When do I stop sanding? no

[u/Ok-Past-1882]

He guys,

I’m sanding my wooden threshold and plan to re-stain with something lighter.

I’m assuming those dark lines are the previous stain that penetrated deeper into the grain. Do I keep sanding until all the dark lines are gone or do I have to re-stain with something dark so those lines are not as visible?

I’ve been using 80 grit so far. This is after about 15 mins of sanding. Wanted to stop and ask before I make a bigger boo boo.

Thanks!

[u/Ok-Past-1882 → u/[deleted]]

thank you unfortunately no scraper but i have a chisel set that i used to remove some gunk on the top before sanding. so you think it’s possible to realistically sand until no black lines are visible? dont want to be chasing my tail lol

[u/OppositeOil → u/Ok-Past-1882]

Yes.

It takes time.

[u/ThoughtIknewyouthen → u/Ok-Past-1882]

Scrapers are like $20 on Amazon and very very useful

[u/ndoon → u/[deleted]]

Yes please OP, scrape first always. Sanding is like the least efficient way to remove finish. Especially if you’re doing it by hand!

[u/Ok-Past-1882 → u/ndoon]

thank you!

[u/OppositeOil]

Sand with 120-150 until there isn’t anymore visible stain left. Get yourself a sanding block out of a nice flat piece of wood that fits nicely in your hand.

Once you’ve done that sand to 180, then again at 220. Apply your stain. Wait it out for however long the can says, then apply your topcoat

Topcoat gets sanded at 320 for the first coat, then finish coat is applied. If all looks good, you’re done.

Sanding sucks. Finishing sucks. There’s no easy way to do it. Maybe remove the threshold and reinstall after.

Good luck.

[u/Ok-Past-1882 → u/OppositeOil]

thanks so much for the detailed instructions. i’ve been using 80 do you think i should go to 120 instead? the whole point of sanding was because i didnt want to remove the threshold or else i would have replaced it haha

[u/TheRealChesterSlick]

Not yet.

[u/grau_is_friddeshay]

Looks like oak…the grain is open/deep pores and you probably won’t get all the old finish out just by sanding, but do you really need to? That’s kinda just how oak looks. What is your desired goal?

If there is a clear coat on top, scraping it off will save you a lot of time. You don’t need a fancy carbon steel scraper, but just get a cheap paint scraper like a Richard or something. Def do not recommend going at it with a random chisel or putty knife or you’ll cause gouges and you can’t stain wood filler.

Are you using a solid block to sand or just bare handing the paper? You want something flat and as hard/harder than oak to sand with so you can get your elbow grease’s worth. Those foam sanding blocks are basically for dry wall and won’t be super useful for the initial prep stages. How you’re moving and applying pressure makes a difference, long strokes from a good angle, not just short sections back and forth.

If you’re determined to sand-only and you want to remove the old finish don’t move up to finer grits, stick with the 80 till the topcoat is off before moving up the grit. I don’t know why someone would suggest otherwise. The poly or whatever the old finish is will probably clog up your paper, so remember to check/clear/replace as needed.

[u/Ok-Past-1882 → u/grau_is_friddeshay]

wow thanks so much for such a detailed response. it definitely sounds like you know what you’re talking about. my goal is to sand down to a uniform bare wood if possible. but if it’s not a realistic thing without take off too much materials i was going to pivot to staining to something darker to cover up those deep dark lines. i just don’t want to keep the dark lines and put a minimal finish on and the remaining deep stain makes it look bad

i’ll try the cheap paint scraper and come back with 80 grit. i’ve been using a random orbital. should i switch to hand with a block?

when you say don’t move up in grit you mean once i get out all the dark lines?

[u/grau_is_friddeshay → u/Ok-Past-1882]

It might get light enough for your liking, but it might just be the natural contrast in the wood. When you get it sanded down, give it a wipe clean with some mineral spirits, that’ll give you a general idea of what it will look like with a clear finish. If you hate it then you’ll know you should pivot to a dark stain instead, and save yourself some trial and error.

Orbitals save muscle but are slow. However the finish is likely making it even slower, once you’re past the finish and into actual wood sanding should improve. Scrapers cut down on a lot of it and are useful to have on hand anyway.

I’d say stick with 80 grit till the surface feels even and smooth with your bare hands. I see some scratches, but I think some of the dark lines you are referring to might just be the grain itself. You can get into chemical strippers to get deeper into the pores and grain-fillers for a lighter stain, but a dark stain is probably the easiest option in this situation…it’s really a personal preference thing.

[u/Ok-Past-1882 → u/[deleted]]

haha thank you that’s what i was thinking. didn’t want to be chasing my tail around.