Things To Remember When Sanding Veneer

In order to get the best out of staining your veneer be sure to sand the veneer carefully and thoroughly. Sanding not only affects the staining process but also the appearance. Handling of the material and storage for long periods of time can result in a loss of finish .You can either use an electronic finishing sander or hand sand with sandpaper to get the job done.

Veneer is becoming thinner and thinner making the whole process more of a challenge. One sand through can become very costly in time and budget. Be sure to consider the following:

Sand your parts evenly:
If your parts are not sanded enough, your stain will result in a darker, blotchier appearence. If you do wind up with blotchy places when you stain, just give it another light sanding and then restrain.

Preliminary Sanding:
220 grit sandpaper should be good enough to deliver a well sanded surface to work with.

Never Sand Across Grain:
Be sure to sand with the grain to get a smooth finish. Staining an improperly sanded piece will only ruin your veneer visually and physically.

Stay away from belt sanders:
Remember that the veneer is thin, so don't over sand it or you will end up going right through it.

Start seeing yellow:
While you are sanding veneer, stop if you start seeing yellow. This means you are sanding right through the veneer.