Sanding or Scraping wood

Sanding or Scraping wood

When it comes to getting a wood surface ready to finish, the last step is getting the surface smooth. Sanding the piece to be finished multiple times using a finer grit sandpaper will produce a fine smooth surface that will take a finish nicely. Some wood workers use an edged scraper to get the smooth surface to finish instead of sandpaper for the last step.

The reasoning on using an edge scraper is that the sharp edge cuts the wood grain off sharply leaving it smoother. Sanding the wood surface, they say, leaves the edges of the wood grains slightly fuzzy, and the fuzz puffs when the finish is absorbed into them. 

I have tried both. I have a nice wood scraping tool that has a six inch blade and if I keep it sharp it can produce a smooth surface fast. When using it you have to be careful and keep it level so you do not gouge the wood with the ends of the scraper.  When it is sharp only a light touch is needed. If you gouge your work you double your work when you have to get rid of the gouges.

I am not a perfectionist when it comes to refinishing the bright work on my boat. I want the wood to look good and be protected and I do not need it to be museum restoration quality. For the most part I just sand the project smooth, put on one coat of finish and let it dry. Then I lightly re-sand the project and give it a second coat of finish. If it is something like a table top I will use the scraper technique to get a better end finish. 

I find that a short scraper can be used to clean up a finish defect on a spar or curved surface fast. It can cut down to the wood removing old finish and clean the spot quickly. Then the spot can be re-finished using a few layers of varnish to build it back up to the original height of the finish and then lightly leveled off with the scraper to even it all out. The last coat of varnish can then be feathered in to the old surface to produce an almost invisible fix.

 Ascraper blade is sharpened so that there is a 90 degree edge to the flat of the blade. The blade is lightly pulled across the surface keeping the blade 90 degrees to the work. A short haddles scraper can be use on small arias.