Sanding my stock.

[LehighBrad]

Hey fellas....what progression of sand paper grit do you all use as you're working down the surface of your stock to get it ready for stain and finishing??? That is those of you who do use sand paper. I realize some scrape their stocks only, but I'm too much of a rookie to try that yet. My stock is basically all rasped to almost final dimensions with my #49 nicholson rasp.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

On Wallace Gussler's carving DVD he says he sands down to 220.

Coryjoe

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

2-3-400 is nice.

[Bentflint]

150, 320, 0000 SW. Lightly wiskered with the 0000 a day after the first coat of stain to see if any scratches from sand paper show.

[volatpluvia]

Brad,
Just my humble opinion, but 80, 150, 220 and stop.  Walnut and cherry are too coarse grained to benefit from finer sanding and if you polish hard maple down to 300 or 400 it will not soak up much of anything like stain or finish.  Also, use a coarse file to get the rasp marks out or you will be sanding for a week.  Thanks for listening.
volatpluvia

[Bentflint]

Seems to work for me. I have no problem with wood taking stain. This stock was as above.

[wattlebuster]

I go all the way to 400 grit

[VirginiaSmokepole]

Brad,
Just my humble opinion, but 80, 150, 220 and stop.  Walnut and cherry are too coarse grained to benefit from finer sanding and if you polish hard maple down to 300 or 400 it will not soak up much of anything like stain or finish.  Also, use a coarse file to get the rasp marks out or you will be sanding for a week.  Thanks for listening.
volatpluvia

Why would you say "Just my humble opinion...", when whatever you say is your opinion?  I never understood that about forums.  People say "IMHO" when it is completely unnecessary.  Just say your mind.  Unless it is quoted from another source, we know that it is your "Opinion". 

[Jerry V Lape]

Because the crow is easier to eat when someone who knows enough to really provide a correct answer comes along and straightens out your mess.  And this board has more than a few highly experienced opinions we value more than our own.   

[VirginiaSmokepole]

Is that your "Honest Opinion"??

 

[Gene Carrell]

Not an opinion, but I have  found satisfactory results going to 320 grit and saving the 0000 steel wool for btw coats of finish.

[volatpluvia]

VS,
Agreed, it was redundant.  I try to be humble at all times, especially when I am commenting to a group as experienced as this one.  I am glad for all who have great results going to finer sandpaper than I did.  In the end anyone who askes a question here needs to evaluate the varied response he will get and ultimately experiment for himself.
volatpluvia

[draken]

Just an old @$#%'s two cents woryh, but on my very first build I sanded down to 400 grit and then burnished the wood.   It was nicely figured maple and I was pretty pleased with how it came out.
]

[Rasch Chronicles]

Lehigh,

You have to give scraping a try. You are unlikely to do anything that can't be fixed. It's especially useful in tight corners and edges where getting a piece of sandpaper in can be problematic. Scrapers are easily ground to the best shape for the job at hand too. You can make them out of banding material. Even better are old saws that have outlived their usefulness... Use relatively newer junk saws, rather than old ones that only need a good sharpening.

If there is one thing in woodworking I know, it's scraping! I might not be able to cut a straight line with a... well with anything, but I can sure scrape like nobody's business.

Best Regards,
Albert “Matamoro” Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles™: George Washington, President and Fisherman
ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!

[LehighBrad]

Thanks Albert......actually I did do a little scraping before on my first build. I have various sized and shaped pieces of cut up hack saw blades that I used for situations like you mentioned...in between tight spots around relief carved areas etc. I just never scraped a large open area like along the length of the forearm or over the open spaces on the wrist and butt stock. On the Lehigh rifle I'm working on now I've even used one scraper to lightly shave open the edge of my side plate inlet to allow for a nice tight fit and a short stubby length of saw blade with a 45° angle sharpened on it to shave the inside dove tail on my sliding wood patchbox to give it a perfect fit <----although I have a feeling I'll pay for that on a damp day in the woods!!

[54Bucks]

 Personally I go to 220-320 before staining and finishing. That incudes raising the grain once or twice prior to final sanding. I also find Cherry having no open pores to give a much smoother finish than Black Walnut. I often also wet sand after the first coat or two of finish if needed. I don't touch the stock with any steel wool as I want no wiskers left behind. Only after the finish is well dry/cured would I consider steel wool....but I doubt it.

[Long John]

What's sandpaper?

JMC

[Cody Tetachuk]

Why would you say "Just my humble opinion...", when whatever you say is your opinion? 

While all thoughts shared are opinions, not all opinions are shared humbly. Typically, when someone states "just my humble opinion" or "IMHO", it is not intended to confirm that what follows is an 'opinion' but rather, that the following opinion is given humbly ( open to scrutiny), as opposed to arrogantly (to be accepted without question). That's my humble opinion on the use of "in my humble opinion".

[Dphariss]

Personally I go to 220-320 before staining and finishing. That incudes raising the grain once or twice prior to final sanding. I also find Cherry having no open pores to give a much smoother finish than Black Walnut. I often also wet sand after the first coat or two of finish if needed. I don't touch the stock with any steel wool as I want no wiskers left behind. Only after the finish is well dry/cured would I consider steel wool....but I doubt it.

Once I am in finishing mode I raise the grain with every grit. Going to 400 or 600 will give a much brighter finish with fewer applications (2-3 coats on maple)if using a finish with some body to it.
Walnut can be rubbed with rottenstone to give it a final polish but this can effect the color of stained wood. Walnut requires enough finish to fill the pores.

Dan

[54Bucks]

 I've tried pumice and rottenstone with a little veg. oil to knock down the shine on the finish. But I didn't like the residue left in carving, inlays, and such. Perhaps used dry is better?

[Jim Kibler]

You can use a brush to clean out the abrasive from carving etc.

I've done my share of sanding and grain raising and it can be an awful time consuming process if carving is involved.  Anymore I'm drifting towards less of it.  I sometimes still go that route, but  it's less of the time.  If sanding I don't see much need to go beyond 320 grit.  This followed by a going over with some schotchbrite seems to be sufficient.  The notion of repeated grain raising going down to extremely fine grits doesn't seem a likely original process in my view.  That is not to say it is wrong of course.  I think John Bivins worked in much this manner.  I guess the point of this rambling is to consider there are alternatives to the reavy reliance of sanding and grain raising. 

Jim

[smart dog]

Hi Folks,
Those of you that suggest using steel wool before finish is applied, be very careful.  Steel wool flecks will catch in the wood and can ruin a staining job before finish is applied , particularly if the stain is an acid.  I learned that the hard way years ago.  I prefer scotch bright pads or bronze wool before the finish.

dave

[dogcreek]

I agree with CoryJoe. For real fine sanding, I borrow some teepee from the men's room where I work. Of course, that might be a little coarse for fine sanding.

[Pete G.]

Although I can't prove it, my gut feeling is that the 18th century "Workmanlike standard" was probably a little less than what we would accept today, and after a little honest use would not be pertinent anyway. These things were not stored in a dehumidified atmosphere and only taken out on weekends to play with. I am sure that some of the more ornate pieces were recreational equipment, but a lot were used as a tool in day to day living.
Bottom line: don't worry too much about a high polish.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

At what grit of sand paper do you start the whiskering process?

Coryjoe