Sand Veneered Drawer Fronts Around Pulls: Safe Grits & Masking

Veneered drawer fronts are thin—often 0.3–0.6 mm—and unforgiving. Around knobs, cup pulls, and finger scoops, pressure concentrates and cut-throughs happen fast. The fix isn’t to avoid sanding; it’s to control it with a hard backer, smart masking, and a tight grit ladder that levels the film or wood fibers without biting through the face. This guide gives you a safe, repeatable process for crisp, clean fronts ready for stain or topcoat—no halos around hardware, no shiny arcs, and no sand-through surprises.

Why sanding veneer is different

Solid wood lets you chase defects aggressively; veneer does not. A soft pad or fingertips will dish low areas and round edges, especially at hardware holes where the surface is weakest. Coarse paper makes trenches you can’t hide; ultra-fine grits just polish highs and leave lows glossy. A hard-backed sequence of 220 → 320 → 400 cuts shallow, straight, and predictable, so the whole face reads flat under raking light—and color takes evenly.

Tools

• Hard sanding blocks: one long, flat block; one narrow block for rails and edges; a tiny stick block for working tight to pulls
• Silicon carbide sheets: 220, 320, 400 (9×11 in)
• Masking tape (low-tack) and thin card shims for hardware standoffs
• Raking light or headlamp; soft pencil for witness marks
• Vacuum with brush tip, microfiber cloths, squeegee
• Finish system supplies (stain, sealer, varnish, lacquer) as needed
• PPE: respirator/dust mask, eye protection

Recommended grit sequence

• Level & degloss: 220 grit on a hard block to knock dust nibs and flatten light finish texture without cutting through.
• Refine & align scratch: 320 grit to erase 220 lines and tighten the pattern for even color or adhesion.
• Final pre-finish tooth: 400 grit to leave a shallow, uniform matte that accepts stain or lays smooth under clear.

Step-by-step

1. Assess thickness, grain, and condition. Confirm veneer thickness (spec sheet or edge exposure) and grain direction. Identify trouble spots: around knob holes, finger scoops, edges, and any blistering. If finish is intact and you’re just refreshing, plan a light scuff rather than a heavy level.
2. Remove hardware and mask smart. Pull knobs and pulls. Mask 1–2 mm shy of edges and around mortised cups; use thin card shims as sacrificial guards in scoops so your block never tips into an edge. This keeps corners crisp through the coarse step.
3. Open at 220 on a hard block. Wrap a fresh 220 sheet and sand with long, straight, overlapping strokes with the grain. Keep pressure feather-light and the block fully supported—no fingertip spot-sanding. Replace sheets as soon as the cut slows; dull paper polishes highs and invites cut-throughs. For reliable, consistent cutting at this opener, stock 220 Grit Sandpaper (25-pack) and change early rather than pressing harder.
4. Read with witness marks. Lightly pencil a grid. Under raking light, the marks vanish evenly when a zone is truly addressed. If glossy islands remain, take two full-width passes—don’t dig at them with fingertips, which dishes veneer around hardware holes.
5. Work tight to hardware features safely. Around knob holes, set a tiny hard stick block flush to the face and pull straight passes across the area so pressure is distributed. In finger scoops, back the paper with a curved hard block (split dowel) and keep strokes straight along the scoop—never swirl.
6. Refine to 320 for uniform tooth. Change stroke angle slightly (gentle diagonal) so lingering 220 lines stand out, then finish with straight, with-the-grain passes. Keep the block fully supported over seams or inlays. For multi-front batches, keep pace steady with 320 Grit Sandpaper (50-pack) so you aren’t tempted to press with a dull sheet.
7. Edge protocol. Leave masking in place through 320. Remove tape and make one feather-light pass along each edge with a worn 320 on a tiny hard backer to unify sheen without thinning corners.
8. Set final tooth at 400. One or two even passes at 400 tighten the scratch into a fine, uniform matte. Stop the moment 320 lines disappear—extra strokes remove life. For consistent results across a stack of fronts, anchor this step with 400 Grit Sandpaper (100-pack) so the last front sands like the first.
9. De-dust and preview. Vacuum with a brush tip (front and edges), then wipe with a clean microfiber. A light solvent wipe (per your finish system) or a mist of water on bare wood can preview color take; if you see scratch pattern bands, re-enter with 320 on a hard block and finish at 400.
10. Finish within the window. Apply your chosen stain/sealer and topcoat per the tech sheet. If denibbing between coats, use 400–600 on the film only and a tiny hard backer near hardware features; don’t drop back into bare veneer unless repairing a defect.

Special cases

Paper-backed / reconstituted veneer: These sand fast. Stay gentle at 220 and consider a shorter 220 → 320 path before film. If the backing telegraphs, you’re too aggressive—stop and seal.

Blisters or lifted corners: Wick wood glue beneath with a syringe, press under a caul until cured, then re-enter at 320 → 400. Don’t try to sand a blister flat; it will fracture.

Old, thin finish you’re keeping: If you’re only deglossing a fragile film, start 320 and skip 220 except for nibs. Keep the block rigid; foam pads carve shallow dishes that print under light.

Stained veneer refresh: To avoid lightening edges, stop at 320, seal with a clear coat, then tone color in the film with dye/toner; finish at 400 denibbing between coats.

Open-pore species (oak/ash): Pores trap dust. Vacuum thoroughly before finishing; a pore-filled sample can help you judge final sheen and scratch acceptance.

Pro tips

• Hard backing wins. Blocks bridge highs and keep faces flat. Foam and fingertips create scallops that catch light—especially around pulls.
• One direction per grit. 220 straight, 320 gentle diagonal (then straight), 400 straight. Leftover lines become obvious—and removable.
• Change sheets early. A loaded sheet skates and polishes, which forces more passes and risks cut-throughs.
• Use raking light constantly. It tells you when edges and hardware zones are truly uniform.
• Mask shy, then blend. Leave tape 1–2 mm shy of edges through 320; blend once at 400 to avoid thin corners.
• Document your recipe. Note grits, stroke directions, and finish brand so you can match the rest of the kitchen or casework later.

Aftercare

• Let fresh finish cure hard before reinstalling hardware; escutcheons can imprint soft film.
• Use pH-neutral cleaners and soft cloths; avoid abrasives that haze clear or burnish stain.
• If shine bands appear over time, a quick 400 film-only scuff and a thin maintenance coat evens sheen.
• Re-tighten hardware after a week; wood and film settle.

FAQs

• Can I start at 180? Only for heavy defects and only on a long, hard block—expect to re-enter 220 immediately. 180 raises risk around holes and edges.
• Random orbital (RO) or hand block? RO with a firm pad can help on the middle of flats, but finish each grit by hand on a hard backer—especially near hardware.
• Dry or wet? Dry is cleaner on veneer. If you must wet-sand a cured film, keep water away from seams and edges.
• How do I avoid light edges after staining? Stop at 320 on bare wood, seal, then tone in the film. Keep the 400 step to film denibbing only.
• What if I see through to substrate? Stop. Spot-patch with veneer or fill and re-finish that front; trying to hide a sand-through with stain only amplifies it.

Video

Closing

Veneer rewards discipline. Keep the backing hard, pressure light, and the grit ladder tight—220 → 320 → 400. Mask shy of edges, support every stroke, and change sheets before they skate. Do that, and your drawer fronts will stay flat, take color evenly, and look factory-sharp around every pull and scoop—no halos, no cut-throughs, just clean, confident surfaces.