HOW TO AVOID SANDER SWIRL MARKS when refinishing furniture

This is a pretty common issue- even I get them from time to time; those annoying swirl marks (squirrelling) when using a power sander.. especially an orbital. In this video, I'm refinishing a pretty damaged dresser which looked to be likely someone's first attempt at refinishing, and the entire piece was covered in those pesky swirl marks, bad staining, and an pretty bad top coat application.
There are things you can do to help avoid them, such as using less pressure, using a finer grit sand pad, clearing away sanding dust and debris in between sanding, changing the sandpaper more often, and slowing down. REMOVING these marks, especially when wood stain has gotten down into them can be tricky, especially on veneer, because you can only re-sand down so far.
This piece didn't turn out perfect (they seldom do.. perfection is for the showroom floor), but I did remove the vast majority of the marks, added some beautiful navy paint, and this piece is now refreshed with a new lease on life.
If you'd like to see the video on how to make this custom navy blue colour, you can find it here: • MIXING Fusion Mineral ...
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Thanks for watching! If you liked this video, please consider subscribing for more furniture flipping videos!
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💎 / @tfgsnacks
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PRODUCTS USED/MENTIONED
💡Fusion Mineral Paint - Custom mixed colour
💡Fusion Beeswax/Hemp Oil Combo
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💡Dewalt Random Orbital Sander
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💡Design Master Premium Metal Spray, colour Gold Medal
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NOTE: Please be advised that the links provided are affiliate links and I may get a small commission from qualified purchases. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you!
Always be sure to read all manufacturers instructions and use appropriate safety equipment when using any of these products, and do so at your own risk.
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[@treasurehunter5564]

Another awesome save on this piece. One of the things I enjoy the most about your videos is how it comes across that you actually care about saving and improving a piece rather than just slapping paint down and adding big box store hardware for a quick sale. You're a natural teacher and have a great artistic mind. Thanks for the great content and sharing your knowledge.

[@pimpmyfurniture9300]

I agree also. She is a breath of fresh air.

[@YeahIKnow30]

The kitty giving loves to the bunnies was the cutest thing I've seen in a while.

[@michellereber6816]

I love how kind you are to someone you don’t know, appreciating that learning curve that it takes to do furniture refinishing.

[@catcar8212]

This custom color is so rich. It really showcases the pretty wood draws. Great rescue!🌷🌷

[@SteeleMagnolia]

Another successful rescue! I really like that color combo. Many years ago I built an oak entertainment center, and my husband wanted to help with the finish. I was skeptical, lol, because I hadn't seen him show an interest in woodworking until this family piece. He sanded it and took it upon himself to go ahead and put a coat of stain on it, while I prepared dinner. It was the next day before I got back to the piece. Oooooooh nooooooo. The sanding swirls were so bad. He was at work, so he never knew that I sanded it back down to bare wood and re-stained it. Been my secret ever since.

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

This is the best story, I love it! Haha Yes, some things are best kept quiet for sure, lol. Thank you for sharing :-)

[@trishwilson7517]

Willow with the bunnies.. I died! This was excellent information to avoid sanding issues, Angie! My husband is a finish carpenter/cabinet maker and he taught me to always start and stop my orbital, while it is flat on the surface of the piece-don't 'apply" it to the surface with it already running, and hence, don't pick it up and move it around while it's on. Removing the finish off legs would an exception for me (but don't tell him that ;)

[@carlaowens3997]

Thanks for sharing that Trish!

[@Molly-MaryEHackenberger]

I started watching hoping to avoid destroying a piece of furniture I'm painting at my mom's request. The moment I saw those adorable bunnies a few videos ago, I knew I'd found the right channel. I've been listening to your videos all night as I clean and sand and apply primer and paint... I have so enjoyed your directions and explanations in which your inherent kindness and humility can't help but shine through. Thanks for sharing your amazing talent with us.

[@bettinabarry8423]

Transformed the flaws from abuse into a characterful and attractive piece. 👏

[@galady8632]

This chest-of-drawers is as good as if not better than when brand new. Nice color choices. I appreciate how you respect all components of the pieces you tackle. The hardware is spot-on gorgeous.

[@deborahmatatall]

The drawers have some nice detail on them and now we can see it! I really like the hardware. I’m glad you were able to rescue this dresser. It’s beautiful.🌸

[@Julie-bq6iz]

Yea! I'm intimidated by orbital sanders. I don't have one, but have considered purchasing, from time to time. Another great rescue. Thanks for the sander tips!

[@bethanyh5853]

Don't know if anyone else has suggested this, but as for boiling your knobs and such, you can also use a old crockpot. Literally fix and forget it, and can leave in for longer time without having to babysit it. And at least with latex paint, may not need the vinegar. But once again, another lovely transformation of something others would see as trash and you make look high end!

[@Alicia-ig7cv]

Love how your music goes well with the video showing the results 🙂

[@nereaortegalopez8865]

As always... Perfect video. I clicked like as soon as it popped on my feed

[@monicalundy4400]

You always make me smile when you bring life back to some “sad” pieces of furniture. Thanks for what you do.

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

You're so welcome! Thank you so much for such a great comment. ❤️

[@personasplanet1872]

Your piece turned out beautifully and I love your rescue babies. Amazing how your beautiful kittie loves them too!

[@libbyholt3863]

You are such a professional! Skill, integrity, knowledge, and such a good eye. I'd be hard pressed to choose your best piece. They're all gorgeous, this one included.

[@carmenm.4091]

You gave this little dresser some professional TLC and see here…wow! Very nice!

[@flash2tz]

I'm not terribly fond of blues, at least in my own home. But this chest came out so nicely! I love how that paint makes the wooden drawers just pop! Gorgeous!

[@RemyJustice97]

You have a remarkable eye for knowing when to marry paint and natural wood together, and it hasn't missed the mark yet. Another beautiful piece!

[@varieta9466]

Awesome job with the dresser! Today’s winners are the bunnies! So darling!!and your cat was sweet to them! Win win for all! 🐈 🐰❤️

[@EatingAnElephant]

Beautiful, as usual! I can attest to the fact that first time pieces don't always turn out, but thanks to you it's clear that they can be redone to look amazing, and you have proven that (almost) everything can be salvaged. I found a burl wood accent (on the top and fronts of the drawers) night stand in the trash! I was unsure what to do since, I thought, the top vaneer was just paper and it was peeling off. Turns out it was just a paper towel stuck to the wood and it sanded off beautifully! Thanks for encouraging me to work on it. Now I can forge ahead with the project.

[@juliecase624]

That is hilarious 😂

[@Dingle1234]

I love the way you film the "after" and the music you use. There's that silence, and then the dramatic entrance. Like Cinderella descending the stairs.

[@Dingle1234]

And shot at eye level while seated, I think? That seems to look best, a head on view of the piece.

[@sharylkriete7953]

Gorgeous chest of drawers! I LOVED the bunny break!! How cute that the kitty and bunnies are friends! 🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾

[@ephphathaoracle]

I learn so much each time I watch. I collect MC furniture. This is really helping me move toward tackling the rough pieces. Thanks! 😊

[@RedDevilRaspberry]

Another lovely piece! Thanks for sharing, Angie. 💕✌🏼

[@judyshallstrom415]

Amazing change. I think it's beautiful. Sanding is really an art. It takes a long time to get really good at it! You are a master!

[@toni5810]

The bunnies are too cute! Sweet how your cat snuggled up to them. I like the color/stain combo. Nice work!!

[@cravinsomeraven]

I mean it when I say I look forward to your videos every week. My favorite creator at the moment - but not only are you very skilled, your kindness makes your videos even better.

[@carolmessano9384]

I love your work and style! I refinished my coffee table top about 10 years ago, and now I’m itching to try other projects. You are such a great critter foster mom, and so is your cat!

[@CedarPineDesigns]

By far this has to be my absolute favorite color combo. You can never go wrong with a dark paint and beautiful wood stain color. Very outstanding work as usual

[@burghbrat3319]

Another great save, Angie! I do love that deep, deep blue, and I'm glad you could re-use the original hardware. Someone is going to love this piece for years to come. Thanks for showing us how you did it!

[@kathleenjones7317]

So pretty. Doesn't need to be perfect. Everything needs a little character!

[@cgiWork2012]

Some girls idolize actors, models, singers… I idolize you🥰 this is so lovely. Your work is stunning.

[@msoh5172]

I'm so glad you made this video because I've seen some makeovers that have a sanded top or drawer front in wood with painted sides and felt that something was "off" with the final appearance of the wood. I think what I've seen is bad sanding of the wood parts which leaves them blotchy looking. Thank you for explaining how bad sanding can leave wood irregular or (even!) ugly. And thank you for explaining how to fix or avoid the blotchiness and orbital sander marks. You made another chic piece from something questionable! I love your videos.

[@antiquesrestoration3874]

Ahh...the furry friend preciousness is off the charts. Another terrific finished product.

[@Christin5554]

Amy, you are so amazing. You create furniture that everybody would be proud to own.

[@latriciacagle4873]

Very helpful. I have an orbital sander but haven’t used it on anything where aesthetics were important (used mostly to smooth the surface of cut lumber on small construction projects). I lost all my furniture in a house fire about the same time you started your channel. I love your work and am motivated to renew some old pieces to replace what was lost. I have a couple of dumpster pieces that I’m practicing on and your videos have helped identify what went wrong and how to improve. Loved the bunny bonus!

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry to hear! 😮

[@carolmoore3706]

I love how this turned out

[@janaschey2888]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bunny breaks!!! I'm always so inspired by your restorations. Just beautiful.

[@jlnriddick]

So very pretty! I feel like I'm running out of adjectives for beautiful, stunning and gorgeous. It's amazing that you were able to determine right away what one of the bigger problems with the finish on this piece was when you received it. On top of which, you knew some of the reasons that may have caused it, AND, how to avoid it. What a great depth of knowledge you've developed! Always interesting to watch, and always lots to learn. Thank you so much for sharing it all with us!

[@ladonnasims1756]

I just adore your transformations! I love how you put a modern twist to vintage furniture. If people watched your channel before pitching furniture, they would think twice. Another awesome job! You are gifted. Did you take a woodshop course or gone to a trade school to learn about caring for and repairing wood products?

[@paulcarlachapman628]

What a shame this piece was so damaged - it has nice, clean lines. Great makeover, Angie!

[@helenk5579]

What a beautiful custom navy blue! And again I love the way you combine color and wood stain!

[@christinefeucht8668]

You saved another piece and gave it dignity. Great Job!!

[@rdb4996]

Bunny's! And a kitty! 😍 The piece turned out lovely. Thank you for sharing how to avoid squirrel marks. I'm impressed by how you direct the sander with only 3 fingers! Mine would take off and live a life of its own if I did that.

[@jonpowell2941]

You do a really good job and I especially enjoy the teaching you do in your videos. Well done!

[@GirasolVintage]

Thank you for sharing all this information. I always learn something new here! ❤️

[@bridgetbrown8351]

Oh my goodness. Love the color you chose for the dresser. And kitty bunnies are so cute!🤗😘😁🤩😍😎💖👌👍👏👏👑💎

[@belladonnaoaisling]

Just started, and it's so encouraging to hear you say that it's okay to learn from our mistakes! The chair I saved from the trash looks much better, even though I can see places where I could have done things (sanding, mostly) better! Love your videos!

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

Thank you so much for watching! 😊

[@amyrausch499]

How can you tell that the veneer is thick? Could you do a video on the types of wood, veneers, finishings, etc. and how to work with them? That would be awesome!

[@marywiklander-williams6493]

Again, a tasteful and beautiful refinishing job. Thanks for the sanding tips.

[@robertawills7219]

Those are ultra cute! The bunnies,....... think I watched this before but now I have some pieces in the garage that need work, it means much more.

[@KasSommers]

Angie, when I see your videos in my feed, I make a cup of tea and settle down to watch. I'm glad you were able to reuse the knobs and pulls - the old ones are such interesting shapes. Any of your pieces would be welcome in my (tiny) apartment. I'll just have to come to Canada from Australia to pick one up. 🙂

[@cutler65]

To think that this piece of furniture could have ended up in the recycling centre, never to be seen again. 😏 Wow! What a difference! Awesome job. A new sub from me. 🤗

[@ashleyhansen7146]

Highly recommend the 3M xtract cubitron net disc for sanding. They last longer and remove much more versus your typical orbital sandpaper. You won’t use anything else once you try these. 👌🏼

[@moneymakingmikeg.9555]

Yup.... & there he was smiling at us & asking us to subscribe... LOL!! I can never unsee his face. And then Boom Shacka Lacka out of no where we're staring at some super freakin cute Bunnies!! Man oh Man did you save that piece. Well done as always Angie, hoping all is well, Dirty Jersey out!!

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

Hahaha I edit all my videos in the same room as the baby bunnies so it’s soooo distracting that I just HAVE to share their cute little faces! Haha

[@cathyknapp9360]

Wow this piece turned out awesome you did an amazing job I love all of your teachings especially when you old pieces these are the pieces that I'll be starting to redo after the new year from my late father-in-law I'm happy with how you're teaching me that some things just have to be what they are it will help me not to be so hard on myself when I do them thank you for sharing all your great wisdom and knowledge love your Channel have a great day and God bless you

[@dazedconfused5019]

Perfect. Love the finish . . . how those line comes through; and the black is such a perfect black and does not outshine the body of the piece or the hardware.

[@clairehowell3951]

You are so knowledgeable in explaining everything so we can understand what you mean 😌 thank you great job as always 😊

[@jeniferfenstermaker4627]

This was a REMARKABLE transformation! I think the hardware was nice enough without the paint, but that’s just a personal preference, they obviously look great!

[@carolfuchs2774]

You are such a great teacher!!!! Another winner.

[@miller110488]

I've been watching your videos every day for over a will now and I love your "cuteness breaks". I also love how you show your cats in the videos. I'm a very avid animal lover. I love animals of all kinds. I'm hoping that very soon I'll be able to get my family a dog that will end up being my shop food when I'm working at home. Keep up the amazing work you do on all your projects. I've definitely learned a lot from them

[@blueberry464]

Those scallopy marks! Gave me flashbacks to first time I used any type of electric sander (a palm sander). Anyway as always, you breathed new life into it!

[@megh1684]

I really needed this video a year ago when I sanded our kitchen table. It's chock full of valuable tips and will come in handy if I decide to redo the redo. Thanks!

[@juliastockhausen7173]

Yes thx for the little cuteness break. Your cat is adorable with them. The dresser is great too.

[@cjfromtexas3954]

Great transformation!

[@FurnitureWarriors]

What a great makeover Angie! That custom dark color and the stain go perfectly together. The gold hardware really brings it all together. Great job!😄😄

[@janicesnapp2850]

Gorgeous dresser! Love the color with the wood finish!

[@lainniewohlgemuth466]

It turned out so beautiful. I love watching how you fix the imperfections and explain what’s wrong and how to fix it.

[@marywiedeman6936]

Another gorgeous project. Thank you for sharing all your tips and expertise! You give us newbies hope!!

[@dougdohrman2559]

Great job! I was hoping you could save the top too, but it looks great with that color. I didn't know that cats and bunnies could be friends!

[@loisbolton1800]

A really great transformation, with the added bonus of some handy hints to improve our own restoration/refinishing work. X

[@robynduplooy3039]

Wow Angie! Incredible job saving yet another piece!

[@victoriaegan6476]

Love, love it even with the small imperfections. The colors you chose compliment each other. Congrats on another job well done.

[@marvelx8173]

Simply beautiful!! You are so right that it does take lots of practice and making mistakes to learn and get better !!

[@nooncactus]

This is a handsome dresser. I have one in my house that would look fantastic with those exact colors. Very very nice. 🌸❤️🌸

[@lindaeisterhold2164]

sI love how this turned out! It was unfortunate that you couldn't resurrect the hardware and happy that you kept it and painted it gold. :) I have been watching your videos and getting the courage to refinish two coffee tables. One was stained with scented oil from an oil lamp. I hope it will be okay. The other is a beautiful mid-century Lane coffee table that was my mother-in-law's. She loved house plants and unfortunately she left water rings on the top of the table. Wish me luck. Watching you and your guidance has been SO helpful. Your business name fits due to how the furniture is often even better than it may have looked new!

[@Velvethart]

Beautiful! And the bunny break! Oh, my heart 🥰

[@BreathofSpring24]

Love the cuteness break! Nice job on the dresser, as always. 😊

[@lauradyer8532]

Really enjoyed how you saved this piece. I always learn fr you. Thanks Great job.

[@CopperCactusDIY]

Thanks so much for all the tips on how to avoid the swirlies from sanding. I got a few in my last project (luckily on the underside) but was disappointed. I'll be able to fix that now. This turned out gorgeous, Angie. Not that I'm surprised, your work is always spot on beautiful! Side note, have you ever considered setting up a new channel - bunny cam? Because I'd watch the heckarooni out of that too 😍

[@embee5557]

Gorgeous piece and thank you so much for the gentle reminder that everyone has a starting place. I have wanted to throw my table and chairs off my balcony in frustration. They still might go but maybe the way they came in would be best. Lol

[@bluecurlygirl]

Another brilliant video Angie. I've learned so much. After busting through laminate (although in my defense it was bubbled like crazy on the top anyway) I'm half afraid to lift the sander again but if I never do, I'll never learn. So I guess I'll just strip back my coffee table again - painted with rustoleum and not happy with the paint or the colour so that was on my to-do list anyway. Practice on a few more bits with your advice issued here and hopefully avoid swirl marks etc. Ahhh the bunnies! Too cute. And so cute to see the kitty snuggling up to them. Adorable. Thanks for sharing.

[@grammybear4226]

🐼 Big Bear Hugs from a 68 yr old grandma in Kirby, Texas, USA 🐼 ❤️ 🎀 ❤️ 🎀

[@lizhoward9754]

Loved out this turned out! And thanks for the precious bunny break! I fostered rabbits for House Rabbit Society for years

[@lh1248]

I am always amazed by your talent! Great job!

[@cer145]

So beautiful! Great combination of color and stained wood. I love that you were able to use to original pulls.

[@valerieylewis]

The paint and finished product is beautiful!

[@Soulmates_DIY]

Love the cuteness overload. Willow is such a sweetheart! My cats would have tried to mess with them and sadly, my dogs would have used them as chew toys.

[@jamiew83831]

Love ReStore! So glad I found your channel. Giving me artistic motivation

[@christinegagnon5983]

Beautiful! Thank you for your advices. You’re my #1 favorite. Continue the good work.

[@melaniej.roberts206]

Wonderful flip. Thank you for the encouragement! For every couple steps forward I feel like I take a few back....but I'm learning. Thank you for the link to the paint color. That dark navy was a color I was trying to figure out how to mix myself today.

[@statementdesigns]

This is beautiful! I typically don't do that much sanding but I learned a lot in this video! Thank you❣

[@Sojourner927]

The paint really enhanced the wood. Very nice.

[@juliecase624]

Very, very, nice. Enjoyed all the detail and tips in this video.

[@tonyayoung4663]

Very nice love color my orbital sander was delivered last week I'm hesitant in starting my project for the errors you pointed out. Thanks for the tips hope o can pull it off.

[@crissmeredith5192]

Love the bunny breaks! Those little noses are adorable! 💜💜

[@darlawoolford9953]

Really nice. The color combination is beautiful!

[@trudybaker861]

Thanks for all the sanding tips. They are so helpful!