You may not think to ask about sanding capabilities when contracting with a woodworking shop. However, this is an important aspect in the overall quality of the product that you will receive.
When sanding is done well, it does not draw attention to itself. The machine marks and sanding lines are removed from the woodwork prior to finishing, and the result enhances the beauty of the wood. When done poorly, however, sanding (or lack thereof) is a huge problem that propagates through the finish and detracts from the beauty of the woodwork.
At Lantz Custom Woodworking, a combination of state-of-the-art wide belt sanding equipment and old fashion, low tech hand sanding is employed to achieve the highest possible level of sanding quality. Faces are machine sanded and then carefully sanded one last time with hand held random orbit sanders prior to finishing. In addition, all edges are eased by hand to eliminate sharp corners. This provides not only a product that feels nice but also allows for protective finish to build up and wrap the edges.
When choosing a custom shop, be sure to ask about their sanding process and make sure that the corners are not being skipped (pun intended).
Key equipment:
Biesse Wide Belt Sander, Model 320-135 RK VN (2008)
- 53” Working width
- 54” x 103” Sanding belts
- 1/8” to 7-7/8” Workable thicknesses
- Variable speed feed belt with vacuum hold down
- Veneer and lacquer sanding package
SCMI Sandya 3 (2001)
- 36” Working width
- 37” x 75” Sanding belt
- 1/8” to 6” Workable thickness
- Two speed feed belt