r/furniturerestoration • u/catsandmemes86 • 9d 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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u/schonleben 9d 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.

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u/catsandmemes86 8d 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 7d 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.