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Carlos Moreno
 
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Default Sanding -- why do they do that to me? :-)


Hi,

I'm kind of curious about the benefits of sanding. Plus,
I'm extra confused by the long list of choices for the
type of sander (handheld, random orbital, belt, finish
sanders, etc -- what the hell is that? aren't all the
others I mentioned intended as finishing tools?)

So, it makes me wonder: why does a surface that has been
extra smoothed with a properly-sharp hand plane, or even
a flush router bit, etc., need sanding? Those things
get a mirror-look flatness that makes me wonder why would
I want to pass a sanding machine on it.

Another thing is: I guess sanding should be the very
last step -- am I understanding correctly assuming that
it should be done *after* assembling all the pieces?
If so, what about concave corners? (i.e., when one has
to sand the inside of a right-angle)

I'll be most grateful for any tips you may offer to
a complete beginner -- so far I've been learning and
getting more confident with *building* the furniture
piece (working all the pieces, joints, improving my
skills with the tools, etc.). But right now I'm near
the end of my first project, and it's completely
assembled, only missing the finishing details.

Any advice on what tools to look for would be also
appreciated.

Thanks,

Carlos
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