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TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR
SANDING UNFINISHED SHELVING
If you purchased HouseWerks unfinished shelving, and are planning to finish the shelves yourself, the first task is to sand all pieces to be finished.
Tips and suggestions are listed below to guide you in the proper sanding of all wood surfaces.
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Because HouseWerks shelves are made from 0.75"-thick, laminated furniture-grade plywood, and are covered with a relatively thin layer of hardwood veneer, be sure to take extreme care when sanding shelves to prevent sanding through the veneer.
- Vertical supports
, which are made from solid wood, can be sanded more aggressively than can the shelves.
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Always sand with the grain of the wood. If you sand across the grain of the wood, scratches will result which will be difficult to remove.
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While sanding, make sure that the sander always makes contact with a wood surface. If part of the sander is allowed to lift off from the wood surface, uneven sanding will result. If this is done near one of the shelf edges, the edge can be rounded.
- Avoid sanding any edges formed by veneered surfaces meeting
. If you do sand these edges, extreme care should be taken so that you do not sand through the veneer or round the corners.
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The shelves have been pre-sanded with 180-grit and 220-grit sandpaper. If you are not going to apply a stain, any sanding should be done with 320-grit or 400-grit sandpaper. Sand lightly until the wood surface is smooth to the touch.
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If you are going to stain the shelves, you need to use 150-grit sandpaper on the sanding block and very lightly slide the sandpaper over the entire surface to be stained. Do not apply any pressure or you may sand through the veneer. Test this type of sanding and the stain to be used in an inconspicuous place on the underside of a shelf, preferably close to the front.
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If you are going to stain the shelves, the stain will be absorbed better if you sand very lightly with 150-grit or 180-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface slightly.
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If you plan to use an electric sander, Make sure that you use a random orbit sander. Under any circumstances, DO NOT USE a belt sander or a rotary sander. They will ruin your shelves by removing the veneer layer.
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When using a random orbit sander, make one or two very light passes. Allow the sander to glide over the wood surface without applying any pressure.
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If sanding manually, use a hard rubber sanding block or a foam-core sanding block to assure even sanding. If you do not have either of the above-mentioned sanding blocks, wrap a 4"-long section of a wood 2" X 4" with a piece of sandpaper. This is a good substitute.
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