Stop Over Sanding Your Projects

Sanding is often treated as a cure all in woodworking. When a surface does not look right, the instinct is to sand more. Unfortunately, over sanding is one of the fastest ways to ruin otherwise good work.

The problem is not sanding itself. The problem is using sanding as a substitute for good surface preparation. Sandpaper removes material indiscriminately. It does not know which areas should stay crisp and which should be softened. When used too aggressively, it rounds edges, blurs joinery, and erases the definition that makes a piece look intentional.

Somewhere along the way, the idea took hold that every project must be sanded to 220 grit. It has become a default rule rather than a thoughtful decision. In reality, many surfaces do not benefit from sanding that fine, especially when a film finish is being applied or when the surface has already been properly prepared with sharp tools.

Over sanding often starts earlier than most people realize. Power sanding through grits too quickly leaves deep scratches that finer paper cannot fully remove. Trying to fix those scratches usually leads to more sanding, which only makes the problem worse. The surface gets smoother but less precise at the same time.

Hand tools offer a better starting point. A sharp hand plane or cabinet scraper can flatten a surface cleanly without crushing wood fibers. These tools leave surfaces that need far less sanding and preserve sharp details that sandpaper tends to destroy. Sanding then becomes a light refinement step rather than a heavy corrective one.

Edges deserve special care. An edge that is accidentally rounded during sanding changes the way light hits the piece. It can make joints look sloppy even when they are well executed. Intentional edge treatment is good woodworking. Accidental edge treatment is not.

Sanding technique matters as much as grit choice. Pressing harder does not make sanding faster. It makes scratches deeper. Let the abrasive do the work and keep pressure consistent. Stop frequently and look at the surface under good light. Most over sanding happens when people stop paying attention.

At Wyoming Workshop, sanding is treated as the final touch rather than the main event. The goal is to remove tool marks without removing character. When sanding is done correctly, it disappears. When it is overdone, it becomes the most visible part of the work.

If your projects look smooth but feel lifeless, the answer may not be better sandpaper. It may be less of it.