Achieving a perfect finish through sanding follows a systematic progression. Here’s the manual approach:

1. Assess the Starting Condition: Examine your wood. Is it rough-sawn lumber needing significant material removal (start with 60-80 grit), or is it relatively smooth and just needs preparation for finishing (start with 120-150 grit)?
2. Select Your Starting Grit: Choose the coarsest grit necessary to remove any major imperfections, like machine marks or old finish. The goal is to level the surface.
3. Sand Progressively: After the initial sanding, move to the next grit in the sequence. Do not skip grits. For example, if you start with 80 grit, your next step should be 100 or 120 grit, not 220.
4. Remove Scratches: The purpose of each new grit is to remove the scratches from the previous, coarser grit. Continue this process until you reach your desired smoothness, typically 180 or 220 grit for a stained finish.
5. Clean the Surface: Between each grit, thoroughly remove all sanding dust with a vacuum, compressed air, or a tack cloth. Dust left on the surface will interfere with the next stage of sanding.

"A common beginner mistake is to apply too much pressure while sanding. You should let the sandpaper do the work. Pressing harder doesn't make the process faster; it just creates deeper, uneven scratches that are much harder to remove with the next grit. Use a light, consistent pressure and let the abrasive particles do their job. Also, change your sandpaper often. Once the paper feels smooth to the touch, it's worn out and no longer cutting effectively. Using worn-out paper is just burnishing the wood, which can prevent stain from penetrating properly." - Professional Woodworker

Building a Walnut Coffee Table from Rough Lumber: You want a glass-smooth finish.
Your grit sequence would be: 60 grit (to flatten and remove machine marks) → 80 grit → 120 grit → 150 grit → 180 grit. Stop at 180 for most oil-based finishes, as sanding finer can close the wood pores too much.

Refinishing a Painted Pine Dresser: You need to remove the old paint and prepare for a new coat.
Sequence: 80 grit (to aggressively remove the paint) → 120 grit (to remove the 80-grit scratches) → 150 grit (for final smoothing before primer). You don't need to go finer if you are painting.

• Skipping Grits: The most common mistake, which leaves behind deep scratches from coarser grits.
• Sanding Softwoods Too Fine: Sanding woods like pine beyond 180 grit can polish the surface (burnishing), preventing stain from absorbing evenly.
• Not Sanding End Grain Enough: End grain absorbs much more finish and needs to be sanded to a higher grit (e.g., 220 or 320) than the face grain to prevent it from looking too dark.
• Rounding Over Edges: Be careful not to apply too much pressure on edges, which can accidentally create an uneven, rounded profile. Use a sanding block to keep edges crisp.

• Furniture Making: Preparing a surface for stain, oil, or polyurethane.
• Cabinet Refinishing: Stripping old finish and creating a smooth base for new paint or stain.
• Floor Sanding: Using heavy-duty floor sanders with a specific grit progression to refinish hardwood floors.
• Wood Turning: Using various grits to smooth a spinning workpiece on a lathe.