GRADES OF GRIT

Sanding grit is sized from coarse to fine, with lower numbers being more coarse than higher numbers. To illustrate grit coarseness and how it affects the surface you’re working on, we applied two coats of semigloss blue enamel to a board, marked off 15 cm sections, and applied different grits (60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 220, and 320) to each from top to bottom, leaving the sander in contact for 15 seconds at each grit.

60: Great for paint stripping and removing marks left by planers or saws, but leaves a rough surface.

80: Same attributes as 60 grit, just doesn’t work as quickly. Good for getting a smoother surface after you’ve finished with 60 grit.

100: Not an effective stripper but will nicely smooth out scratches from the previous, rougher grits.

120: Levels out brush marks and surface imperfections in paint. You can start with 120-grit on softwood and hardwood when the surface is already reasonably smooth and there are no machine marks to remove.

150: Use this for removing gloss from painted surfaces.

It’s gentler than 120, so it’s particularly effective if you have to sand a surface around a carved area that you don’t want to disturb or potentially mar.

220: A fine grit that’s good for the final sanding of bare wood; also good at removing paint gloss.

320: An extremely fine grit, excellent for the last sanding for bare wood that will be finished with something like low-sheen oil finishes.