Old timer told me to wet my sandpaper at a job in Nashville

I was struggling with walnut dust clogging up 220 grit, and this guy who's been building kitchens since the 70s walks over and said to use water with dish soap. I tried it and got twice the life out of each sheet. Anyone else do this or is he just crazy?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben2067d ago

My buddy down in Texas had the same problem with mesquite. He's a cabinet guy too and said his paper would gum up in like ten minutes. An old timer at his shop told him to try Windex instead of water and soap. He said it works even better because it cuts the oils in the wood somehow. Now he keeps a spray bottle mixed with Windex and water on his bench all the time. I tried it on some cherry and it definitely helped the paper last longer.

michaelchen7d ago

And the ammonia in Windex actually breaks down the resin in oily woods chemically not just lubricates it. I switched to 50/50 Windex and water on everything now and my sandpaper lasts like THREE times longer.

the_hugo7d ago

Well I'll be damned. I always thought Windex was just for windows and that using it on wood was some kind of hack job. But hearing it from someone who actually tried it on cherry and saw results changes my mind completely. The way it cuts through the oils makes sense now that I think about it. I've been fighting with some hickory lately and my paper is toast after a few passes. Might have to mix up a bottle this weekend and see if it saves me some money on sandpaper.