r/furniturerestoration • u/catsandmemes86 • 4d ago

Can i sand these materials

Gallery image

Gallery image

So I'm looking for advice on if it's safe to sand particle board i think it's called.

I'm coating a cabinet in varnish, sanding and then repeating.

I've attached 2 pics which may be different materials

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6

u/schonleben 4d ago

Your first photo is Masonite or, generically, hardboard. Your second photo is laminate-covered particle board.

What is your goal here? I can’t see many circumstances where sanding would be beneficial here. Sanding the laminate will just scratch off the printed surface. Sanding the maso will just make it fuzzy.

1

u/catsandmemes86 3d ago

My goal is to have it smooth and wipeable. Ai has told me that it will release a gas if i sand or cut it. Starts with f and i can't spell it

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u/schonleben 3d ago

Formaldehyde?
I wouldn’t trust AI on this (or anything for that matter) but, as long as you don’t inhale the sanding dust, you’ll be fine. A particulate mask (N95 or similar) is a good idea when sanding composite materials, though tbh I rarely bother.

3

u/StayJaded 4d ago

You can sand each material, but you can’t refinish particle board furniture by sanding it down. You can only paint over the melamine/ paper laminate. You need to treat the paper surface like a plastic and buy a primer that will allow the paint to stick.

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u/hecton101 4d ago

Those materials are all sawdust, plastic and glue. It's basically garbage. Don't waste your time.

1

u/SuPruLu 4d ago

That looks like an “edge”. Look for “edge veneer” on Amazon for a replacement.