Tips for treating wood: sanding, varnishing and polishing

The treatment of wood is essential to enjoy the properties of this material for many years and to achieve the best results on this type of surface:

• On some occasions, the treatment is necessary to highlight the finish of some surfaces , as in the case of sanding, which favors the enhancement of textures and reliefs.
• In others, the main objective is to prepare the surface for the subsequent process , which can include varnishing and finishing.

Almost all manufacturing activities, related to the wood and varnishing sector, carry out surface treatments in which sanding plays a key role in achieving the desired finish of the final surface. It is something that manufacturers of: wood carpentry, furniture , parquet, bathroom and kitchen furniture, moldings, profiles, boards or doors are familiar with, but also manufacturers of coffins, containers, carpentry, lacquers, etc.

The treatment of wood is essential to achieve the best results and keep its properties intact

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What are the most important wood treatments

The different wood treatments related to sanding, varnishing and polishing can have different purposes:

• One of them is to clean the wooden surface and eliminate superficial defects , as well as eliminate the peel or wood fiber.
• Sometimes it is also possible to create the necessary surface roughness for a correct anchorage of the applied subsequent varnish, as well as giving the surface a soft, smooth and pleasant touch.
• In some cases, sanding the wood is useful to enhance some of its parts ; for example, in the rusticated effect that can be seen on many surfaces intended for furnishing commercial stores

The most important wood treatments are to: eliminate defects, create surface roughness for the varnish to anchor and enhance some of its parts.

Wood treatment: keys to rehabilitate it

From the point of view of sanding , and without going into detail about the type of machine tool used for this operation, there are some basic considerations to take into account for the correct treatment of wood:

• Always do it on dry surfaces. Do not sand wood surfaces that are damp or wet. The moisture present in the wood fibers prevents the fibers from remaining raised and can be easily removed during the sanding operation. In addition, the generated dust becomes a kind of putty that clogs and saturates the abrasive grains.
• The lowest possible pressure. Apply as little sanding pressure as possible to avoid poor and uneven finishes. Sanding that is carried out with excessive pressure makes it possible to have shiny, polished areas of the piece that are soft to the touch, but with non-uniform roughness that will result in inhomogeneous colors in the tinting phase. In the same way, we can find anchoring problems for the varnish if the sanded surface has been polished by excessive pressure.
• The right tool-abrasive. If we want to enhance the different finishes of the wood and its texture with soft and hard veins, it is recommended to sand the surface with an abrasive tool whose contact area with the piece adapts to the surface, and cushions the sanding operation, avoiding planning the work zone. If, on the other hand, we want to leave a smooth and flat surface, then it will be necessary to use abrasive tools whose contact area with the piece is rigid and hard in order to level the work area.

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Related reading: Learn to choose the best tools for wood according to your needs

• Abrasive tool speed. In any sanding operation the speed of the abrasive tool is key. If we increase the sanding speed, the level of finish improves; on the contrary, if the sanding movement is slow, the level of finish is poor.
• Sanding pressure. We must bear in mind that sanding pressure and sanding speed are related to each other. We must not exert great pressure on the surface and at the same time do it with a very fast movement.

How to polish varnished wood

Polishing wood is not a task that is carried out in a common way, and it is usually done only in very specific situations.

The polishing operation consists of restoring the appearance and shine of a surface that has been previously treated or sanded to eliminate surface defects of the finish. What is it characterized by?:

• It is done on the finished piece, that is, on the finishing varnish layer .
• It is here that defects in the form of streaks, attached dust specks, pits, etc. are identified. The first step is to remove them through selective sanding with 1,000 or 1,500 grit sandpaper.
• Next, and with the help of the abrasive roughing paste, we eliminate the scratches generated by the abrasive. The result is a nuanced and blurred surface.
• Finally, and with the help of a shine recovery paste, polish the affected surface to recover its initial appearance.

The polishing operation consists of restoring the appearance and shine of a surface that has been previously treated to avoid its defects.

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Products to achieve the best wood finishes

The solutions in terms of abrasives to treat wood are very diverse, and depend on the format of the product that we are going to use in the sanding operation. The most common formats are:

1. Regarding custom-made abrasive belts:

• Wide belts for flat sanders
• Long narrow belts for stationary belt sanders
• Short narrow belts for auxiliary sanders
• Belts for portable sanders

2. Abrasive discs and sheets:

Wide range of products with different types of mineral: aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, zirconium and ceramic; and different types of support: paper, film, abrasive mesh and sponge.

3. Abrasive rolls

With different types of support for sanding by hand or with an orbital clamp sander: flexible papers and fabrics, rigid papers and fabrics, sponge rolls, non-woven fiber rolls, etc.

4. Abrasive sponges

Block type, flat and extra flat for manual sanding.

5. Abrasive pastes

For roughing, polishing and shine of treated surfaces.

6. Abrasive brushes and abrasive mesh wheels

For sanding profiles, moldings and parts with pronounced reliefs.

Wood polishing service in Chennai