The day I realized I was over-sanding everything for 5 years

I was refinishing a mid-century dresser for a client in Portland last month, and I kept hitting this weird cloudy haze after applying the lacquer. I stripped it back twice, sanded down to 220 grit both times, and the haze just kept coming. Finally, a guy at the local woodworking supply shop asked me what I was sanding to. I told him 220, and he just shook his head. Turns out, for most lacquer and varnish jobs, you only need to stop at 150 or 180 grit max. Going to 220 closes the grain so much that the finish can't bond right, and it creates that milky look. I had been doing this since I started refinishing in 2019, and nobody ever told me. Has anyone else run into this over-sanding trap with certain wood types like teak or oak?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_reed23d ago

Switched to 150 on teak and never looked back.

umam9522d ago

I ran 140 on my old teak deck for about six years and it still looked great when I sold the boat. That 150 grit is too fine for teak in my opinion, especially if you get any water on it. The surface gets almost slick when it's wet, and I've seen guys slip on it. Plus 150 clogs up way faster with the natural oils in the teak, so you end up changing paper twice as often. I stick with 120 for the final pass and it gives a good grip but still feels smooth enough.