Finishing

[DC]

If I use progressively finer sandpaper and then fine steel wool I can get a baby's bum finish on bare wood.  Is that too smooth for subsequent finishing? Should the wood have a bit more tooth.

[dylanholderman]

i usually stop at 220-320 but i know wood turners will take stuff up to 600 and beyond with no problem. also i think what finish you use will probably play a part too 

[bowandarrow473]

I just sand it with 800 grit and finish with 8 coats of Danish Oil, then hit the Danish oil with 800 grit and steel wool.

[Pat B]

 usually go with 80 then 120 then finish. My bows usually have tool marks, kind of a signature. 

[DC]

usually go with 80 then 120 then finish. My bows usually have tool marks, kind of a signature. 

Good for you Pat. I just got caught up in the "shiny". It looks so nice but it doesn't shoot any better.

[Badger]

  Commercial furniture manufacturers use between 150 and 220 before they put on a finish, they sand between coats at between 220 and 320 as a rule.
Any finer than that just makes you feel good. 

[DC]

What about an oil finish? Should the wood be smoother? I'm thinking of an oil that soaks in and doesn't leave a skin(for lack of a better word)like tung oil does.

[Badger]

What about an oil finish? Should the wood be smoother? I'm thinking of an oil that soaks in and doesn't leave a skin(for lack of a better word)like tung oil does.

   Only the first coat soaks in, if you use a sealer none of the coats soak in.

[Del the cat]

  Commercial furniture manufacturers use between 150 and 220 before they put on a finish, they sand between coats at between 220 and 320 as a rule.
Any finer than that just makes you feel good.

I may borrow that line for future use.
Del

[stuckinthemud]

I find that using progressively finer grades of paper is easily replaced by using a sharp knife blade as a scraper to remove all the sanding marks of a course paper - course sand (say a 120 or 180 paper) to remove lumps and bumps and tool marks, then gently scrape to remove the abrasive' scratches, then burnish if you feel the need with 0000 wire wool or brown paper ( I prefer the brown paper - it works really well) - then apply your preferred finish.

[Pappy]

I usually use a scrapper for tool marks and any rounding of edges and 220 to finish, and not much of that, as Pat ,mine usually show some tool marks.
   Pappy

[stuckinthemud]

To be fair, I hate the use of abrasives and try to finish clean straight off the tool, using scrapers to fine-finish only when necessary, however, scrapers sometimes leave chatter-marks which are best smoothed out with a medium or fine abrasive which I then scrape over to remove the scratches left by the abrasive.

[Dances with squirrels]

I want no tool marks, no flaws in the wood or finish. I use Thunderbird finish and sand down to 400 grit, as nothing finer is necessary for a pro+ quality finish. Actually, I've gone down to just 240 grit with no problem too.

[George Tsoukalas]

I use a knife to remove nicks. Then I use it as a knfe as a scraper to get rid of rough areas and ease the corners.
Then I start to sand with 100 grit and then 220 grit. I then dampen a paper towel and run it over the stave  to raise the grain.  Then I continue sanding with 220 and repeat with dampening until the grain is no longer raised. Then I lightly sand with 320 (may be), 400 and 700 grit.
I can stain with no problem.
I should mention that once I string the stave I'm using a scraper-like tool so the sanding process is facilitated.
Also, boning prevents the proper absorption of stain. I don't do than any longer but used to.
Jawge

[stuckinthemud]

yeh, that dampening-down part is really important, and essential if you're using water-based finishes