What series of sandpaper grits to you use?

[Ben Gastfriend]

80, 120, 240, 320, 400, 600, sometimes MM, sometimes 0000 Steel wool.

[robert baccus]

I turn a lot of very soft woods and all the way to very very hard tropicals. i find that on softer woods you need fewer grits (2-3) and starting finer than usual. 150-180. on the other tack i use coarse to very fine on really hard woods. bob stocksdale turned me on to yhe fact that a really hardwood likes a 40-80 grit to begin with. (please - no laughter) and skipping no grits to your final finish. coarse grits when presented at high speeds with low pressure does not scratch deeply. also the final grit depends on your finish. an oil or wax finish demands a very fine sanding whearas a film finish seldom requires more than a 220-440 sanding. in fact most of your really hardwoods look best with a fine sanding500-600+ and a good buffing with a rouge and followed by a carnuba buffing. just my exp. -------ol forester