Use these field-tested sanding tips to reduce labor, improve uniformity, and get flawless results with hardwax oils.

Rule of thumb: For most species, finish sanding at 120-grit to keep the grain open and ready for oil bonding (unless your project/species calls for something different).

Why sanding matters more than you think

Sanding isn’t just “making it smooth.” It’s about flattening wood, creating a consistent scratch pattern, keeping the grain open (not burnished), and removing contamination on the wood that can cause uneven results.

• Creating a consistent scratch pattern
• Keeping the grain open (not polished/burnished)
• Removing defects without creating new problems
• Removing old coatings, glue, dust, and loose abrasive that lead to uneven absorption

The simple sanding workflow

1: Remove defects (only as aggressively as needed)

Start with the least coarse grit that actually removes the issue. Going courser than needed on the first grit creates deeper scratches you’ll fight later.

2: Progress grits without skipping

Build a consistent scratch pattern. This is what makes the finish look even.

Example progressions:

• Light prep: 100 → 120
• Standard prep: 80 → 100 → 120
• Heavy correction: 60 → 80 → 100 → 120

3: Finish sanding (most species: 120-grit)

Going too fine can polish/burnish the wood and reduce absorption consistency, which can can impact color and appearance.

4: Clean like it’s part of sanding (because it is)

Dust and loose abrasive between steps can re-scratch the surface and waste your time. Vacuum and inspect between grits.

Pro Tips: sanding secrets that separate pros from average

• Vacuum between every grit (and the bench/rails too) to prevent loose mineral/abrasive from re-scratching the surface.
• Don’t skip grits. Jumping grits leaves deep scratches that show up after oil hits the wood.
• Start only as coarse as needed. Use the least aggressive grit that removes defects—coarse paper creates extra work later.
• Keep your sequence consistent. (Example: 80 → 100 → 120, or 60 → 80 → 100 → 120 when needed.)
• Change paper early. Dull paper burns wood and polishes instead of cutting—especially on hardwoods.
• Keep the sander moving. Pausing in one spot creates low spots and swirl patterns.
• Sand with the grain on the final pass (especially on edges, face frames, and visible flats) to minimize cross-grain scratches.
• Hand-sand edges and profiles to match. Machine-sanded flats + rough edges = uneven absorption and a mismatched look.
• Use a pencil “witness mark” test. Lightly scribble the surface, then sand until the pencil marks disappear to confirm full, even contact.
• Raking light is your best QC tool. Shine a bright light from the side at a low angle to reveal swirls, pigtails, and glue spots before finishing.
• Spot-check glue and burnished areas. Glue smears and burnished/polished zones block absorption and cause light patches where color/pigment does not penetrate well.
• Blow out pores + vacuum again (especially open-grain species) before you finish. Dust left in pores can reduce uniformity.
• Avoid over-sanding past 120 grit on most species. Too fine can burnish/close grain and reduce bonding/absorption consistency.
• Use even pressure—let the tool cut. Excess pressure increases heat, swirl marks, and uneven scratch depth.
• Keep pads level and holes aligned. Misaligned discs reduce dust extraction and increase random scratches.
• Reduce sander speed on the finishing grit. If possible, slow down the sanding speed of the sander to 50%; high-speed sanding tends to polish the wood surface too much.
• Reduce vacuum suction on the finishing grit. Too much extraction can create excess downforce, making the sander dig in and leave visible patterns—back it off for a uniform scratch.
• Test your process on an offcut. Same species, same sanding sequence—confirm look and absorption before the real piece.

Common “finish issues” that are actually sanding issues

Swirls / pigtails

Usually caused by skipping grits, dull paper, poor dust extraction, too much pressure, or stopping in place. 

Fix: Change paper, clean between grits, keep the tool moving, and inspect with raking light. At the end of your final sanding pass, it’s a good idea to install an intermediate pad on the sander (aka an “interface pad”) with a fresh piece of sandpaper, which softens the cut and reduces the chance that you see pigtails (use a raking inspection light). Hard pads on the sander are most suitable for sanding wood flat. Softer pads are better for finer finish sanding (but are unfit for flat sanding of wood surfaces).

Blotchy / uneven appearance

Often caused by glue spots, burnishing from over-sanding/dull paper, or edges prepped differently than flats.

Fix: Pencil test + raking light + consistent hand-sanding on edges.

Random scratches that “appear out of nowhere”

Usually caused by loose abrasive/mineral from earlier grits, dust trapped under the pad, a too-hard of sander pad (use an intermediate pad), or dirty benches re-contaminating the work.

Fix: Vacuum everything between grits—surface, pad, bench, and your work area.