Expert: Jamie Yocono - 4/8/2008

Question
I was very impressed with your answer on staining poplar shelves! Thanks. I'm out in my backyard sanding away on some jointed 1x18 pieces of poplar. I love working with this wood but not a lot of experience staining it. I'm making a changing table for our first grandchild!  It's hard for me, with poplar, to say OK, its ready to stain because poplar has a nice feel to begin with. What would you recommend for grit sizes on the surfaces with orbital sander to get ready for staining? Thanks in advance, Jamie.

Grandfather in waiting, Stu

Answer
Stu,

First off, congrats on the upcoming grandchild.  Way cool!

Because Poplar is such a fine grained wood, and also because it sounds like you're making  a future heirloom, I would recommend sanding up to 220 grit paper.

You'll probably want to start with something like 100, them move up to 150 or so. Then on to 220. My particular sanding schedule is 100, 180, and then wet sand with 220. Not sure why I skip 150, but I guess it's just a habit I fell into that I still follow today.

You will want to blow off and inspect the wood between grits. You're looking for swirly marks that can come from your sander. If you see any, you can quickly remove them with some hand sanding. I like to wrap a piece of sandpaper around a soft block, like a chalkboard eraser or a piece of hard foam rubber. Don't buy something special, just look for something flat, and if it doesn't have a cushion-y feel to it, wrap it once or twice with a paper towel, and then put the sandpaper over it. You just want it slightly soft.

That's it - 100, 150, 220. Keep the wood dusted off to see what you're doing, and check for swirlies. Staining is easy; diaper changing is the hard part!  Good luck, Stu.

Write back if you need more help... with the sanding, not the diapers. :)

Jamie Yocono
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV