Sanding Veneered Drawer Fronts Around Pulls (No Burn-Through)

Veneered drawer fronts give you top-shelf looks without the weight and movement of solid wood—but the thin face layer means you only get one shot at sanding, especially around pull escutcheons and cup-pull cutouts. This guide shows a safe, repeatable workflow to scuff, level, and refine veneer near hardware without burn-through, cross-scratch, or rounded edges. We’ll mask smart, use hard backing, and climb a tight grit ladder (240→320→400) that preserves the surface while setting perfect tooth for stain or clear.

Why sanding veneer around pulls matters

Hardware zones are where finishes fail first. Sweat, oils, and constant touch polish the film and grind in micro-abrasion. If you try to spot-buff only the shiny halo, you create gloss halos and witness lines. If you sand too coarsely—especially on thin veneer—you risk cutting through at the pull’s shoulder or at a chamfer. A disciplined approach with a rigid backer and conservative grits lets you erase nibs and unify sheen while keeping edges crisp and the veneer intact.

Tools & supplies

• Hard sanding blocks (phenolic/Delrin or a flat wood offcut with thin cork), including a narrow block for tight areas
• Silicon carbide sheets: 240, 320, 400 (9×11 in)
• Low-tack masking tape and circular masking dots (or a compass cutter) for hardware footprints
• Pull screw stand-offs (short screws with fender washers) to handle fronts without touching the face
• Raking light/headlamp and a soft pencil for witness marks
• Vacuum with brush tip, microfiber/tack cloths; panel wipe/IPA if compatible with your finish
• Optional: cabinet/card scraper for isolated dust ridges on film only
• PPE: dust mask/respirator, eye protection

Recommended grit sequence

• Initial scuff & level: 240 grit for uniform degloss and faint nib removal on existing film, or gentle bare-veneer leveling.
• Refine & unify: 320 grit to erase 240 lines and set an even matte across fields and around pulls.
• Finish prep before sealer/topcoat: 400 grit to tighten the scratch for a smooth laydown without polishing the wood.

Step-by-step

1. Remove hardware and stabilize the work. Pull knobs and cup pulls. Thread short screws through the back with fender washers to create stand-offs—now you can flip and move the front without grabbing the face. Clean with a compatible panel wipe (avoid flooding veneer edges).
2. Map risks and mask smart. Under a raking light, lightly pencil a witness grid across the face and a ring around each hardware footprint. Mask 1–2 mm shy of edges, bevels, and the pull footprint so you don’t round shoulders while working flats. If there’s a finished film, you’re scuffing the film, not cutting into wood—treat it accordingly.
3. Establish a uniform scuff at 240. Wrap a fresh sheet around a hard block and sand with light, straight strokes along the grain. Focus on long, full-width passes—never fingertip-sand near the pull area. Swap sheets early the moment the cut slows. For dependable supply at this opener, use 240 Grit Sandpaper (25-pack) so you can change sheets instead of pressing harder.
4. Blend the hardware halo deliberately. Remove the circular mask and, with 240 on a narrow hard block, make two or three short, lengthwise passes that bridge the masked edge. Don’t swirl; straight strokes avoid cross-scratch that telegraphs under light. Stop when the witness grid and gloss ring disappear evenly.
5. Refine the field at 320. Change stroke angle slightly (a gentle diagonal still with the grain) to make leftover 240 lines obvious. Keep the backer rigid, pressure feather-light, and vacuum between passes. For multi-drawer runs, consistency matters—stock 320 Grit Sandpaper (50-pack) so every front gets a fresh, fast-cutting sheet and the same matte.
6. Finish alignment at 400. Make one brief, even pass with 400 to tighten the scratch for sealer or topcoat. Keep strokes straight, end to end. This is a touch step, not a second leveling. For a uniform feel across an entire bank of drawers, finish with 400 Grit Sandpaper (100-pack) so the last piece sands like the first.
7. Detail edges, rails, and profiles last. Pull edge tape. Using a worn 320 or 400 sheet wrapped over a tiny hard block, kiss the arrises with one or two strokes along their length. Crisp beats rounded; avoid rolling over into the face.
8. De-dust and inspect under raking light. Vacuum with a brush tip, tack, and solvent-wipe if your system allows. If you spot a faint coarse line, back up one grit locally on a hard block, then re-pass your current grit across the whole zone to keep planes true.
9. Seal and topcoat within the window. Apply your sealer and topcoats in thin, even passes, observing flash. Between coats, denib the film lightly with 400 on a hard backer (or 600 if specified)—never drop back to bare veneer unless you’re intentionally refinishing.

Special cases

Very thin or suspect veneer: If screw holes reveal MDF or a paper-thin face, treat all sanding as film-only. Skip 240 on bare wood; scuff existing finish at 320→400 and recoat. If you must touch wood, use one ultra-light 320 pass on a rigid block with fresh paper and stop immediately at a uniform matte.

Raw, unfinished veneer: Test on an off-cut or a concealed area first. For color work, many veneers look best stopping at 240–320 on the wood, then using 400 only on cured film. Going finer on bare veneer can burnish latewood and cause uneven dye uptake.

Open-pore species (oak, ash) veneers: Keep pressure very light; soft earlywood dishes fast. Favor 320 as your main prep and rely on pore filler/sealer for flatness rather than extra abrasion.

High-gloss finishing: After your build coats cure hard, micro-level with 800–1000, then 1500–2000 on the film only before polish. Maintain hard backing near hardware holes to avoid waves.

Cup-pull cutouts & finger scoops: Use shaped hard backers that match the radius. Sand along the scoop, not across it, and stop one grit earlier on the scoop than on flats so you don’t thin the edge.

Pro tips

• Use hard backing at every cutting grit; foam or fingertips dish veneer and round shoulders fast.
• Work one direction per grit: straight with 240, slight diagonal at 320, straight again at 400—leftover scratches become obvious and removable.
• Change sheets early. Dull paper skates and polishes instead of cutting, which tempts pressure (the enemy of veneer).
• Mask shy, then blend. Leaving tape 1–2 mm shy of shoulders protects edges; remove it for the final blending passes to avoid a step.
• Use a raking light. It instantly reveals untouched glossy islands and cross-scratch around pulls.
• Keep the surface dry. If you wet-wipe, don’t flood veneer edges; moisture can swell the face at holes and expose glue lines.

Aftercare

• Let the finish reach full cure before reinstalling hardware; soft films imprint under screw washers.
• Use felt washers behind knobs to reduce future polish-through.
• Clean with mild soap and a soft cloth; avoid harsh solvents around pulls.
• If a halo reappears, denib the film at 400 and refresh with a light maintenance coat—don’t jump back into wood.

FAQs

• Can I start at 220 instead of 240? You can, but 240 is a safer opener for thin veneer or existing film. If you try 220, keep pressure extremely light and confirm uniform matte quickly.
• Is 600 better before topcoat? On bare veneer, no—600 can burnish. Use 600 only to denib cured film if your system calls for it.
• What about a random-orbital sander? RO with a firm pad can help on big flats, but finish the final passes by hand on a rigid block—especially near pulls and edges.
• How do I avoid witness lines at the masked circle? Bridge the mask edge with straight strokes on a narrow hard block, then remove the tape and make two feather-light blending passes.
• What if I hit substrate? Stop. Spot-prime the area, feather the film only, and recolor with toner/glaze if necessary. Don’t chase lows in the wood.

Video

Closing

Great veneer work near pulls is about control, not aggression. Mask just shy, keep the backing hard, and climb a conservative grit ladder: 240 → 320 → 400. Change sheets early, use a raking light, and blend the hardware halo with straight, bridging strokes. Seal and build thin coats, denibbing the film only. Follow this routine and your drawer fronts will look uniformly matte before finish—and uniformly flawless after.