Another Newbie Posted February 24, 2021 Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 Ugh....those dreaded swirls in the wood from a hand sander. I sanded (electric sander) off the stain of a nice maple table and then sanded (by hand) with a piece of sandpaper to get rid of those swirls....but once I put on the stain...UGH! Those swirls are there. I'm attaching a picture of the top but it's not so viewable in the pict. Prior to staining I used a Varthane Wood conditioner. So, my question to anyone out there...how to fix this? Should I want till it cures and then hand sand it off (non-electric sanding)... Thanks for any help you can provide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted February 24, 2021 Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 I don’t see the swirls. Can you post a closer picture to show the swirls so we can see exactly what you are talking about? ‘Swirls’ can mean different things to different people. If it’s a scratch pattern left by the sand paper, then grits were skipped or not used long enough to remove the scratches left by the previous grit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Newbie Posted February 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 Hmm...ok. So, maybe swirls is not the correct term. They are those tell-tale little circles caused by the hand-sander. I have seen this happen on this type of soft wood before but I thought I smoothed it all over with actually rubbing it over with 220 grit by hand. Not sure if you can see it in the new closer picture. (I started with 80, 100, 120 and then 220) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted February 24, 2021 Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 Pig tails. That is typically a pressure issue. Too much down pressure can cause that. Light pencil shading can give visual reference to ensure even coverage as you progress through grits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Newbie Posted February 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 7 minutes ago, Tpt life said: Pig tails. That is typically a pressure issue. Too much down pressure can cause that. Light pencil shading can give visual reference to ensure even coverage as you progress through grits. Ah...ok. So, too much pressure applied as I was sanding. Ok....good to know. Now, how to fix the issue? Re-sand down to bare wood again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 Or fine card scraping followed by fine grit. Depends on your tooling or skill comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ronn W Posted February 25, 2021 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 In my experience jumping from 120 to 220 grit is too much. I am pretty sure the pigtails are from the 120 grit, I suggest 120 - 150- 220, 0r 120-150-180 (You really don't need to go much finer than that). I have learned that getting past the 120 grit takes more sanding than most people think. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 OP, do you know if the top is solid wood or veneer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 Checking the surface between grits with a low raking light can help spot those tell-tales before you get to the staining stage. Although the pattern your photo shows is probably a pressure issue as mentioned by @Tpt life, you may also see random singular swirls if the spoil builds up under the sander, or from loose grit. Using a proper vacuum to extract the dust through the holes in the sanding pad helps tremendously, as does vacuuming tge surface between grits to remove any dust or debris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 14 hours ago, Ronn W said: In my experience jumping from 120 to 220 grit is too much. I am pretty sure the pigtails are from the 120 grit, I suggest 120 - 150- 220, 0r 120-150-180 (You really don't need to go much finer than that). I have learned that getting past the 120 grit takes more sanding than most people think. Yup. 12 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: Checking the surface between grits with a low raking light can help spot those tell-tales before you get to the staining stage. In addition wiping down with mineral spirits can enhance visibility of the scratch pattern and clean off the swarf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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