jmaichel Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 For those of you that like to build project primarily with hand tools, what is your preferred method for prepping a project for finish? Hand planing, sanding or a combination of both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSC Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 This is me personally I plane then inspect if im not satisfied with the texture I then sand. Also before I inspect I test an area with mineral spirits to show what it may look like with finish on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 There isn't a hard and fast rule on this question - it depends what you make, the wood you use and your personal preferences. Here are my preferences for what they are worth. I like to use English or European Oak in the main and to apply oil and wax, repeated lots of wax polish, the old fashioned way. (I seldom, if ever, use abrasives; I don't like the dust and the dust doesn't like me). This means that the final touch is a plane or occasionally a scraper. My custom is to keep a few planes that I use for mostly for finishing and most of these are wooden bodies, because wood rubbing on wood provides an excellent burnish. It is possible to get an exceptionally fine cut with a wooden bodied plane and for the best finish I have a set that are bedded, bevel down, at 60 degrees or 'half-pitch'. I can’t get emotional about removing every last tool mark on a piece of furniture. I’m not a machine and if there are integral visible signs how it was made, all the better. Hope this helps you to decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 James, it's a blend. I don't have a plane or scraper that will finesse some curves. If I need to sand to finesse the curve, I would rather the piece have the same finish technique applied throughout. I have a screen door in the works without any curves. I am targeting a plane and scraper finish without paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 It depends... With the Festool sanders and CT, there really isn't any dust to contend with. To argue a better finish with a handplane vs sanding, is a personal choice. Both have proven to be effective methods of prepping an area for finish. So, if it's not for a better finish, it really comes down to your work flow. Proper bench and tools to accomplish a task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I use my card scrapers whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgaron Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I usually end up with a scraped surface when all is said and done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thanks for the replies. I have always been curious if anyone has a preference. I know a lot of folks on this forum have a good mix of hand tools and power tools and was curious to see if there was one method that was preferred over another. Myself, I enjoy using hand tools but have always sanded either by hand or with an ROS before applying finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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