To Sand Or Not To Sand

This is one of the biggest questions when it comes to DIY pint projects … and I always say ‘when in doubt, sand’ … a little scuff sand isn’t ever going to be a bad thing … and sometimes it is necessary !!

(SO. MUCH. SANDING. PAPER.)

Paint

Fusion Mineral Paint is one of the best (if not THE best) DIY paints on the market today and one of the reasons is that it is relatively ‘prep free’ !!

What does that mean ?! It means that most of the time you do not need to prime your project because it has a built in primer …

It also means that most of the time you don’t have to seal it, or add any finishing products, because it has a built in top coat !

While both of these things are true, there are some exceptions to the ‘rules’ … and one of them has to do with sanding.

If your piece has a shiny finish, you need to scuff sand … this means with a 220 grit sand paper, lightly break the finish up so that your paint has something to adhere to !!

Tools

This Sanding Sponge is the perfect way to do that … it has (2) grits and a flat side and sharp edge so that you can get into smaller spots on your project !!

This Gator Micro Tool Sanding Sponge is THE best little sander EVER … seriously, I don’t think I have worked on a piece in the last year without grabbing this little guy at least once !!

It is inexpensive, can be found in any hardware store and has (3) different grit, replaceable sanding sheets that can be purchased in this bulk pack !! You’ll LOVE this tool … I promise !!

In some cases you may need / want to sand more … and sometimes you might want to sand all the way down to bare wood !

Sanding can be a really incredible way to drastically change up the appearance of the piece you’re working on …

Having the proper tools for the job really does make this step SO much easier … here are my go to faves and why …

Sanders

I’ve had a Mouse Sander (2 actually) for years and LOVE it … but I reach for these next (2) sanders more often and don’t think I could work without them now !!

My DeWalt Cordless Orbital Sander is SUCH a great tool. I bought a (2) pack of rechargeable batteries so that I always have one fully charged and ready !

Sand Paper

I purchase my sand paper for it on Amazon.ca in bulk for WAY less than in a hardware store … I would love to shop local for these but when you go thru them as often as I do, you need to find economical ways to save where you can !!

Being that I paint daily in my workshop, I can’t have dust flying all over … so investing in my DeWalt Hepa Dust Collector was one of the best decisions I made over the last year !!

(my system above is shown with my Surfprep Sander and hose attached)

Sanding System

The most recent addition to my sanding family is my Surfprep Sanding System … if I could fall in love with one sander and was made to give up all the rest, it would be this one !!

There are several sizes to choose from, but the 3 x 4” base works beautifully for furniture prep. I can use flat sanding sheets or the piece de resistance, the cream de La cream … the sanding sponges !!!!!! These are truly a furniture artists DREAM … ok, I don’t actually dream about them but i love them very much !

Some of these sanding tools truly are investments. They aren’t inexpensive, but if it is something that you love to do and you want to save your nails ;)) … any or all of these will make your life SO much easier … trust me !!

Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask questions if you’re unsure about which one might be right for you … I am happy to help take the guess work out of your sanding purchase !!

Hope this helps … Happy DIY-ing

Until Next Time … j. XOX

To Sand Or Not To Sand