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Step 1
Select the right sandpaper by looking at the number on the back of each sheet that indicates the grit of the paper. Anything under 100 is a very coarse sandpaper that is designed to strip lots of wood quickly, making it ideal for rough flooring or structures. For furniture, choose sandpaper with a grit between 100 and 200 for the right coarseness.
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Step 2
Wrap your sandpaper sheet around a sanding block, which is generally a rectangular piece of hard foam or cork and is available almost anywhere that sells the sandpaper. You can improvise with a short piece of wood as well. Just make sure the paper is fitted snugly around the sanding block to do your hand sanding properly.
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Step 3
Sand the surface of the wood with the grain, not across it, for a smooth finish that won't damage the wood. Hold the sanding block down firmly so that its entire surface stays flush with the wood you're sanding. Unless you specifically want to round the edges of the wood, stay a millimeter or two away from the edge of the wood to keep it sharp and accurate.
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Step 4
Take a fresh sheet of sandpaper once you're fairly satisfied with the smoothness of the wood after the first round. Using just the sandpaper and your hand, go over the hand sanded surface once more to polish the rougher patches and give a final buffing to the wood surface.
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Step 5
Find the smooth direction of the end grain (the surface of the end of the wood piece) and sand in that direction if you want a smooth end grain.
