I was sanding everything to 220 grit for years because my old boss in Milwaukee said to. A guy at a lumber yard saw my work and asked why it felt so glassy.

4 comments

4 Comments

My first shop teacher insisted on 180 grit for every single project. I mean, I did that for like three years before a furniture maker told me it was way too smooth for most gluing and finishing. @the_ray is right about how these rules stick with you. It took me a long time to learn that different woods and finishes need totally different prep. Now I start at 120 for most things and only go finer if the project really needs it. That glassy feel just means you're maybe working too hard for no real reason.

jackson.max5d ago

Yeah, @karenc20, that glassy feel is just wasted elbow grease.

nelson.mia1mo ago

Glassy" from that old boss rule is why people blindly follow bad advice.

the_ray1mo ago

That rule actually helped me spot bad advice faster.