Unpopular opinion: you don't need to sand to 220 grit for most trim work

I spent 12 years sanding every inch of pine baseboard down to 220 before I realized I was just polishing the fuzz. Saw a 70 year old trim carpenter at a job site in Denver go straight from 120 to installation with zero issues. Anyone else skip the fine grits on paint-grade stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_morgan813d ago

Depends on the paint and the wood, really. 120 grit on pine leaves scratches that show right through a semigloss if you don't prime heavy. I still hit it with 180 just to knock down the fuzz and save myself a second coat of paint.

michael8802d ago

You mentioned 120 grit leaving scratches in pine through semigloss. Have you ever tried going straight to 150 on pine and skipping the 120 entirely? I did that on a knotty pine shelf and the primer still soaked in uneven around the knots. Did you have to go back and spot prime the knots separate or does your heavy prime coat handle that too?