There is one thing that all DIY-ers are putting off as much as they can while working on their projects. The dreadful sanding :) But if you want to receive great results you can’t really skip this step.
So here I’d like to give you some useful wood sanding tips. You can apply them when working with pallet projects or any other DIY/wood creations. Don’t worry. It’s not as difficult as it seems. You just need to know what to use and how to use it.
To prepare them for your projects you’ll need to sand them at some point. Sanding makes them smooth to touch, but the main reason behind it is to make them ready for the finishing touches i.a. paint, varnish or wood stain.
My first attempt at sanding was a few years back when I needed to refresh the wooden kitchen worktops in my old flat. That was a good lesson and gave me a rough idea of the whole process. I will try to walk you through it painlessly starting with the tools and materials needed and then moving on to the process itself.
In the beginning, you have to choose the method you’re going to use. Being that sanding manually or using power tools. If you go for the first method you can use a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a wooden block, sanding block, sanding sponge or sandpaper by itself just using your hand.
Have a look at this video explaining different types of sanders you can use for your projects.
What is the best sander for sanding pallets?
The answer is not simple or actually, it’s very simple. There isn’t one. Don’t get me wrong. Woodworkers, hobbyists, and DIY-ers have their own favorite brands and will swear by them.
The problem lies elsewhere. The best, perfect sander for pallets doesn’t exist because you’ll always need more than one type.
It’s as simple as that. Different tasks require different sanders. Removing material/shaping, smoothing and sanding between coats of stain requires a different tool.
Don’t Know Which Sander to Go For? Check Out Best Orbital Sander-Buying Guide or Best Random Orbital Sander Buying Guide.
Of course, if you’re a beginner and don’t have a big budget you’ll have to compromise. But with today’s market, you can always find a decent tool at a bargain price. It might not last you for years but it’ll suffice and will help you understand how these tools work.
Tips: If you haven’t got a big budget and you’d have to choose between different types of sanders.
Belt sanders are more powerful and will remove material faster but also are more difficult to control. Orbital sanders are mainly for finishing, but a quality tool like Makita BO3710 with coarse grit paper (P40-P60) would do the job, in my opinion.
Random Orbit Sanders are more versatile and will do the job quicker than an orbit sander. But again quality tool (like Makita BO5401 or Porter-Cable 382) and quality sandpaper is a must.
The first use of sandpaper recorded was 13th century China when crushed shells, seeds, and sand were bonded to parchment using natural gum. Sandpaper was originally known as a glass paper, as it was covered in glass particles, not sand.
There are many types of sandpaper, with variation in the backing paper, the material used for the grits, a grit size, and the bond.
Most common materials used for working with wood are garnet and aluminum oxide.
If you’re using an electric sander the shape of the sanding paper sheets depends on the kind of sander used.
The grit that you choose to start with really depends on what final effect you want to achieve, what kind of planks you have and what kind of finish material you want to use e.g. varnish, paint, beeswax or teak oil.
Coarser grits will remove material faster so you can get rid of any blemishes (i.e. deep scratches, nicks, and dents). Then you move to finer grits to smooth out the scratches made by previous (coarse) ones. My advice is to try not to skip a grit if you want a really swirl free smooth finish but for pallet projects, it might not be necessary.
You ask why? Well, pallet projects are specific in nature and in 90% of cases are meant to look upcycled, rustic and aged so extremely smooth finish it’s not needed.
You just have to try for yourself. Use different varnishes, stains, and finishes.
For my DIY Pallet Sandbox, I used water based, waterproof outdoor wood stain. I was going to do 3 grit sanding starting with P60 then moving to P120 and finally to P180 but decided that 2 grits with the wood stain layer in between are going to be enough. The final finish was acceptable, nice and smooth to touch.
A different story was when I was doing my kitchen worktops. For the finish, I used a teak oil that leaves virtually no film at all. To make it really smooth, I did 3 or 4 sandpaper grits and because I didn’t need to remove a lot of material I started with P-120 or P-150 with the final one P200-P220 and layers of teak oil in between.
Always sand with the grain of the wood when using a belt sander. Don’t worry about that if using random orbital except with when finishing off.
Oil finishes leave virtually no film and what you end up feeling is the wood, but you can’t use them for outdoors projects. With film finish like varnish, the finish needs to be smooth not the wood.
Remember to always wipe off the wood dust with a damp cloth after sanding and before moving to stain or varnish.
One more thing. Some people like to disassemble the whole pallet, sand, varnish or paint it and put it back together or build a project with prepared planks. You can do it if you wish to or prepare the whole pallet. It’s really up to you and the kind of design you have in mind.
I hope I’ve shed some light on wood sanding. If you have any other advice you’re more than welcome to leave a comment I’ll be more than happy to learn more Wood Sanding Tips.
This will be useful information at this time. I just got some cherry blocks that are about 16 inches around and I wanted to finish them for a shelf.
I did finished one and it split very badly. Any tips on how to keep it from splitting? I did finish it with a coat of clear to try to seal it from drying out. It will hang above a heat and cooling vent.
When I started sanding my wood, I started with the 60 grit paper. This did take out the chainsaw marks very quickly.
Hi Kasia, you are right that we dreaded to do sanding on wood project. I didn’t even know that we may need several steps of sanding to get a smooth result.
Say, if I have a wooden rack that I bought from Ikea (it’s not finished), which sand paper should I use to smooth it?
I am looking to sand some pallets for a desk however I want to make sure I leave a “weathered” look, what grit do you recommend I use?
My work has extra pallets sometimes and I have been looking for ways to use them. I never thought of sanding them down, I would agree that it would make them more useful because they won’t be as a course. I will have to see if I can borrow an electric sander so I can start my project because sandpaper would take too long.
Thanks for visiting! I hope you’ll find my tips and ideas here useful for your projects. A power sander is definitely a good idea :) It will save you a lot of time. Sanding pallets prepares them for any finish or stain.
If you have any more questions I’ll more than happy to help as much as I can. Have a great weekend!
Si, what two grits did you use?
60 and 120, 60 and 180 or 120 and 180?
Good luck with your projects and have a nice Friday!
Great information on sanding and relevant too! I am just about to start painting some previously lacquered slatted wardrobe doors and I think I have to sand them first so that the paint will have something to hold to. I have been putting this off as I really did not want to do this by hand. After reading your post I think I might give the orbital sander a try. Might make my job a heck of a lot easier. Thank you!
I’m glad you liked it!Sanding can be a daunting task and nearly all of the woodworkers absolutely hate it. Sanding painted/lacquered surface by hands might be difficult and time-consuming so I definitely recommend using an orbital sander. I’m writing a buying guide for random orbital sanders, so if you haven’t chosen one yet it’ll be ready next week and I’m sure will help you to get the best one.
Don’t forget about some kind of face mask or respirator especially when sanding painted wood.
I want to make sure that I get my furniture sanded before I try to paint it. It makes sense that I would want to make sure that I sand it properly! I’ll look into what tools would be the best for my furniture.
Thank you so much Kasia for these excellent sanding tips. I’m a novice carpenter just venturing out into using wooden pallets for some beginner projects. I’ve already visited my local Men in Sheds for some much needed advice. Apparently replacing cupboard doors with pallet wood is not an easy first choice. Maybe I should have visited them before removing the old doors! At least they corrected my plans for me. I had drawn the brace going from top to bottom instead of bottom to top. Many thanks once again.
Nice wood sanding tips, I like to read this post & enjoy it.I shared this on Facebook and my followers really enjoyed it.Keep up the amazing work!
My fiance and I just recently moved into a new home and we noticed some repairs that need to be made. Both of us really appreciated your tip to sand with the grain of the wood. However, both of us are so busy that we may just hire a hardwood dustless sanding service.
This is all such excellent advice!! Thank you! I just recently got into pallet wood building and completed a set of rustic bookshelves and wasn’t sure if I was using the right sandpaper. After reading this post, it seems I was right on with it :). I needed a “rough” look and finished it with a dark stain and it looks great! My next project is a trunk and I am wanting it almost glass smooth. What do you recommend?
I am in the process of laying quite a large area of pallet decking. My husband has the job of sanding, so if you have any more advice on a quick way to sand this and best stain tips. We live in Palm Springs, California, so it has to weather heat more than rain/wet weather….
My advice would be to get 1/3 sheet sander or if the area is large to use a floor sander. You can always hire one and I think It be more efficient and a lot quicker. As for stains, I’d use decking stain that’s semi-solid and has a strong UV protection built in or you can go for a solid one if you don’t care about the grain being visible. And make sure is not too hot when you apply it. The temperature should be around 70F and avoid direct sunlight and very hot day. Make sure you always check the label for instructions. I hope that this will help. Let me know if you’ve got any more questions.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise about wood sanding tips. I’ve found your information about the wood sanding tips very interesting. I’ve shared it with my partner as well. Keep up the awesome work!
is there not a sanding machine that you can just stick a piece of palate wood in and it will come out with all the sides sanded?
Hi Karen! Yes, there is. You put the planks in and they come out sanded. There are a few drawbacks though. The machine is bulky and expensive and not everyone uses the sander on wooden planks. For example, in some pallet projects, you don’t take the pallet apart or you want to use your sander in a remote place like a garden or indoors. You still have to keep in mind the paper grits to achieve desired smoothness and I’m not sure this kind of sander sands all 4 sides at once. I hope my answer helped and thanks for stopping by!
Great tips all around – absolutely essential for anyone that wants to start working on their first wooden pallet projects. Thanks!