Sanding Wood Smooth

Q: I need help sanding wood properly. All my woodworking experience so far has been with home renovation projects, but I’ve just started to build furniture and have trouble getting smooth results. When I’m sanding two pieces of wood that meet at right angles, for instance, I find it necessary to avoid crossing the joint with my sanding strokes or I'll create cross-grain scratch marks. But I’ve seen other people sand right across joints like these and achieve perfect results. Is this because of the quality of sandpaper they're using or the quality and speed of the sander?

A: Neither, actually. The trick has to do with the design of the sander you choose to do the job. What you need is a power tool called a random orbit sander. It can smooth wood regardless of grain direction, without leaving obvious cross-grain scratches. Palm-style models (with 5-inch diameter pads) are ideal for general workshop use. Bigger models with 6-inch pads do a terrific job on larger projects like decks and outdoor furniture. Both large and small models produce exceptional results. Just remember to use light hand pressure on the machine where smoothness really matters. If you press too hard, swirl-shaped scratches will appear on the wood.