Carved details bring character to furniture and décor, but sanding them can be risky. Over-sanding erases crisp edges, while neglecting them leaves rough surfaces that show through finishes. This guide explains how to sand carved details with precision and care....
Not every refinishing project begins with sanding. In some cases, sanding can do more harm than good, especially with delicate finishes like shellac or antique veneers. This guide explains when you should skip sanding and use alternative restoration methods instead....
Sand Veneered Drawer Fronts Around Pulls: Safe Grits & MaskingVeneered 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...
Prep Anodized Aluminum for Paint: Sand or De-Anodize?Anodized aluminum wears like armor. That hard, oxide shell is why railings, bike parts, and fixtures shrug off scratches and fingerprints. It’s also why repainting them can be tricky: coatings don’t easily bite...
Sanding Powder-Coated Parts for Repaint: Adhesion ChecklistPowder coat is tough, slick, and great at resisting weather—until you need to repaint it. Whether you’re refreshing faded railings, color-matching a machine guard, or fixing chipped bike racks, the key to lasting results...
Uniform Brushed Cast Aluminum Without GallingCast aluminum can look beautifully industrial when it wears a clean, linear brushed finish. Getting there, however, isn’t as simple as “sand until it looks right.” Aluminum loads abrasives, smears when it gets hot, and...
Plywood faces look clean out of the stack—but mill glaze, shallow ripples, and handling scuffs will telegraph through stain or paint if you skip smart prep. The catch: face veneers are thin (often ~0.3–0.6 mm). Sand carelessly and you’ll expose...
Seeing ghostly halos or fine curly scratches under raking light—no matter how many passes you make? Those are swirl marks. They come from a mix of dull abrasives, too much pressure, the wrong pad hardness, orbit size mismatches, or skipping...
A flawless car paint job begins long before the spray gun—auto body sanding is the foundation of smooth, durable finishes. Whether repairing dents or prepping bare panels, the right grit sequence ensures primer and paint adhere properly. Why Sanding Auto...
