TERRIBLE internet trend for sanding wood.

[@StumpyNubs]

▼ *IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT VIDEO:* ▼ - Carbide TruSander Blocks (sponsored): duragrit.com/TruSander-Carbide-Hand-Sanding-Block.html - Cork blocks: amzn.to/4cplDCW - Yoga sanding mat: amzn.to/4bklijA - Sandpaper rolls: amzn.to/3RIazs4 ★THIS VIDEO WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY★ Dura Grit Carbide Sanding Products: (Save 10% with Coupon Code: STUMPYNUBS -Sale items excluded): duragrit.com/home.php *My hand tool collection includes premium tools from Bridge City Tool Works:* bridgecitytools.com/ *Please help support us by using the link above for a quick look around!* (If you use one of these affiliate links, we may receive a small commission) *Some other useful links:* -Check out our project plans: stumpynubs.com/product-category/plans/ -Instagram: instagram.com/stumpynubs/ -Twitter: twitter.com/StumpyNubs ★SOME OF MY FAVORITE INEXPENSIVE TOOLS★ - #ISOtunes Hearing Protection (Save 10%): shop.isotunes.com/stumpy -BOW Featherboards: amzn.to/430ldhv -123 Blocks: lddy.no/vpij -Mechanical Pencils: amzn.to/2PA7bwK -Lumber pencil: amzn.to/2QtwZjv -Pocket Measuring Tape: amzn.to/2kNTlI9 -Nut/Bolt/Screw Gauge: amzn.to/2CuvxSK -Self-Centering Bits: amzn.to/2xs71UW -Steel Ruler: lddy.no/10mv7 -Center-Finding Ruler: lddy.no/10nak -Bit & Blade Cleaner: amzn.to/2TfvEOI -Narex Chisels: lddy.no/sqm3 -Mini Pull Saw: amzn.to/2UEHBz6 -Shinwa Rulers: lddy.no/zl13 (If you use one of the affiliate links above, we may receive a small commission)

[@thebamfordman]

$60 shipping to the U.K. ☹️ Guessing it would pay for itself in sandpaper supplies quite quickly?

[@WoodworkingTop535]

I like this video, it is very necessary for everyone

[@VV0RK]

Sir, this is the internet. How dare you be calm and reasonable !

[@ericleiser33]

Jim's from Michigan. If you're from the midwest this was the equivalent of being really angry. Things really calmed down though when he started explaining about the cork.

[@eddolous]

True,and what’s up with the beard

[@Hashkei]

@@ericleiser33 😂

[@dhgmllcshea5038]

​@@ericleiser33ummm y'all never heard of Dick the Bruiser on the Riff? Jeffrey Figer?

[@thethree60five]

What? Reason, logic, realism, and debunking... The interweb is for spreading freedumn thoughts!

[@daveengstrom9250]

I find this topic abrasive!

[@jonmccormick6805]

I'll file that comment away with my angle grinder.

[@madtitan9639]

Saying that around here really takes a lot of grit.

[@victorbongers5012]

I approve of this comment

[@dhgmllcshea5038]

Careful... ya don't wanna get kicked out of the Abrasive Engineering Society.... and become a yes man!

[@HvnMtn]

Yeah, he really just scratched the surface about sanding.

[@jimh472]

Dude...this is actually pretty profound. So many channels focus on the machining and construction and are light on good finishing tips.

[@kernelpickle]

That’s probably because if you look close enough at their finished pieces you can see the tool marks from their power sander. It looks good enough at a distance on camera the way it catches the light-but in some close ups you can see which guys do better work than the others. I would imagine that they aren’t teaching finishing techniques because they know they suck at it and if you followed their instructions, you’d probably complain that it doesn’t look very good and they’d be exposed for their lower quality work at the most important part of the job.

[@daviddazer2425]

I totally agree. I have noticed that often a craftsman puts a lot of care into the build, but then fails in finishing. Our beloved Norm Abram used to just slap polyurethane on his projects.

[@theglowcloud2215]

@@daviddazer2425 Norm was such a master, I readily forgive whatever attention he didn't give to finishing.

[@TracksWithDax]

All due respect, I think the real reason is because a lot of them make their living on youtube, so it's to their benefit to make their stuff look just good enough for a screen

[@squirts1]

@@kernelpickle no, it's because nobody wants to watch youtube videos of people hand sanding wood for hours. that doesn't generate views or revenue.

[@kenbrown2808]

"this is a handmade product. any minor variations in texture and color enhance the value of the finished product" words to live by.

[@acrazydurian]

one thing i learned making 3d models is human like symmetry, but hate perfect symmetry. try take a photo of a person and mirror the face right down the middle and see for yourself if you dont believe me. we say we like perfection, but in reality we dont. in the best case it feels cheap and mass produced, worst case you get uncanny valley. because nothing in the environment we evolved in for millions of years is ever perfect.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@acrazydurian movie fact: until Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader's helmet and mask were not symmetrical.

[@carnsoaks1]

My English friend was a Trained French Polisher. He used the cork blocks just as you advised.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

he taught Polish to French speakers?

[@georgemorley1029]

@@RoamingAdhocratNo, don’t be stupid. He obviously polished Frenchmen, but only if they were trained first, presumably on how to be polished.

[@geoffreywarburton5487]

@@georgemorley1029 no no, he taught French loudpseakers how to play Pollish folk music.

[@sgardo84]

I'm from Australia but live in the US, back home you can buy cork sanding blocks for a few $, sized correctly to use a quarter sheet of paper. Blows my mind that home Depot and Lowe's don't have these as an impulse buy item at every register!

[@darren92redrum67]

Yea, i am in you UK, use to be able to get cork block in pound shops even

[@kernelpickle]

That’s because they sell the 3M sanding sponge things that are probably just as rigid or a little less than the cork.

[@daffydavidyt]

​@@3nertiapretty much every page on this topic on the internet disagrees with you.

[@OneTruePhreak]

​@@3nertiacork is bark, from an evergreen oak, and removing it doesn't kill the tree. The bark regrows, and it can be harvested about once every decade. How is it not sustainable?

[@maudiojunky]

@@OneTruePhreak The guy's just talking out his ass. The biggest problem with cork is its supply is short-term inelastic because it takes time to grow new oaks.

[@JarheadCrayonEater]

Well, this definitely explains why dumping sand on the wood never worked. It's about time someone told me!

[@contestwill1556]

sometimes instead of taking the tool to the wood, it's easier to take the wood to the tool. try pounding sand with your workpiece

[@RuneCarverLLC]

Actually… I do use sand, dirt, gravel, nuts, bolts, screws, and whatever it takes to get the texture and finish that I'm looking for. If you really do want to use sand, I suggest you try playground sand at your Home Depot. It's actually, a pretty decent grain and could add some excellent texture and weathering and aging to your without big scratches. :-)

[@RuneCarverLLC]

@@contestwill1556 That's what i'm taking about... drag it across the sidewalk, and up the driveway... every 10 feet ages your wood 100 years, it's freaking phenomenal! 😳🤔😀💁👍👍👍

[@valvenator]

It works great on wood floors. A while back a local bar under new management decided to have a beach party for Halloween by dumping beach sand all over the floors. This was after they had totally refinished them. Should have done so after the party. When all the sand was finally removed the floors were stripped back down to bare wood!

[@JarheadCrayonEater]

This went from a joke to some of the best advice I've seen! Thanks, fellas!

[@calowaykagan]

Another powerfully simple and wise video. When I watch you, it reminds me of finding that one person in the hardware store with enough experience to tell you plainly what works for the lowest cost and least amount of material.

[@stevenwymor1398]

3M also makes a rubber sanding block that I love using. Just enough flexibility. And it has built in hooks to hold the sandpaper.

[@thebamfordman]

I had something similar years ago. Couldn't get on with it. Much prefer a cork block that I can just grab and wrap the paper around.

[@Just_A_Name14]

3m is one of the most toxic companies out there and should never be supported Go look at all the stuff they make that sits in the body it’s whole existence

[@cannaroe1213]

@@thebamfordman I want to be that guy, but i always find my paper is too loose, and it tears. Even with a sanding block with clips i've got, the paper tears if its not really taught. Maybe with the paper folded all the way around and back over itself?

[@dhgmllcshea5038]

​@@cannaroe1213I flex my 30 year old rubber sanding block into a curve when I lock the 2nd set of teeth in- this gets me the tension.

[@stevenwymor1398]

@@dhgmllcshea5038 exactly.

[@jodilea144]

My husband’s hard rubber sanding blocks from his days of doing automotive paint and body work wonderfully for finish sanding my pieces. It’s the same principle- slightly flexible, but rigid enough to leave a smooth finish without uneven spots. I do like the cork block idea though! I figured out the trick of raising my piece with another board to keep a square edge quite accidentally, and only recently saw someone showing it as a “hack”…oh, how I despise what that word has come to!😁 Anyhoo, thanks for another useful video!

[@seansopata5121]

As a finisher of thirty years, I have never had an issue doing a final sanding with an orbital.

[@FWMCBigFoot]

Same, but I add wiping my projects with mineral spirits after sanding. It cleans the dust and makes any missed sanding swirls jump out plus mineral spirits will not raise the grain.

[@timrodeghier5948]

I’m with you there. One thing I do though is wipe everything down with water before the last sanding. (I only use shellac and water based finishes).

[@stinkyham9050]

Same

[@wimvandenbosch6657]

Another to the point , factual , informative , no nonsense teaching video from Stumpy. Me as a very amateur with entry level tools I always learn something from this site. Thank you.

[@michaelpfaff8280]

I use mdf with cork laminated to it, and 220 grit. Works great for the final hand pass! 👍

[@traillesstravelled7901]

Yup, I do the exact same thing.

[@brianbarney1885]

After sanding projects for hours I discovered smoothing planes, now I use a smoothing plane and scrapers when needed followed by light hand sanding with finer grits. This video is spot on for me, thanks Stumpy. I really miss the Old Timey Woodworker videos and the ‘cold one’ at the end. You and Paul Sellers are my favorite UTube woodworkers, most of the others just pirate and then act like they did all the historical research.

[@andreachinaglia5804]

Same here, when possible I don't even sand, the surface left by a plane is superior as pores are not clogged with sawdust, I hand sand with fine grit only if there are spots I can not reach with a plane to uniform the surface. Hint: a rabbet plane is useful to "sand" certain spots, I don't own a bullnose plane and a bullnose rabbet plane, but I suppose that with those 4 hand tools is possible to "sand" every part of an assembled piece of furniture or windows and doors.

[@VAXHeadroom]

@@andreachinaglia5804 Came here to say the same. I prefer an 'edge cut' surface and it doesn't take hardly any longer and IMHO produces a superior face.

[@andreachinaglia5804]

@@VAXHeadroom in my experience it actually takes way less, the surface that requires to go trough 3 gits of paper is perfect after only 1 or 2 strokes with a smoothing plane and is superior. Mi problem are the little spots that I have to sand let's say after assembling a door or window to get rid of glue spots, those sanded spots are inferior an take the finish in a different way having clogged pores so I have to hand sand the rest with the final grit to get uniformity. Maybe with a bullnose plane and a bullnose rabbet plane is possible to plane those spots after gluing and assembling, but I don't own them and hand sanding a planed surface to get uniformity is anyway really fast.

[@andreachinaglia5804]

@@VAXHeadroom by the way some years ago at a woodworkers meeting I sanded 3 spots of the same piece of wood and planed an other spot, the 3 spots was sanded with 3 professional grade sanders, Festo, Makita and Bosch using premium quality papaer, then I applied an oil finish to the wood, everyone agreed that the planed surface was superior, the difference was so evident (and the hand plane was not my perfectly tuned one, was the smoothing plane of the shop we was in and I did spend only a couple of minutes to sharpen it properly as the shop owner was more into power woodworking).

[@mcp1978]

My dad is an old school trained fine and rough carpenter from Denmark. He has always had a whole bunch of old cork sanding blocks in different sizes, but most with tapered edges on one side (top side). I have never seen any cork sanding blocks for sale anywhere in Canada, where I currently reside.

[@TaylerMade]

as a retired furniture maker i have to agree about the rubbish often espoused by people in youtube. generally speaking, even though i have electric sanders, i prefer to use a finishing plane on a piece to take off a very fine shaving and leave a perfect surface. or maybe a scraper. but once you have that immaculate surface you then need to rough it up to take a finish which is where a quick flick with some 180 leaves a surface for the finish to adhere to. personally i never go over 180 in grit. i may go to 220 for pieces like small boxes that are getting a lot of up close tactile use. anything over 220 is more about the person thinking they are doing great work than reality.

[@bradcofo]

I agree for MOST finishes. I've lately been using a hardwax oil finish for things that will be handled and touched a lot, and there is a MASSIVE difference between 220 and even 400. I've found that my preference for a hardwax oil is to use a finish plane, then lightly sand with 400 grit. The feel of wax on a 400 grit surface over a planed surface is something I haven't found on any other finish. To me, it feels like if glass was soft.

[@TheWebstaff]

​@@bradcofothis. I'm not a "wood worker" but I'm starting to dabble. Yeah 360 grit vs 200 I can feel the difference where I've been making things out of some old beech flooring.

[@bradcofo]

@@TheWebstaff It makes a big difference when using some finishes, if it's a penetrating finish like wax/oil. If you are using a film finish like a urethane or lacquer, 180 won't feel any different than 1000.

[@d.k.1394]

Good comment

[@Whitepaint]

That cubitron sandpaper makes it very easy.

[@charliemopps4926]

A tip I see a lot of people miss out on is to wet the wood surface between sanding passes. When you wet the surface, it causes the wood grain on the surface to swell and stand up. It's very obvious if you actually do it... wet the surface and then touch it. It feels "hairy" When you sand, it presses those "hairs" back down into the wood. The water causes them to stand back up. I learned this from using wood dyes (as opposed to stain) because it has the same effect. So if you want your wood surface exceptionally smooth, you have to use water to pull up those hairs so you can sand them off. It's just a very lite coat of water... Don't get it soaked. Just wipe the surface down with a damp rag and then sand. You'll be amazed how smooth you can get it.

[@ChimeraActual]

That's what sanding sealers are for. Water might work if you ensure that the piece is totally dry before the next sanding. Sanding sealers are meant to raise the pics (that's what the pointy ends of grain runout are called), then dry very quickly holding the pics up to be sanded off. There is a variability in sealers, not all do what I want. General Finishes' sealer is the one I like.

[@IronCreekSW26]

As a 76 yr old woodworker, thank you for keeping common sense alive for younger generations.

[@RuneCarverLLC]

@@IronCreekSW26 Will they ever learn...??? 🤔💁 I heard my grandpa say that about me around 60 years ago! 🙏😵‍💫🙈 Have faith in the system my friend, Mother Nature has a way of working these things out... it just takes a few eons! 😳😬🙏🤞

[@mrfarts5176]

Unfortunately, it seems like having gay men like this as roll models for young people is causing them to be recruited.

[@Druss2012]

​@@RuneCarverLLCyea... I just learned. Thanks stumpy nubs for sharing common sense since these old dinosaurs are so reluctant to share their common sense 😂😂

[@mrcat5508]

@@RuneCarverLLCwhy are you using so many emojis?

[@RuneCarverLLC]

@@mrcat5508 Hi, Because they are legitimate and long established glyph-like protocol, and proto-alphabet like broad range of Asian, Canaanite, early Hebrew, Greek and Runes... these are all characters made of specific meanings (each character has s specific meaning), and are not random "emojis". Look up the ASCII (extended) character set, and research who actually owns the right to determine which are public and what they mean (hint: It's a prominent religious pontiff). 😳🤔💁

[@jsmxwll]

I've always used 1/4" neoprene from an old mouse pad that was too thick to be comfortable as a mouse pad. Made a few sanding blocks gluing it to blocks of wood. Works great for contour sanding blocks and such. Never tried cork. I'll give it a shot, my current sanding blocks are getting a little ragged.

[@martinmand45]

Agree 100%--final sand by hand. I have a piece of 4/4 poplar I use for a sanding block. Dead square and flat all the way around, made from scrap. A layer of leather(harvested from a worn out couch, I still have a few sq ft of it) on one side. When I want a rigid block, use the bare side or edges. I just wrap the paper--sized to 1/3 of a sheet--and hold it with my fingers. Works great and essentially free, except for the sandpaper of course. I recently got a pad with velcro sized for my sander's disks, and I find myself using it more and more. Too lazy to go tear off another 1/3 of a sheet, I guess lol.

[@fidgetshouse]

My grandpa never cared for powered sanders. It took him a while but he always sanded his by hand. I am not that patient, but I always do my final pass by hand. Thank you for validating my method. You are always on point, James.

[@windhelmguard5295]

my dad used to be a carpenter back in the day, he only ever used the power sander for removing really stubborn finish or paint from antiques he was restoring. he'd usually start with denatured alcohol, then move up to paint thinner and finally to sodium hydroxide drain cleaner, before he'd touch the power sander.

[@renoholland7090]

I picked up a used yoga mat for $1 at a garage sale and have used it many time in my woodworking projects.

[@traillesstravelled7901]

Nobody's going to notice. You don't seem to have the conviction my mother -in-law does to find a mistake I've made , and make everyone aware.

[@Just_A_Name14]

Well maybe you shouldn’t have married into a narcissistic perfectionist family 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Ken-kb5fw]

@@Just_A_Name14shouldn’t HAVE! Not shouldn’t OF!

[@Just_A_Name14]

@@Ken-kb5fw who cares troll

[@nickpearsonuk]

@@Ken-kb5fwA sentence should start with with a capital letter whilst we’re picking up mistakes!

[@Jalae]

for these types it's best to maek a clear and obvious "mistake" on purpose.

[@BrooksMoses]

The tip of using sanding blocks to square wood looks quite useful! I came up with a similar idea when I'd made some shelves with edges that were way off square, and ended up clamping a handheld belt sander on its side to some pieces of scrap laminated fiberboard to do essentially what your shooting block does but removing lots of material quickly. Never thought of doing that with a hand-sanding block, for some reason, but it makes sense.

[@wdtaut5650]

True words again, Stump. A few years back. I found some cork sheet in one of those surplus stuff stores. I put it on the bottom of my sanding blocks for all the reasons you say. Probably not as nice as your all-cork blocks but they still work. I also have a supply of hard blocks, for all the reasons you say. 80-grit, even 100-grit, goes on the hard blocks, 180 and 220 on the cork blocks. It's not absolute, depends on the task. You can also use the cork sheet to re-surface damaged and burned trivets. If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

[@TrustinChrist-truthseeker]

I see a fellow Red Green fan! As is the motto of possum lodge next to yours: "Duct Tape - the handyman's secret weapon." Them be some true rednecks if I ever did see one. Good to see a fellow handyman! Sincerely, JS

[@omf2007]

In Jr high and HS shop class we had planers, drum sanders, hand sanders, surface machines and everything you could want to make sanding easier. We sanded everything by hand from start to finish up until the last few advanced classes. And everything was still finished by hand. The lesson being, you can have all the fancy gadgets for sanding you want but nothing will take the place of hand sanding as a final finishing step if you want a pro finish. Thank you for the great video!

[@ralphiewigs2208]

I've been on to cork since I saw a Tage Frid video many years ago. He used 1/4 sheets of sandpaper wrapped around the block and he would move the paper often to maintain a cutting surface. This set up is a real work horse.

[@StumpyNubs]

Legend.

[@glockjay7400]

Ive been making sanding belts, discs, rolls, ect…for 23 years in OH, and sanding my woodworking projects for longer and I have never seen this!! Excellent video, keep up the great work!

[@disturbedmaynard3873]

Pretty sure that if you were buying a block of cork labelled as sanding block cork, you would pay a lot more. I actually bought a folding 1 inch thick yoga mat for working under the car. Keeps the wife guessing if you are buying yoga equipment.

[@orazha]

Excellent. I got my start using only wood sanding blocks but we were sanding the high gloss table tops. I've been surprised at how many woodworkers today seem to use random orbit sanders for everything. I use them too but will always use a flat wood block for if something needs to stay flat. One of the pleasures of sanding with a block despite the time involved is that you get to really see the wood you're working. And there's the pleasure of seeing the finished perfectly flat surface.

[@windhelmguard5295]

my dad used to be a carpenter back in the day, he only ever used the power sander for removing really stubborn finish or paint from antiques he was restoring. he'd usually start with denatured alcohol, then move up to paint thinner and finally to sodium hydroxide drain cleaner, before he'd touch the power sander.

[@mykolashatkovskyi576]

Why I love this channel in the first place is the "another" level of understanding wood and how to deal with it. For all processes - physical, chemical, biological, etc. Thank you and please do not stop. Which I would like to see is how you would implement all this knowledge from start to finish. Smth simple, yet useful - stepstool, sawhorse workbench, nightstand, compact bench... You know - on some hands-on project?! Anyway, thank you again. Respect and kudos!

[@actionjksn]

A lot of times I fold a 1/4 sheet and use my hand as the sanding block. I also have a small flexible block that is made for body work, it's only about a half inch thick and maybe 5x3 diameter.

[@jamesheid4660]

Great video. My mindset when sanding is smooth not flat.

[@toolchuck]

James, you have the best information and videos on sanding Bar-none! How I explain to people about the final sanding by hand is that you are “combing” the grain to remove any possible swirl marks left by the sander. This seems to sink in better or get an aha moment from those I’m explaining it to. All the best, Chuck.

[@fairguinevere666]

The other trick with sandpaper and glue joints is using a decently coarse grit can really make it disappear. A planed surface tends to have a slightly dark line at the joint IME, but scuff it with 120 to get it a lil fuzzy and it just goes away.

[@TomRaneyMaker]

That's a good tip and I'll have to try that. Are you using a block to keep it flat or is this by hand?

[@ryanc8188]

The coolest thing I have found if you really love your orbital pads is a sanding block that mirka has made, it's made of foam and has a hook and loop face and keeps things simple as far as your collection of sand paper goes.

[@StumpyNubs]

I've used those. They work OK but you have to be carefully if the block is too soft because you can roll over your edges. Of course, that's not a problem if you aren't interested in maintaining a sharp edge.

[@ryanc8188]

@@StumpyNubs interesting, the one I have is as stiff as a standard backer pad. But yes definitely not as stiff as a block of wood, but for just regular sanding they are nice, beats the crap out of trying to hold the disc in your hand and sand a bigger area 😂

[@horusfalcon]

Sir, you are spot-on as usual, and eloquent as to your reasoning. Well done!

[@heystarfish100]

I really appreciate the fine craftsmanship, ideas and conversations on this channel by Stumpy and his channel subscribers. There are a few other woodworking channels here on KZbin where the person has an ultimate tool collection but really has no idea about craftsmanship or anything to be honest. Thanks for all you do James and a big shout out to all the great people here leaving their comments. 😎👍👍

[@sbs128]

Haha! I love the tips and especially the advice about not worrying overly about the flatness.

[@Critter145]

Your tool videos are indispensable for which woodworking tools I pick.

[@chemistrykrang8065]

The grit-impregnated sponge blocks can be really useful too, especially for awkward shapes and odd corners. Well worth having to hand. Good tip about using sanding blocks for mitres with a jig though, I'll put that in my bin of ideas.

[@kswas2784]

I've used a fairly hard rubber block from 3M for years. It's made so you can quarter a standard sheet of sandpaper lengthwise and insert the ends of the paper into slots on either end of the block that also have small nails to punch into the paper to hold it. Works great and no special paper needed.

[@stevencourtney6015]

My wife is a nursery teacher in the UK (ages 3-4) and has introduced woodworking to her outdoor time. She bought some yoga cork blocks and had me cut them up on the bandsaw. They are ideal to knock nails into before progressing to pine. For those who can't manage the cork, she uses expanded polystyrene blocks coated in paper, or corrugated cardboard.

[@Kymlaar]

Thank you for the video. And not just for presenting your position, but for providing reasons, and notes such as the use of cork as a sanding block material!

[@nightcatarts]

In addition to what's been said in the vid, I also used a hard sanding block to remove the arris on many of my projects. If you've got anything laminated or have pieces coming together with the grain at different angles near the edges (so most projects), a plane can always blow out the corner, whereas a sanding block never will. Plus you can round off those corners at the same time if it's a piece expected to take a beating. Edit: Oh hey, do you ever use cabinet scrapers? I don't recall them being mentioned on the channel, but they're excellent for a final pass on a fancy project.

[@MRichK]

I bought those carbide sanding several years ago on your recommendation, and I still use them all the time. I haven't noticed any wear on them.

[@Jizzlewobbwtfcus]

I'm glad I'm on the right track by using my electric triangular sander first to clear rough and stubborn texture and stains and then manually sand with a combination of a flat cork sander for the length of the piece and rounded plastic sander for creating smooth rounded edges. Great tips you gave here. Will certainly use them although not buying from Amazon. Ty for the video SN : ]

[@roscoepatternworks3471]

Always interesting to see others showing the best way to do something. I always found, use what works, what you have on hand. I got maple sanding blocks for 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 sheets. And one out of 3/4" thick rubber for 1/4 sheet. I rarely painted my patterns clear, but all near vertical surfaces have to be flat and smooth.

[@northeastcorals]

Great tip on the cork Yoga blocks, when my Mrs eventually notices that her blocks have gone missing I'll tell her Stumpy told me to do it 👌

[@garyswergold4096]

Great video as always. I bought a carbide sanding block at a chow years ago but it is useless because there is a rim of plastic around the sanding area. Duragrit looks great. Also, I often sand with a new chalkboard eraser which is quite flat but has enough give to get into small defects.

[@DJe1957]

It still surprises me how every time the video contains so much good tips. I also appreciate that you're not shouting all the time.

[@egbluesuede1220]

watching you sand is more fun than watching me sand! Great tips as always!

[@0ddSavant]

@EgBlueSuede1220 - I’m not fully convinced. But, as I am a man of science, I am willing to be persuaded. Ima need you & Mr. Hamilton to come by the house where there’s a few hundred board feet I think would be perfect for convincing me. If the deck, *cough*, experiment isn’t sufficient, I’m willing to allow you additional opportunities to change my mind. Cheers!

[@Oldbugssy]

Watching your videos and using your tips and tricks are really boosting my confidence level with wood working. Here's to keeping all of my fingers! Well, hand sanding should be safe enough.

[@Colorado-Tinkering]

I just placed an order for two Dura Grit sanding blocks you linked to. I think I’ll really enjoy using those. Thank you for the recommendation. 😊

[@PatNetherlander]

This may well be the best woodworking tips video in years! I knew the cork already (thnx for the cheap option!) but I’ll definitely check out the carbide blocks. Thnx once again!

[@tintansigloXXI]

La esencia del diy, buscar la mejor solución en cualquier lugar posible, perfecto

[@steveksi]

I use an old Mat. Very good. All your advice is spot on. Thanks

[@kennethholmes9315]

I’ve been making my blocks out of white oak and cork for 25 years. 2”x5” perfect for using all my 5” discs.

[@carldavis6902]

I have like five of them different sizes and lengths I cut a groove on each side for finger grip.

[@vikvanderhaeghen200]

Thank you for - again - a very informative video! Appreciating you spending the time doing so, already helped me out a lot in my shop!

[@svanteuller7928]

We always used cork for sanding blocks when we learned wood work in school in Sweden in the 60's.

[@emersonassis7154]

I love your videos...they are easy to understand (English is not my mother language) and each one has a lot of useful and technical information... Congratulations from Brazil

[@jmi967]

Using caulk to glue down sandpaper also works very well and has controllable give based on the thickness

[@StumpyNubs]

Interesting...

[@d.newsome6344]

Instead of cork, I use a wooden block (usually bass wood) with 2 or 3 layers of used sandpaper on it as a cushion. Card scrapers are also really handy. I try to avoid power sanders whenever possible. That being said, the random orbital sander with 150 grit really is an amazing power tool.

[@RuneCarverLLC]

😳💁 You are really going to stir the pot with this one! 😬🙏🤞 Excellent video, and i fully agree with the hand sanding, and plz go with the grain. Can you believe I've been blackballed from some channels for suggesting this is the more correct way... and I did not even get to the hand only, soft, medium, firm, hard, whatever sanding block, topic, just booted! 😳😵‍💫🙄😬💁

[@mikebetts2046]

Hey James. I recently learned that you live somewhere around Saginaw. Nice to see fine techniques and great videos coming from my home town. I lived near the intersection of Brockway and Gratiot as a child then several other places around the county in later years. I do my Woodworking in west Michigan now where I've been for about 25 years.

[@louisriverin2295]

You are one of the most clever on KZbin - Thanks You 👍

[@timothyvolkers5343]

I just got back from traveling to my brother's wedding and I built a three bottle hanging wine shelf out of curly maple. I watched one of your past videos on sanding your fine woodworking projects and it really helped me out. The finished product turned out great I used armour all sealant as my coating suggested by some older gentleman at my local Rockler woodworking shop. But thanks to your tips and tricks from the other video the wine shelf looked great you could really see the figure in the curly maple. So thanks for your help

[@MakerBoyOldBoy]

Excellent info and presentation as usual. Following the info will provide the best of modern finishing. To achieve the mastet museum collection finishes please refer to his older videos of the proper use and maintenance of Scrapers. These final finish tools leave a grain and depth clarity with residue finishes impossible to achieve with abrasives. Mr. Nubs covers the bases.

[@chriskennard5920]

Stumpy - I have watched every single one of your videos from the day you set out on KZbin but never commente, thus far - but you are 100% correct on this one and just about everything else you ever comment on. You know your stuff, that is clear. You haven't made your presence on this medium without that.

[@d.k.1394]

Congratulations

[@StumpyNubs]

Thanks for the nice comment, Chris!

[@WikiSnapper]

I like using those 2inch blue closed cell insulation foam for my soft block sanding. It works great and you can buy a whole sheet on the cheep.

[@oldtop4682]

Hmmm, something else to buy to make my life a bit easier. I'll order a cork block this weekend. I have an old rubber sanding block that works pretty well, and a more rigid one I made from wood - both are showing their age. Cork makes a TON of sense! P.S. I built the Moxon vise you showed a few weeks back. Man, I needed that in my life 40 years ago!

[@markhedquist9597]

Cork! Great idea! Never would have thought of that. Lots of great tips here. Thanks!

[@timpurcell2717]

WOW! Five tips (including the sander shooting board) in five minutes (playing at 1.75x speed). Great job!

[@garymiller5937]

Thanks for the excellent tips, James! 🙂🙂🙂❤❤❤

[@robertc8134]

I was thinking about your video last night as I was sanding a small table top. I don't use vibrator sanders because of the rotational marks they tend to leave behind. A block of wood never seems to conform to the surface of what I'm sanding, either... Like you, I finally settled on a small block of foam-like material, purchased God-knows-where, over a generation ago. It says "120 grain", but it is so old it has lost any abrasive properties it may have ever had. I wrap a quarter-sheet of the desired sandpaper around it and start sanding. It works beautifully.

[@averagejoesworkshop]

I’ve seen a ton of videos on the best sanding techniques, and you’re still only scratching the surface with this topic! 😅

[@alanmcwilliams4264]

Always enjoy your tip and tricks, it has improved my skill level. I also appreciate your recommendations

[@aspensulphate]

Have never tried cork -- thanks for the tip, Stumpy! I normally use a felt block for final finish sanding.

[@SellTheWorld]

This is so beautiful that I almost came to tears.

[@lunchrevisited]

very valuable expert knowledge shared by a true master of the craft. Thank you!

[@jmi967]

And don't put too much pressure on your paper, you’ll just dull it faster and make the work uneven. This goes for brushes too, let the tips do the work.

[@kernelpickle]

Exactly this-watch someone paint an expensive car with a custom paint job. They’ll go back to wet sand after their s second or third clear coat, without taking it down past those layers of clear. Show cars that look impossibly smooth and shiny are all done with a wet sanding and the lightest touch. To any of the woodworkers who’ve never touched paper finer than 220-that’s the lowest grit I start on to remove and level. Sometimes I’ll go as low as 120 for really rough surfaces or wood-but the real magic happens with a wet sanding at 800 and above. I’ll go as high as 2,000 or 3,000 because that’s the highest you’ll find in any store. When you touch the stuff it doesn’t even seem like would do anything at that fine of a grit, but get it wet and gently glide it across a painted surface, and it’ll make it look amazing. Then it’s all about the buffing and waxing after that to make it shiny again. If you want a matte finish but only have gloss clear, you can just knock down the shine like that, and skip ahead through the buffing stage.

[@G.I.JeffsWorkbench]

Great knowledge (as always). A seemingly ho hum topic, until you apply your finish as you said. Thanks again James, for your commitment to making us better makers.

[@ludnix]

Really great video content as always. I really appreciate how concise and useful the information you share is. I found your channel when I had specific wood working question but now I watch your videos regardless because they are always informative and direct. Thank you StumpyNubs!

[@JustSayN2O]

When I need to use a soft sanding block, I use a sanding sponge (40/60 grit) as the block, and wrap sandpaper I need around the soft sanding block. The sanding sponge block's grit holds the sandpaper I need so it doesn't slip around. These sanding sponges are softer than cork, but denser than a dish sponge, so I find them perfect for hand sanding.

[@CuriosityShopDotWorld]

I love the idea wit the cork. I used a wooden block but with felt glued to it so it is not that square hard under the sanding paper, but cork block may be better. I need to check :)

[@dmc3863]

I hope people pay close attention to this video. I'm an amateur, but I've been using a table saw since I was 8. I've done a ton of sanding in my life. If you have any sense of logic, you can not dispute anything in this video. He is on point with every detail here. Please, before you criticize everything you've seen here. I dare you all to actually try to put his techniques into practice for a couple of months and you will see for youselves that this is the correct approach. Great video 👌

[@TheStrykerProject]

Ya won me over, Stumpy. I clicked on the vid to see what gatekeeper nonsense this was about, and I'm glad to say I learned a lot! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

[@xoxo2008oxox]

Ahhh, put a cork in it! Great ideas once again from James! I have those duragrits, all thanks to your videos!

[@larryk6330]

I attached a 1/2in piece of cork to a plywood block at least ten years ago. I still use it today for the final sanding.

[@rporobotjack3683]

I have always believed that your preparation work before you apply any coating is more important than the coating itself, if you want a beautiful looking surface. Lightly sand between coats and tack rag surface before the next coat. This applies not only to wood , but also to automotive surfaces as well. Thank you for presenting this video in a meaningful way.

[@flowleopard893]

I use high density foam to make my sanding blocks. Happy accident that was, but I instantly noticed it cut the sanding time on the last pass down to 1/4 or less from using wooden blocks.

[@garypillischafske1425]

Great advice Mr.Stumpy! Gonna find me a yoga mat asap!

[@abqsammy]

Per your tips, I got a yoga matt and a block of cork. Both are terrific additions to my sanding game. 😊

[@JW-hm6ou]

The start up cost for this is going to take a bit for most at 157 us for the 700 and the 757 is Around 10 more then the light starts out at 250 up to 409 US. I do agree with you that it's a game changer. Thanks for sharing the cool tools series.

[@kenea3226]

You are a great teacher and valuable resource.

[@cs5982-n7j]

That's a really helpful tip, thank you. Great shop, by the way.

[@jbylin]

Thanks. It’s as you were almost an engineer. Thank you so much AGAIN.

[@Existential_brian]

Hey Stumpy, thank you for the tips! As a beginner they are very helpful. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on hand planing versus sanding prior to finish. Both seem like they have their pros and cons, but I haven’t really found any good videos on the differences and when or why you might do one over the other. The Wood Whisperer has a short one, but it’s pretty light on the when or why. If not…maybe a good topic for video? 😅 Thanks for all your insights!

[@StumpyNubs]

It depends on the finish. If you are staining, I suggest sanding because the pigment will need some texture to live in. The smoother the surface, the less color the wood will take. If you are putting on a clear finish, and you like hand planing, go for it.