Took me 5 years to figure out I was sanding in the wrong direction

I always sanded with the grain on face frames but never thought about it on end grain for drawer fronts. Last month a customer pointed out the scratch pattern on a maple drawer and I felt stupid. Now I do a final pass with 220 by hand going only one way. Anybody else miss basic stuff like this early on?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.thomas1mo ago

The real question is how did you not notice the light catching those cross grain scratches for five years? I mean once you see it you cant unsee it. Was it a lighting thing in your shop or were you just not doing a final inspection under raking light? I have a dedicated inspection station with an LED work light angled across the piece. Catches every mistake before it leaves the shop. Do you do anything like that now or just trust your sanding hand?

jana_davis901mo ago

Raking light inspection stations feel a little overkill for a hobby shop honestly. Most of my clients would never notice a scratch pattern unless I pointed it out.