HOW TO CHOOSE SANDPAPER FOR YOUR PROJECT + PRINTABLE
Sanding is almost always a necessary step when working with wood. But which sandpaper is best to use when? Let’s talk about how to choose sandpaper for your project.
I have found that each person has their own opinions on which grits work best on which surfaces. Basically, I am going to tell you what works for me, and I have gained my knowledge from other people willing to share with me. You will want to find out what works best for you depending on your projects and needs.
Scroll Below To Download Your Free Sandpaper Grit Sheet
The lower the number, the coarser the sandpaper is. In other words, 40 grit sandpaper is like little tiny rocks on paper, while 220 grit is fine and fairly smooth to the touch.
Let’s break it down!
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How To Choose Sandpaper For Your Project
- 40-60 grit sandpaper is great for a rough surface such as rusty metal or wood with lots of gunk to be removed. These are your coarse sandpapers.
- 80 grit is a good basic starter sandpaper for wood. This is my go-to grit to sand a piece that is in decent condition. You can use it to level out surfaces as well as to remove some finishes.
- 120 grit is perfect for sanding a laminate piece since you do not want it to scratch the surface of the piece. You are just getting the surface ready for paint to stick with 120.
- 150-220 grit removes scratches left by coarser grits. These grits are your final step before painting and staining. These finer grits are great for sanding lightly between coats when needed. In general, these finer grits also work well for distressing a painted piece (removes a bit of paint to make the piece look old).
- 250+ grit works well for sanding between coats of stain, as well as sanding metal or other surfaces that need to keep a very smooth finish. These are your fine sandpapers.
I always have 80, 150 and 220 grit sandpaper on hand and my favorite brand to use is 3M Sandpaper. This variety of grit takes me from the initial rough sanding of a basic wood piece (80 grit), the pre-paint sanding (150 grit), and the between-coat and after-paint sanding (220 grit). Download your free SANDPAPER GRIT SHEET by signing up below:
Since sandpaper is fairly inexpensive you can purchase a variety and use them on different surfaces and see if you like what they do to finishes. Everyone has a slightly different formula for what works for them personally.
I hope this helps you with how to choose sandpaper grit for your next project!
Happy DIYing!
This is great Randi. Awesome tips. It is hard to know sometimes what one to choose.
Have a great day, Deb!
This is perfect for someone starting out making and creating!!
3rd attempt to download ‘how to choose sandpaper for your DIY projects’/free printable. Already have the password, ‘funstuff’ which I used upon reading the article to access library: unsuccessful. So, I entered my info to obtain password [ x 3 ]. Please advise what I am doing wrong? I have accessed the library several times, without difficulty. So, enjoy your blog for all that you share. TX.
Hi Marilyn,
The printable downloads in PDF format. Is your computer set up for that? It is working fine for me.
If needed I can definitely just send you the PDF through email.
Randi 🙂