SANDPAPER 101

If you have a project piece and are ready to RECLAIM & RESTYLE, understanding some of the basics will add to your confidence when starting your project. This may be elementary for some of you, but it may answer a few questions for others. So, though it may sound silly, I thought I would share some information on SANDPAPER! That one piece you have in the garage may not be quite the right piece to start your project so....here we go!

Sandpaper works a lot like a saw, chisel or any other cutting tool. The particles on sandpaper are made up of a number of sharp edges that cut the wood the same way a saw blade does.

Home improvement centers sell a commercial grade of sandpaper in different "GRITS". Grit is reference to the number of abrasive particles per inch of sandpaper. The lower the grit number, the rougher the sandpaper. The higher the grit number, the smoother the sandpaper.

30-36 Grit - Very Coarse - Good for rust removal

40-60 Grit - Coarse - Heavy sanding & stripping

80-120 Grit - Med - Smoothing & removing of small imperfections

150-180 Grit - Fine - Final sanding before finishing

220-240 Grit - Very Fine - Sanding between coats

I think you get the idea! By going through the grits, each progressive piece of sandpaper removes the scratches from the previous piece. So, before you touch that one piece of sandpaper that you found in the garage, take a look at the number on the back of the sandpaper and think, is this the right piece for you to start with?

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER SO TAKE ACTION!

Here is one lady who takes ACTION! Be inspired at http://www.mapleandmagnolia.com/