How to Sand Wood Carvings

Sanding a wood carving can give it a more professional and polished look.

Wood carvings can be a hobby or can bring in an income and become a career. Finishing off a wood carving to make it more aesthetically pleasing and to give it a polished look is to sand the carving. Sanding also makes the surface easier for paint or stain to adhere and makes a smooth surface that will not mar the paint or create bumps and bubbles. Sanding is easy to do and will give your carving a more professional look.

Things You'll Need

• 120-grit sandpaper
• 160-grit sandpaper
• Pencil
• Toothpick
• Soft cloth

Instructions

1. Sand the carving with a medium grit, such as 120-grit sandpaper. Make sure to work on all the large areas of the carving and to sand all the way around. Sand again with a higher grit sandpaper, 160 grit works well. Sand down until you are satisfied with how smooth it feels.

2. Wrap sandpaper around the tip of a sharpened pencil. Push the pencil tip into crevices of the carving and move the pencil tip back and forth to sand the area.

3. Wrap sandpaper around a toothpick. If your carving is intricate, even a pencil tip may not be small enough to reach some areas. Use the toothpick to get into the smallest crevices.

4. Rub the carving with a soft cloth to remove the dust that is left by the sanding. Blow into crevices to move any sanding dust from the smaller areas.

References

• Carving Patterns: Smoothing the Background