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Hot take: My kid asked me why I sand so much before I even stain
He said 'Dad, it already looks smooth, why are you still rubbing it?' and I realized I've been over-prepping pieces for years out of habit, not need. Anyone else get stuck in a routine that wastes time?
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zara_sanchez1mo ago
Honestly, that kid wisdom will save you hours. Tbh, I was the same until I tried @patricia32's finger test trick and it totally changed my routine. Ngl, sometimes you just need a fresh pair of eyes to break a dumb habit.
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patricia321mo ago
Oh man, that hits home. I started doing a quick finger test for dust after the first sanding pass, and it saves so much time. You really only need it smooth enough for the stain to grab evenly.
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karen_carter1mo ago
Look, I get the idea but sometimes I wonder if we're overthinking it. I've seen @patricia32 talk about this test before and I just run my hand over it once and call it good. If the stain looks bad you can always sand a bit more and do another coat. Making a whole routine out of it seems like extra work for maybe not a lot of payoff.
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