A couple of minor wood splints, what's best way to get rid of them?

[rdowdy95]

I cut my control panel top with a 40 teeth saw.  It has a couple of wood splints on the top layer of my birch plywood on the back edge of the control panel top.  What is best way to get rid of them if I can get rid of them?  Does lightly sanding work? Should I do another control panel top?  All future cuts from here on out are going to be with a 100-110 teeth blade.  Check out my Project announcement.  It is topic called Dowdy's Mame Arcade Project.  Thanks.

[Ghoward]

You could glue and clamp them, then sand the area down. Or you could fill them with a wood filler that color matches.

Gary

[rdowdy95]

Well the problem was it came from the circular saw so the splints could be anywhere on the ground.  so that is not an option.  So you think wood putty might work.  Like if I apply a little teeny bit of wood putty and let it dry, then sand it down.  In the end it will be stained anyways.  So I guess I will try that.  Any other recommendations out there?

Also just reread.  Is wood filler the same as like wood putty?  Like what would I look for say if I got some of this stuff from Home Depot?

[NightGod]

Usually called "Wood Filler - Stainable"

[DrewKaree]

I cut my control panel top with a 40 teeth saw.  It has a couple of wood splints on the top layer of my birch plywood on the back edge of the control panel top.  What is best way to get rid of them if I can get rid of them?  Does lightly sanding work? Should I do another control panel top?  All future cuts from here on out are going to be with a 100-110 teeth blade.  Check out my Project announcement.  It is topic called Dowdy's Mame Arcade Project.  Thanks.

I'm going to assume you're referring to "splinters", because I don't think your CP broke its arm.  You're using plywood.  Sanding won't eliminate the problem and will only exacerbate it and cause MORE problems.  You'll probably end up sanding through the veneer and not solving the initial problem.  If it's going to be sanded, stainable wood putty is available at Home Depot or some equivalent big-box hardware store.  It's not worth redoing unless YOU aren't happy with how it looks, and only YOU can be the judge of that.  Get a plywood blade as well.  Higher tooth count will help, but a specific plywood blade will make an even bigger difference. 

Also, turn your material over so that all those problems aren't on the side that people will SEE.  You probably noticed that the issues are primarily on one side and little to nothing wrong with the other side.  Turning your material over is a simple and easy fix.  Another fix would be to throw a piece of masking tape over your cutline.  That way, the tape holds the edges and all splinters are minimized.  Lastly, you could take an exacto knife to score your cutline so that there is nothing to splinter.  You'll already have the top layer cut.

[rdowdy95]

Thanks Drew,

I did get some stainable woodfiller.  Hey it does look nice on the bottom, but only prob is there is some minor crack on the bottom that I couldn't live with.  I am going to try to do the wood putty trick and see what it does.  You know what after I had this piece cut out I actually took some sandpaper and sanded the birch panel top some, and it left some scratch marks on the birch ply.  Should I even sand the birch when I am done cutting, cause it is pretty smooth anyway.  So I should only sand say like the sides of this stuff, and not the actual birch side?  Will these scratch marks go away after I stain the control panel top?  I still have more room on another sheet for another control panel if I can't get it the way I want it.

[DrewKaree]

I actually took some sandpaper and sanded the birch panel top some, and it left some scratch marks on the birch ply.  Should I even sand the birch when I am done cutting, cause it is pretty smooth anyway.  So I should only sand say like the sides of this stuff, and not the actual birch side?  Will these scratch marks go away after I stain the control panel top? 

If you're sanding this by hand, and not using a sander, then you have to go with the grain when sanding.  You probably went across the grain which is why the marks are so noticeable to you.  Another possible reason they might show up so noticeably is the grit of sandpaper you're using.  You need to be using 200 grit or higher (the lower the number the coarser the grit, and the deeper the marks will be, making them more noticeable).  If you're fine with 200 grit, then you're done, otherwise do another sanding with a higher grit. 

If you're doing this by hand, it will get tedious and tiresome VERY quickly, like within 10 minutes, and you'll be tempted to just leave it the way you got it from the store.  Don't.  Take the time to sand everything at least once just to make sure you're going to give yourself the best possible chance for a nice application of your finish.  One thing you SHOULD do if you're doing this by hand is to get and use a sanding block.  It'll be a lot better than your hand, and will give you better results (for this purpose, anyway). 

If you want to buy a sander, buy a RANDOM ORBIT SANDER.  The box should state it, otherwise it's NOT a random orbit sander.  You should be able to find one for about $30 for a cheap one (mebbe cheaper, but that should be a decent starting point).  Again, start with 200 grit and move upwards if you desire a nicer and smoother finish.

[rdowdy95]

I do have one of those sanders.  The oribital one by Ryobi.  So I need to go with the grain.  I think I was doing left and right when I should of been going up and down?  How do I know which way is going with the grain.  Also when using the sander do I do the wax on wax off approach like in a circle or up and down with the sander.  Also by sanding it the right way with the high grit will it make the scratches go away? Sorry for all the questions I am a noob at carpentry.

[DrewKaree]

I do have one of those sanders.  The oribital one by Ryobi.  So I need to go with the grain.  I think I was doing left and right when I should of been going up and down?  How do I know which way is going with the grain.  Also when using the sander do I do the wax on wax off approach like in a circle or up and down with the sander.  Also by sanding it the right way with the high grit will it make the scratches go away? Sorry for all the questions I am a noob at carpentry.

The best way I can describe grain is that it looks like "lines" on your wood.  If it's a RANDOM orbit sander, it won't make a difference (although it's a good habit to get into) if you're going with the grain.  That's what the finer and finer grits of sandpaper eliminate.

If you sand it the "right" way with a higher grit, it SHOULD make it go away.  What grit did you start with?

[rdowdy95]

I am not home to tell, but I think it was something in the 100's.  I think it said medium grit.

[rdowdy95]

Once I use the wood filler for the little splinter problem I will read up on how to use my sander, and get some very fine sand paper something above 200.  Hopefully it will get ridf of those little scratches.

[rdowdy95]

Just got home it was 150 the number on the sandpaper.  Ah no worries I will get the highest grade to fix the scratches!

[DrewKaree]

If you go to Wal-Mart or Home Depot, common grits you'll find now are 200 and 400.  If your sander is a round random orbit sander, 400 is about as high as you're likely to find at those places for it, but that should be just fine.

Also, if it's a RANDOM orbit sander (I keep putting it like that, because there ARE things called ORBITAL sanders, which simply sand in the same motion over and over again, you haven't specified if it's a RANDOM orbit sander.  If it's not, it's not the proper tool to use. It'll ALWAYS make same-sized circles.  The RANDOM orbit sander will make random small orbits and be almost unnoticeable.

Lastly, you shouldn't be pressing on the sander at all.  Simply hold the grip to make sure the sander isn't flopping off the piece and use light pressure to move the sander around.  The sandpaper should be doing all the work, pressing on it can slow it down to the point where it is counter-productive and makes it harder to remove/blend the swirls from the previous grit.

If you sand up to 400 grit, you'll see that the plywood wasn't as smooth and nice as it could be, but it's also NOT necessary to sand up to 400 grit.  Before you get too far into sanding, use some scrap pieces to test your stain at 200 and 400 to see if you even need to go to 400.

[rdowdy95]

I just check Drew it is a Randon orbital Sander 5" Ryobi Style.

[rdowdy95]

I will do what you say and before work I will get some of the Stain i will be using, and sand paper.  Now when I get the sand paper is it going to come in a circle like for the sander, or can I just buy some sheets of sand paper for it?

[DrewKaree]

I will do what you say and before work I will get some of the Stain i will be using, and sand paper.  Now when I get the sand paper is it going to come in a circle like for the sander, or can I just buy some sheets of sand paper for it?

It should come in round form just like for your sander.  Does the sander have velcro on the bottom?  If so, you're going to be looking for "hook and loop" sanding discs (they can't use Velcro without paying them royalties so they use the generic term).  If the bottom of the sander is a smooth rubber surface, you're going to be getting PSA discs (I think it stands for Pressure Sensitive Adhesive, but it's not important).  MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND YOU USE!

You can't use one in place of the other AT ALL.  The discs will also have a certain number of holes in them.  It's nice if the number of holes match, but it's not important, just make sure if the base of the sander has holes, the sanding discs do also. 

Home Depot is prolly the best place to get these for your sander, but you're limited to what they have.  Online places have a larger selection, but you'll have to wait for them.  I've never ordered sandpaper online, so I can't tell you anything about that.

Since you're getting stain, make 3 test scraps.  Make 'em kinda big so you get a good representation of what everything'll look like.  Sand the first one with that 150 that you have.  Sand the second one with the 150 first, then the 200.  If you pick up a third grit, do the 150 first, 200 second, and the third grit last. 

You should see the difference sanding makes on your project after you apply the stain.  The coarser grit (150) should be the darkest color, but also the least pleasant to the touch.  400 would be the lightest and best feeling.

You should get a really good idea of how things work after spending $10 on progressively finer grits of sandpaper and you should be fine after a little work with the sander. 

[rdowdy95]

Thanks Drew I will be picking up some Sand Paper and the stain stuff sometime this week.  I am thinking the 200 stuff will be good, but I will use them all.  150, 200, and a high one like 400.