How to Wet-Sand Wood Trim

Sanding wood trim with wet sandpaper between coats of varnish creates an extremely smooth finish to any wood. Sandpaper can be saturated with plain, clean water and the water acts as an effective lubricant for the sanding process. Learn how to wet sand wood trim between applications of varnish for a technique that will remove even the tiniest wood fibers and leave a surface that will accept your finishing varnish to produce a beautiful end result.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sandpaper (400 grit)
• Clean water in a bucket
• Clean, soft cloth

1. Dip the sandpaper into the bucket of water and shake off the excess water.

2. Sand the wood trim carefully by running the sandpaper along the grain of the wood trim. Never sand across the wood grain.

3. Re-saturate the sandpaper in the water as it dries while you are sanding. Stop sanding when the wood trim feels very smooth.

4. Clean off the dust from the sanding with the clean cloth after you are finished sanding. Make sure that all the small particles are completely removed before applying any varnish.

5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to sand your wood trim between all layers of varnish.