Can you sand a stock too smooth

[KILTED COWBOY]

Just wondering , can you sand a stock too smooth to where it will affect how AF or stain is absorbed?
Can it be so smooth that it will not penetrate too deeply?
Kibler's videos show him sanding down to the 300's. Does anyone go any finer?

[ron w]

usually over sanding happens when a guy uses the same piece of sandpaper for too long. it has become dull and is not cutting the wood any more. at that point it is actually burnishing the surface, closing the pores. the stock feels really smooth, but the closed pores won't accept stain and finish like they should, so it affects the color and the durability of the finished surface.

[Long John]

Cowboy,

I usually scrape rather than sand.  But I don't believe you can over-sand a stock unless you wear away those edges that are part of the stock shape.  Regardless, after smoothing the stock down I raise the grain with warm water and de-whisker the stock.  Wood fibers and pores that are mashed down into the wood rise up and are taken off by the de-whiskering.  I usually add a couple drops of dish detergent to my water for the grain raising and use a combination of OOOO steel wool and scrapers for the de-whiskering.  I only burnish a stock after several de-whiskerings.

In staining stocks I use vinegar/iron stain.  It uses iron ions just like nitric acid/iron stain but often requires several applications to get as much color intensity.  I also add a couple drops of dish detergent to the stain as this reduces surface tensions and improves the penetration of the stain solution into the wood.

I hope this helps.  Good Luck.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[rich pierce]

I know a fella who goes beyond 600 grit but as noted, clean new paper and whiskering are needed to keep pores open.

[Mike Brooks]

With sand paper I stop at 220. I don't know what happens if you go farther.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Just walk away.  You don't want to know what happens. 

[KILTED COWBOY]

Thanks for the reply y'all.

[Lzymtlsmth]

for the raising of the whiskers I use 70% rubbing alcohol, it dries quickly & removes some inletting black.

[Acer Saccharum]

I sand modern stocks, from 1850 era forward. I scrape and burnish stocks from 1812 and below. I don't know what happens in between the two eras.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I sand modern stocks, from 1850 era forward. I scrape and burnish stocks from 1812 and below. I don't know what happens in between the two eras.

Worlds collide!

[Marcruger]

"I sand modern stocks, from 1850 era forward. I scrape and burnish stocks from 1812 and below. I don't know what happens in between the two eras."
The Mexican-American War?   ;-) 

[David Rase]

"I sand modern stocks, from 1850 era forward. I scrape and burnish stocks from 1812 and below. I don't know what happens in between the two eras."
The Mexican-American War?   ;-)

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