where does it end..!!!!!!

[elk killer]

been sanding sanding sanding sanding,,
a highly figured piece of walnut...
does it ever end..

[FALout]

Scrape it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

What are you trying to achieve?

Remove file and tool marks with 80 grit.  Remove 80 grit marks with 120...and so forth until you are happy...say, 320.

[eddillon]

   Don't forget to wet and whisker.  nothing more frustrating to find compressed wood fibers just as your about to start with the finish.  This is the voice of first hand knowledge speaking.
Ed

[Dphariss]

been sanding sanding sanding sanding,,
a highly figured piece of walnut...
does it ever end..

I file stocks or scrape them pretty smooth and raise the grain a few times before I start sanding. Raising the grain helps find rough spots. Sanding removes very little wood this way.
I use 220 (150 if is a really rough spot, coarser grits are for shaping if used at all) and raised the grain well it should be done in 3 grits, 220-320-400. Wetting after or during filing is a good idea since files and rasps can compress the wood then raise up the first time the wood is wet or even later. I use 220 to take off "high spots" along the forend with a hard flat backer, which I generally shape with a scratch stock. With the right backer and paper stuck to it I can sand very close to the forestock mouldings etc.
But you have to be careful when sanding that you do not go so deep they you break through the surface that has been raised. Use a light touch and in most cases a flat backer or a paper folded to stiffen it or backed with a piece of rubber hose (fuel or heater from auto parts) for contours.
Unless you are skilled in using a scraper they will cause more problems than they solve.
Many scraped rifles are too rough in both surface finish and often contour for the people I tend to sell to.
At 220 and 320 be REALLY careful and look for rough spots, scratches and such and take these out with the 220-320, if you go back to some really aggressive grit you are making more work. 400 and even 600 on maple will polish the wood and make final finish easier, though on walnut the filling process provides much of the fine polish. So I don't usually 400 grit walnut.

Dan

[Dave B]

I was always trying to make do with sand paper that was dull. Dont do it if you want progress. once paper is no longer sharp out the door with it. I have emotional scars from Junior high shop class where we were given only one piece of sandpaper for the quarter for the project. I couldnt figure out why I couldnt remove the scratches very well. Sharp paper makes a world of difference. When you buy it get it by the sheaf not by the sheet. Use a backing block at all times.

[docone]

I second the backing block!
Whether a dowel, large eraser, block of wood, they all make the sanding blend in better. The pieces last a little longer, your accuracy is better, there are few lumps, and dips. As the paper gets finer and finer, the block gets less important.
Sanding is one of the things I actually enjoy. Especially if it is new work.
After a couple of coats of BLO, the feathers get easier to sand. A couple of strokes and you are good to go.
When it is done, it makes a person proud!

[B Shipman]

Any sanding is the last thing. Rasps, wood files, then scrapers. Scrapers literally peel wood and can be done so well that little else is required. IT'S FASTER. I'm anal about finishes and I start with no more than 220 and usually 320 and go to 400.

[elk killer]

it  was scraped, grain raised.
down to the 400 grit paper,
just seems hard to get ALL the tiny tiny scratches out of it....

[woodburner]

Hi Elk Killer,sounds like you have a good eye for scratches. From
   wood lathe work, I was told to use 600 grit. It helped eliminate
   those pesky scratches.  Some pros use up to 1000.  Some finishes
   are lacquered and it is worked like an automotive finish.  Hand rubbing
   has to be worth 1000 and back rubbing oil finishes will get a good shine.
   We are our own worst critiques.  Good luck!  Tim

[FALout]

With walnut, I find that if you can blow the dust off with an air hose, it gets it out of the pores.  You would be surprised how that can help.

[bluenoser]

Lots of sound advice here.

The type of sandpaper a person is using can have a significant effect on the end result - and the amount of effort expended.  A grit that is friable will last longer and do a better job than one that is not.  Friability is the tendency of the grit to fracture during use to expose fresh cutting surfaces.

At one time, I used garnet paper almost exclusively for woodwork.  I still have a fairly large supply of garnet paper, but am increasingly using synthetic grits such as silicone carbide, aluminum oxide and (yet to try) ceramic.  In general, I find their performance to be far superior to that of garnet paper.

If you are and old f... like me, there is a good chance you were given flint paper in high school shop class.  It' s better than mud - but not much.

Another factor in sandpaper performance is ability to clear itself (not clog up).  I think the newer products also outperform garnet and flint in that respect.

I am now trying to rely more on scraping than abrasives.  Scraping is not a difficult skill to learn.  I suspect the problems people have learning to use scrapers is connected more with sharpening than use.  One should also select the correct scraper for the job.  A hooked edge cuts aggressively, and can remove a lot of stock in a hurry.  A square edge is less aggressive and more forgiving.  A scraper is not just a finishing tool.  It is also a very effective shaping tool - and one that is easy to control.

Laurie

[bob in the woods]

My experience is that most people sand too early in the process of finishing, and use too fine a grit  too soon.  I build acoustic guitars, and customers demand a mirror finish. One more bit of advice...watch the grain. One stroke cross grain will take more work to erase. As I progress, I lighten my touch. With judicious scraping, I actually sand very little. Clean the surface often of dust.