Woodworking Sandpaper Guides

Woodworking sanding covers everything outside of floor refinishing — furniture restoration, deck preparation, cabinetry, and fine finishing. The grits overlap with floor sanding, but the tools are different. Orbital sanders, palm sanders, and hand blocks replace drum sanders and edgers. The abrasive types matter more too — aluminum oxide for general work, silicon carbide for wet sanding between finish coats, ceramic for aggressive stock removal.

These guides help you choose the right sandpaper for your specific project. Furniture refinishing demands a careful grit progression to avoid cross-grain scratches that show under stain. Deck sanding requires open-coat abrasives that resist clogging from soft pressure-treated lumber. Each guide includes specific product recommendations, grit sequences, and the technique tips that separate a professional result from a sanded-but-still-rough surface.

Pick the guide below that matches your project.