I need to sand down a cedar chest, but I'm afraid that sanding against the grain will scratch the wood. Will that actually be a problem?
585304
yes and no. the orbital sander will make quick work of removing the finish and is designed to make random patterns on the wood, preventing a lot of damage other sanders usually cause. but yes it will scratch the wood. keeping light hand pressure will help to eliminate some of this; pressing down on the sander will create deeper grooves in your wood. also, hand sanding with the grain using a finer grit sandpaper once the orbital has removed the finish will help smooth things out nicely. if you're going to stain or clear coat the chest you'll want to hand sand using a medium. the a fine grit paper with the grain to smooth everything out. if you're painting the chest, you can eyeball the finish and decide whether or not it needs a hand sanding at all. painted surfaces don't need to be anywhere near as smooth as stained or clear coated finishes. if in doubt, I find a spot on the back or side of my item and try things on it. if I get an unpleasant surprise then at least I haven't effed up the whole piece. also, there are some good orbital sander tutorials on youtube if you want visuals. hope this helps.
1873700
Yes, as long as you sand off any varnish that might be on it first. I put two thin coats on pine and it looks great and I can still see the grain through it.
416436
No problem with mine. The sanding screen is coarse though. I found the sander seems to work best with light pressure in random directions. The sander cut down about 99.9% the sanding dust. I do get a scratch once in a while. Finish sand with paper to achieve a smoother finish.
948153
Personally, I wouldn't use this sander for wood. I use it with a buffing pad for polishing projects. It is powerful enough that I, too, would worry about swirl marks. Hope this helps.
382644
most cast iron do scratch, no big deal, just take some fine sand paper and sand it. I got my pan smooth as a baby's bottom.
1169453
Just thought about it... You may have lots more scratches if you put it on wood. And as for the other response, I'd have to agree it may not fit as intended. May not be the best choice for your idea. Hope we were able to help.
27151
Perhaps, but why? A water-based conditioner will raise the grain on the wood, meaning that you'll need to sand it again before staining. This product is not water based. If you have a different water-based product in mind, I would check the directions on the label. It will probably say. But for myself, I avoid them.
401680
Water based. I have used it on Western Red Cedar boards, Pine boards, D-Fir Boards and plywood with no raised grain issues that could not be handled with a light sanding. Desired "ageing" or greying of substrate was quick and uniform across all species mentioned above.
163358
If it is a smooth sanded cedar then yes you will have slippery issues. Stain would work better.
1714758
You may want to protect the wood with some wood oil, wax, or water repellant. I used teak oil when I got my bench and kept it outside all summer. I brought it inside in the winter - it gets very cold here and we have lots of snow in MN.
264574
While I am not a woodworker, I do not think this wood would respond well to staining. More over, you'd definitely have to sand it down first as there is already a finish on it.
90343
Colleen, I've seen this on many of my projects too. The prior stain or paint was applied without sealing the wood, so the stain was absorbed unevenly. In some cases I've used alcohol (although this tends to raise the grain) or a dental pick to scrape out paint (but this can leave scratches). Since I usually use a walnut stain, it obscures most of the prior stain/paint. Unless the old covering is in a highly visible area, you are probably OK.
602246
We did about a week ago. You don't need to sand down to bare wood. You have to follow the instructions for screws, nails, cracks, etc. Oh, and that really prickly feeling on bare feet went away after about a week.
1313897
No, I would not! It works perfectly on smooth, unfinished furniture - even unpainted but I would not recommend it for reclaimed would and certainly not crevices or chips in the wood. I have no idea what to use except for a good power sander and work down from several grades of sandpaper until it is more manageable.
749927
I used it on a raw, stripped cedar chest. It looks fine. However, it has to be re-oiled fairly often to maintain the beauty of the wood.
1977769
The rigid oscillating edge belt/ spindle sander is worth checking too I have one and it really is worth every cent on wood I've never used it on metal. Which ever one you choose it's important to get the right sand paper
1898103
I would say it really depends on how many feet of base board you plan to sand. If it is only a few feet, yes . However, I would get a more heavy duty sander if it is a bigger job,