abrasive material that’s glued to the sandpaper, the more coarse the paper and the lower the grit.

Generally, I have found that there are four ranges that I use when working on wood projects:

• 80/100 – Coarse – Use these grits when you are removing a previous finish from a project (like sanding off paint) or if you are working with wood straight from the lumberyard or home improvement center;
• 120/150 – Fine – Use these grits for sanding bare wood in preparation of finishing;
• 180/220 – Very Fine – Use these grits for sanding bare wood right before finishing;
• 240 – Ultra Fine – Use this grit in between poly and other clear finish coats.

There are also “microgrits” – those that go above 240.  They are used for polishing metals and for sanding wood when you need a super-de-duper glass smooth finish.  I think they go up as high as 3000.

You may wonder why the descriptions for “Fine” and “Very Fine” are essentially the same.   That is because you need to take a step down approach with sandpaper. If you start with a “Coarse” paper, you should then use the “Fine” and “Very Fine” before you get to “Ultra Fine.”  Skipping a range will make it difficult to get to the smooth finish you desire, as it will take you much longer to get down to that finish.

When the sandpaper you are using no longer feels rough to the touch, it’s time to use a new sheet.  Don’t skimp on sandpaper and try to use it until it rips.  Your project will sand much quicker if you change out the sandpaper often.

Sanding Tools

Other than sandpaper, there are a few tools that you will need.  At the very least, you need a sanding mask and safety glasses.  You really don’t want the sanding dust (the leftover grit and wood debris) to get in your lungs and eyes.  PLEASE wear a mask and glasses.

The next level of items you will need are a sanding block and an old paint brush.  Instead of buying the sanding sponges that come in different grits, I recommend buying a plastic block that you can fit to your own sandpaper.  You can buy one package of flat sandpaper instead of a bunch of different sanding sponges.  In my experience, the flat sandpaper lasts longer than the sanding sponges anyway.  The old paint brush is used to brush the sanding dust off of your project.

The third thing I’d recommend is a finish sander.  This tool is easy to use and makes sanding go faster than just sanding by hand.  They are inexpensive (mine was under $40 at Lowe’s) and they use a 1/4 sheet of the flat sandpaper that you already use.  If you can only afford to buy one sander, get one like this.  When sanding, you’ll want to move the sander in different patterns (figure 8s, circles, etc) instead of just going back and forth since it doesn’t make a random orbit.

If you are super fancy and want to buy two sanders, you’ll also want to get a belt sander.  The reason why you don’t want to ONLY have a belt sander is that it requires sanding belts.  You generally won’t be able to find sanding belts finer than 180 at your local home improvement center, so you won’t be able to use the belt sander for any sort of finish sanding.  You can find finer sanding belts online, but you would really have to plan ahead for your projects (and hope that you order enough that you don’t run out).

This baby has a lot of power and will require two hands to hold it.  However, you will be able to sand your project so much quicker than using just a finish sander.  Honestly.  You will be blown away at how quickly it goes with a belt sander.  We have this Ryobi model from Home Depot, and it cost about $50.

There are several other types of big boy (or big girl) sanders that cost more, but I’ve never felt the need to have any of those.

What else do you want to know about sanding?  Let me know and I’ll try to answer!

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Have you ever run into a project where you need a particular type or cut of wood that’s not available at Home Depot or Lowe’s?  We ran into that problem recently, and decided it was finally time for us to visit a real live lumber yard.

After a little Google search, we decided to visit Fine Lumber in Austin.  Most of the lumber yards around here are only open until 5:00 on weekdays and only Saturday mornings on the weekends.  We were a little concerned that we would stick out like sore thumbs (especially toting our two kiddos) when we visited on a Saturday morning, but we took a deep breath and headed inside.

We are so proud of ourselves for taking that step.  Not only did our little family of four not stick out, but we actually fit right in!  There were a few contractor trucks in the parking lot, but most of the other vehicles were sedans and small SUVs.  Inside, the majority of the patrons were just like us – young(ish) couples and families with children.  For safety’s sake, we kept Emma in the stroller and made sure that Zack was right beside us at all times.

Rows and rows of different types of lumber greeted us upon entry.  There was oak, mahogany, alder, maple, pine, fir, cedar…I could go on and on.  There were even exotic woods that I had never seen before, such as Purple Heart wood from Central and South America.  I even saw a huge slab of Pecan that could have been mine if I had $2,000 to drop.

We were on a mission to find untreated 4×4 posts to use for an indoor project, as such a product is not available where we typically pick up lumber (i.e. Home Depot and Lowe’s).  We easily found it here.  We also realized that buying the rest of the lumber we needed for the project at the lumber yard would be a little cheaper than purchasing it at our usual places.  Score!

At Fine Lumber, the dimensional lumber is housed in a lofted area, so Zack had a great time going “upstairs” and picking out the pieces with Tom.

While the boys were searching for the perfect pieces of wood, Emma and I explored a little bit.  We found this beautiful section of overstocked pieces, and I couldn’t help but take a photo of the color coded ends.

When we were ready to go, the staff cut our pieces to the length we needed.  Since lumber is sold by the foot, there’s no use buying a lot more than we needed.  I thought their saw was really fun looking.

Like the rest of the weekend warriors, we tied the lumber on the roof of our little SUV and headed home.  This particular lumber yard is only about 15 minutes away from our house, so we know there will be another trip down that way in the near future.

If you’ve ever wanted to check out a lumber yard, I’d highly recommend it!  We didn’t find the experience intimidating in the least, and at Fine Lumber, the staff was helpful and the prices were cheaper than at the large home improvement warehouses.  I hope you find a similar situation in your area.

As for the project we are working on…well, you’ll have to wait to find out.  ;D

Have you ever shopped at a lumber yard?  What was your experience?