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hi guys
i have constructed a Tas Oak bench top by face laminating several boards. A bit of a random mix of quarter sawn and straight sawn timber. Since the end grain edge will be exposed I do need to finish this to an acceptable level of presentation.
How is the best way to tackle sanding of end grain timber?
Time, lots of time. I have made 2 end grain chopping boards and the way I got them smooth was started at 40grit on a 1/3 sheet sander and worked my way up to 120grit where I got my random orbital sander out and continued up to 320grit. I decided that was enough but it took a lonk time. The timbers were Tas Oak and Merbau.
To keep the edge straight and square I'd clamp a piece of straight timber (the wider the better) on to the top or bottom of the benchtop with the edge to be sanded protruding slightly past the clamped piece of timber. This will give the sander a wider area to contact and make it much easier to produce a straight square edge.
Then use a random orbital sander with maybe 80 grit paper to rough sand it. Then go to a 120 grit, followed by 180 up to probably 320 or 400. You shouldn't need to go any finer than 400.
Make regular checks for straightness and squareness because the timber you've clamped on will be sanded as well.
I've done it this way many times with good results.
Kev
The secret to a good end grain finish is...sanding sealer.
you can bang away with all sorts of grit on endgrain, particularly in softer woods and you'll just be doing un-necessary hard work.
Firts and most important is to cut the end grain clean and straight as possible....minimising chipping, tearing and grain crushing.
then sand it till it is smooth and flat..forget a nice finish for now...proably 80-gritt would be as far as I would go for now.
then lay up a good coat of sanding sealer... be generous but don't make work by being sloppy.
let it dry out well..then sand with the same grit again.. repeat till the end grain is fully choked with sealer and it is looking... um....er...solid.
then work up to whatever grit you need for whatever finish you are using.
What the sealer does is make the endgrainfibres hard and stiff, so the sand paper cuts them cleanly and at the same time fills the pores.
When I am finishing something i deal with the endgrain first at every grit the do the faces.
when laying up sealer coats I paint the edges and end grain with every coat for every side.....so the edges and end grain get twice the finish of the faces.
cheers