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

Veneered drawer fronts are notoriously easy to ruin with the wrong sanding approach—especially around hardware where curves, edges, and unsupported areas invite burn-through. This step-by-step guide shows you how to prep veneered faces for paint or clear finish without cutting through the thin wood layer. We’ll mask smartly, choose sympathetic grits, and sand with discipline so your drawer fronts end up dead-flat and evenly keyed for finish.

Why sanding matters

Why so fussy? Veneer is a thin wear layer—usually 0.3–0.6 mm—bonded over a substrate like MDF, plywood, or particleboard. Aggressive grits and soft pads can create low spots, round over crisp edges, or reveal glue lines. Sand too coarsely and you’ll etch scratches that are hard to remove; sand with the wrong backing and you’ll dish out the field. The cure is a controlled progression with just-coarse-enough grits, a hard backing, and careful masking that protects fragile edges and the areas around pulls and knobs.

Tools

• Hard sanding block (cork, phenolic, or hard interface on a sander)
• Low-tack masking tape and contour tape for curves
• Hardware removal tools (screwdriver, nut driver) or masking caps
• Pencil for witness marks and orientation arrows
• Vacuum with brush attachment and tack cloth or microfiber
• Spray bottle with water + a drop of dish soap (optional wet sanding on sealed finishes)
• Random orbital sander (optional) with a firm pad—not soft foam
• Nitrile gloves, eye & dust protection, good task lighting

Grit sequence

• Leveling & de-gloss (finished veneer): 220 grit with a hard backing.
• Raw veneer prep (uncoated): 180–220 grit to flatten mill marks without cutting through.
• Refining: 320 grit to remove 220 scratches and establish a uniform scratch pattern.
• Finish prep: 400 grit before clear coat or to reduce raised grain after sealing.

Step-by-step

1. Remove or mask hardware. Whenever possible, remove pulls/knobs and store the screws in a labeled bag. If hardware is fixed or you’re batch-processing a kitchen, mask posts with caps and ring the base with low-tack tape. The goal is to avoid sanding right up against a hard metal edge, which concentrates pressure and chews veneer.
2. Map fragile zones. Lightly trace a pencil border 3–4 mm in from edges and around hardware locations. These are no-pressure zones—treat them like speed bumps. Add arrows showing grain direction so you don’t cross-sand.
3. Clean and de-gloss. Vacuum dust, then, if the face has an intact factory finish and you plan to paint, scuff-clean it. A water-damp microfiber with a bit of dish soap removes hand oils and silicone before sanding so you don’t smear contaminants.
4. Scuff level at 220 (finished veneer). With a hard block, sand in the grain direction using light, even strokes. Keep the block fully supported—never teeter on an edge. If your job spans many fronts, stock up on 220 Grit Sandpaper (25-pack) so you can swap to fresh sheets the moment cutting slows.
5. Feather toward edges. Stop 3–4 mm shy of outside edges and radiused corners; then make one or two feathering passes that just kiss the line. This avoids rounding over the veneer’s boundary and protects thin corners.
6. Refine at 320. Step to 320 to erase the 220 pattern and flatten any faint low spots. Keep pressure low and the block flat. The 320 Grit Sandpaper (50-pack) is ideal for larger kitchen batches where consistency across dozens of fronts matters.
7. Targeted spot work. If you find a shiny depression near a pull hole, place a small, hard block (even a wood scrap with paper wrapped) directly over the spot and make short, controlled strokes—never poke with a fingertip, which creates divots.
8. Finish-prep at 400. For clear finishes, or for a paint-grade surface that feels premium, finish with 400 in the grain direction to close up the scratch. Use 400 Grit Sandpaper (100-pack) to maintain a clean, uniform cut across a full set of drawers without mid-project shortages.
9. Dust control and inspection. Vacuum and wipe with a microfiber. Rake a bright light across the surface; you should see a uniform, fine scratch with no glossy patches (low spots) and no ‘rolled’ outside edges.
10. Seal and sand back (optional). On raw veneer, apply a thin sanding sealer or your first coat, let it raise the grain, and return with 320–400 for a whisper-light pass to knock back fuzz without breaking through edges.

Special cases

Loose or lifted veneer: Don’t sand. Re-adhere with wood glue and a flat caul before any abrasive work.
Thin or unknown veneer thickness: Stay at 220–320 only; avoid power sanding at edges—use a block and a light touch.
Heavily contaminated finishes (silicone, furniture polish): Clean repeatedly, then scuff with fresh paper. Silicone can cause fish-eyes under new coatings if not removed.
Curved fronts: Use a slightly compliant hard pad (thin cork) and move in long, even strokes that follow the curve; do not dig with the nose of a sander.

Pro tips

• Always back your paper with something firm. Fingers create grooves that telegraph under paint or clear.
• Rotate sheets at the first sign of loading; a dull sheet drags and overheats veneer glue lines.
• Make witness marks (light pencil squiggles). Sand until they’re just gone; if they linger at an edge, you’re low—stop before you chase it thinner.
• Align all passes with the grain on veneer. Cross-grain strokes are hard to hide, especially on open-pore species.
• If spraying paint, stop at 320 for primer; for clear finishes, 400 offers a more refined baseline.
• Mask right up to hardware standoffs with thin contour tape; peel and re-mask between grits to keep crisp boundaries without creeping scratch marks.

Aftercare

• Clean with mild soap and water; avoid abrasive pads that can re-scratch the finish.
• Use felt bumpers and soft-close hardware to reduce impact dents around pulls.
• For clear finishes, refresh with a non-aggressive polish as needed; for paint, touch up chips promptly to prevent moisture intrusion.
• Control humidity swings to protect veneer glue lines from stress.

FAQs

• Should I ever start at 150 or 180 on veneer? Only on raw, uneven veneer where you must flatten mill marks—then switch quickly to 220. On finished, intact coatings destined for paint, 220 is the safer scuff start.
• Block or random orbital? A block gives you the most control on small, flat fronts. A random orbital with a firm pad works for broad, dead-flat faces, but avoid edges.
• What if I sanded through an edge? Feather the area, seal, and consider a color-matched wax or veneer patch. For paint-grade, a high-build primer can help hide minor telegraphing after repair.
• Do I need to wet sand? Generally no on raw veneer. On fully finished, intact coatings you intend to scuff for paint, a light wet sand at 320–400 can keep dust down—dry thoroughly before coating.
• Primer or clear sealer first? For paint, a quality bonding primer over a 220–320 scratch gives reliable adhesion and hides minor variation. For clear, a thinned first coat or dedicated sanding sealer stiffens fibers so your 320–400 pass stays flat.

Video

Closing

Veneered drawer fronts reward a careful, minimalist approach. Work from 220 to 320—and 400 when you want a premium feel—while keeping pressure low, backing hard, and guarding edges like they’re made of gold. Follow the sequence above and you’ll get uniformly keyed, flat faces that finish beautifully around pulls without a hint of burn-through.