Even the best sanding job can hide scratches that only appear after finishing. A simple shop trick—using raking light—reveals these flaws before they ruin your project. This guide shows how to set up raking light and use it to catch...
Sand Teak Handrails Between Varnish Coats (320–600 Guide)Teak handrails take sun, salt, and hands every day. Between coats of marine varnish, the right sanding routine makes the next coat bond and flow—without cutting back into bare teak or polishing the...
Kayak Repair: Sand HDPE Patches for Adhesion (80–220)Rotomolded kayaks and canoes made from HDPE (high-density polyethylene) are legendary for toughness—and notoriously tricky to bond. Epoxies and adhesives struggle unless the surface is both clean and keyed with a disciplined scratch...
Surfboard Hot-Coat Sanding: 120 to Polish (No Flat Spots) The hot coat (fill coat) levels weave and locks in your lamination. To get that glassy finish without waves, you need a sanding plan that flattens drips and texture, tightens the...
Sanding Bondo Pinholes: Glazing, Guide Coat & FeatheringNothing ruins a fresh paint job like tiny craters that show up after primer—the infamous pinholes that hide in body filler and reveal themselves under gloss. The fix isn’t magic; it’s a disciplined...
Sanding Teak Handrails Between Varnish CoatsFew things look as timeless as a yacht or runabout with deep, candy-gloss teak. That gloss doesn’t come from one thick pour; it’s built in thin, even coats—and the secret to getting them to stack...
Kayak HDPE Patch Prep: Sanding for Adhesion (120–320)Rotomolded kayaks are typically made from HDPE (high-density polyethylene)—a super tough plastic that shrugs off rock rash but is notoriously hard to bond. If you’re repairing a crack, skid, or mounting a patch,...
Blend TIG Welds on Stainless: Flap Wheels vs. Fiber DiscsWhen you’ve laid down a clean TIG bead on stainless but need it to disappear under a uniform brushed or paint-ready surface, the right abrasive sequence is everything. Stainless is springy...
Aluminum sands differently than wood or steel. It’s soft, ductile, and loves to load up your paper—those gray smears that glaze the grit, kill cut, and leave random scratches. The fix isn’t brute force. It’s the right mineral, a disciplined...
