Hello there,
I have got a plank which I'm planning on sanding down and then finishing in shellac or similar.
As I've not really got any experience, I'd like to ask for confirmation on what I plan to do as there appear to be multiple ways of doing the same thing (just to make it more complicated)
I was planning on sanding it down with 60,80,120 grit till it's smooth and free of any of sideways marks (I presume from the original cutting/shaping of the plank). Then I planned to gradually increase the grit to 800 or so to try and get a super-smooth finish.
I've got these guys:
I had a play with the shellac on a smaller piece. It felt relatively user-friendly, but because of the teeny size of the piece, I struggled to get an 'even' finish as it had some streaks and such.
My questions:
- To what grit would you want to sand it down prior to finishing it?
- The plank is relatively flat, although since I had it, it has 'lifted off' at a couple corners. How do I fix this? I have seen people apply a damp towel over and apply heat through an iron. Do you reckon for the purposes of being screwed onto a wall (battens behind a drywall), there is a need to try and flatten it, or will the action of screwing it on do it well enough?
- The bottle of premade shellac suggests just rubbing it onto the wood. Is that the best way of doing it? How do I ensure a smooth/streekless finish? Or does a smooth finish come after polishing it?
... I think that's all I can think of for now. As you can tell I'm pretty clueless, so any input is welcome.
L