Spent 18 minutes chasing a dust nib on a maple mantel, wiping with naphtha between passes and stepping 180->220->320, only to realize the “nib” was on my face shield. Anyone else sand their patience down to 1/32 for a flaw that wasn’t even on the workpiece?
I do a quick raking-light check before changing grits: set a light low and move my head — if the ‘nib’ moves with me, it’s on the face shield, not the maple. Otherwise I’m just playing Where’s Waldo with sawdust; I keep a microfiber clipped to my apron to wipe the shield and the work between passes (tack cloth last, if at all). Ever tried penciling a tiny circle around the spot so you can tell if it’s staying put?
Before 320, I hit the face shield with a quick air blast — saved me “18-minute” hunts, @j_robinson75.
Hate when the “18 minutes” chase turns out to be on the visor. I wipe the visor with a dryer sheet to kill static and stick a tiny blue-tape tab beside the nib — if it shifts relative to the tape when I move, I stop sanding and save the naphtha. Curious what finish you were prepping after 320.
But > when I move, I stop sanding and save the naphtha. Curious what finish you were Agree — my quick fix is the nylon-stocking test: drag a bit of pantyhose lightly over the spot; if it snags, it’s in the film, if it slides, it was on your lens; do it only on cured coats to avoid scuffs — was that oil poly or waterborne?
I keep a lint roller by the sander and hit my visor, sleeves, and apron before each grit, then do a quick raking headlamp pass — “if the sparkle walks with me, it’s not the maple.” Raking light can exaggerate pores, but it beats polishing a ghost; curious what finish you were using over the naphtha.
On the “speck that beat 220 grit,” are you using a plain poly shield or one with an anti-static coating? I park a cheap gooseneck LED at a fixed low angle; if the glint walks when I sway, it’s on me — not the maple — and it saves me from chasing freckles in a mirror.