If you are building anything out of wood, you probably want the end result to be smooth. Well, the most common way to achieve a smooth finish on wood is by using sandpaper.
That said, it is technically possible to get a smooth finish on wood without actual sandpaper. Therefore, this article is going to focus on how to get a smooth finish on wood without using sandpaper. Let’s first figure out why you might want to avoid using sandpaper in the first place.
Can (and Should) You Sand Wood Without Sandpaper?
OK, so it is definitely possible to sand or smooth wood without actual sandpaper. As you are going to discover below, there are actually many different methods for doing so, many of which can work just as well, if not better than sandpaper. That said, why would you use something other than sandpaper in the first place?
First of all, maybe you just don’t have sandpaper on hand. Yes, not having something on hand happens, and if you don’t want to run to your local hardware store, you do have other options.
It may also be the case that you don’t have the right kind of sandpaper. Remember that this stuff comes in many different grits. The sandpaper you have may either be too smooth or too rough for your intended project.
It might also be the case that you only have a very small piece of sandpaper but need to sand a large area. Using a small piece of sandpaper to sand a large area is going to be a tedious and time-consuming process. There are faster ways to go about this than using sandpaper.
Another reason you might not want to use sandpaper is because you simply can’t get it into the space that you need it to fit into. When using sandpaper, you have to hold it with your hands. Your hands or fingers might just be too big to fit into a certain area. If this is the case, you might need something smaller and more precise.
The other thing to keep in mind here is that sandpaper will result in a very specific finish. Maybe you want to sand a specific pattern or aesthetic appearance into your wood. If this is the case, using some alternative sanding methods may be the answer as they can leave some pretty cool markings on your finished product.
8 Ways to Sand Wood Without Sandpaper
Now that we know that it is possible to sand wood without sandpaper, let’s talk about some of the coolest and most creative ways of doing so.
1. Using Pumice
One of the best ways to sand wood without sandpaper is by using a pumice. For those of you who don’t know, pumice is a specific type of volcanic rock. One benefit is that pumice tends to be fairly inexpensive. On a side note, this is what you use to rub dead skin and calluses off of your hands and feet.
With that being said, chances are that you might actually have one laying around. Even if you don’t, they aren’t all that expensive to purchase. Pumice is a good option to go with because it does come available in a variety of grits, all the way from rough to fine grits.
That said, it does only get so fine. The good thing about pumice is that it is very fast-acting when sanding wood, as it is usually fairly rough. It’s a great way to remove dents, scratches, and other forms of damage. However, using pumice might not be the best method to get a super fine finish.
2. Using a Rottenstone
If you are looking for something similar to pumice, but need something that is going to result in a much finer finish, using something known as rottenstone might do the trick. Rottenstone, also known as tripoli, is a specific type of rock. It is a fine powdered and very porous rock.
It is often used in metallurgy and metalsmithing for polishing metal objects. It can, however, also be used to polish wooden objects. As you can probably tell, in order to polish metal, rottenstone needs to be extremely fine. This is its biggest benefit when compared to pumice, as it can help produce an incredibly fine finish that you simply can’t achieve with pumice.
Now, it’s not the best option to go with for removing scratches and dents, but it does work really well to create a super fine finish. It’s not designed for large sanding jobs due to its smoothness, because big jobs would take quite some time. Do also keep in mind that rottenstone isn’t particularly cheap.
3. Using an Emery Board or Nail File
If you happen to be big on hygiene, something you might have laying around the house is a nail file, or in other words, an emery board. Emery boards work really well for filing down those fingernails and toenails, but they can in fact also be used to sand wood.
Now, admittedly, this would definitely not be our first choice. Emery boards can, however, actually be fairly rough, so they can do a decent job at sanding. They will remove a decent amount of material with each stroke. That said, they just aren’t built to last. At the end of the day, wood is typically much harder than a fingernail.
An emery board is going to disintegrate fairly quickly when used for sanding. On that note, an emery board is of course also very small. The emery board’s size means it would be ideal for smoothing out hard to reach areas, while not so great for large surfaces.
4. Using Wood Files
When it comes to sanding wood without sandpaper, another great tool that you have at your disposal is a wood file. Wood files are, of course, designed to file down wood. Now, they are generally used for purposes a bit rougher than just normal sanding.
Wood files are generally quite rough and designed to remove a good deal of material at once. However, this is exactly what makes them ideal for a variety of purposes, as they can be very efficient for certain projects. That said, you can also get smoother or coarser files to fit your needs.
Therefore, if you need to sand a piece of wood down to size, remove scratches, or remove dents, then a wood file is definitely a good option to consider. Moreover, because they are quite thin and long, and also have handles, they are convenient for getting into relatively small spaces.
5. Burnishing the Wood
If you just really need to do some light sanding, and really don’t want to remove much material at all, burnishing the wood is a good choice. Burnishing the wood simply means that you rub it with another object. This could be another smooth piece of wood or even a leather belt.
The point here is that you are just creating a very simple and smooth finish. Of course, this is not ideal for removing scratches, dents, or other forms of damage.
Burnishing is not great for sanding down very rough pieces of wood and is usually better if your piece of wood is already fairly smooth and you are just looking to make it smoother. In terms of user-friendliness, this is admittedly one of the easier methods to consider.
6. Scraping the Wood
Whereas the above method was one of the easiest ones, this is admittedly one of the hardest. Here, we are talking about sanding down or smoothing wood by scraping off excess material. You can accomplish this by using a really sharp knife, or even something like a putty scraper.
This is of course an extremely difficult process because you have to be able to hold that knife at the right angle and apply the right amount of pressure. If the angle of the knife or scraper is too steep and you apply too much pressure, you’re going to remove too much material or even damage the wood.
On the other hand, if your angle of attack is not steep enough, and if you don’t apply enough pressure, then you won’t really get anywhere. Generally speaking, this is something that we would use as a last resort, and only for working on small objects. This method is definitely not ideal for working on large pieces of wood.
7. Using a Belt Sander
If you have a piece of wood that you need to decrease in size, then a belt sander is always a good option. A belt sander is a very large and stationary tool that features a very large belt that is covered in sandpaper.
A belt sander is something that you would use to very quickly sand down any piece of wood, especially if it is very rough. Belt sanders are of course also convenient because you just turn them on, press the piece of wood against them, and let them do the rest. If we’re talking about ease of use, then a belt sander is definitely at or near the top of the list.
That said, a belt sander is of course not a very precise machine. It’s not something that you can use to sand very precise details into a piece of wood. This is something that you would use for larger finishing jobs, and then follow that up with sandpaper or any of the other methods that we have talked about here today to achieve a more precise finish.
8. Using Actual Sand
If you are looking to achieve a very smooth finish and want to get as close to sandpaper as possible, using actual sand combined with a cloth, towel, or leather strap is the way to go. For this method, you pour a bunch of sand onto the wooden surface and then rub it around using a cloth or leather strap.
The result here is going to be extremely similar to normal sandpaper in the sense that you can achieve an extremely smooth and great-looking finish. This is also a very easy method to use.
That said, it doesn’t work with extremely rough surfaces, and cleaning up afterward is typically a pain in the neck. It’s also something that tends to work better for large surfaces than for smaller surfaces.
What Is the Best Way to Sand Wood Without Sandpaper?
There is really no best way to sand without sandpaper. Which method you use depends on what you are working on and what you are looking to achieve.
For instance, if you just need to remove a whole lot of material and don’t need the finish to be super precise, a belt sander works really well. If you are working on a very large piece of wood with a flat surface, and you want a smooth result, using sand and a cloth or strap is recommended.
However, if you need to work on a very small surface and you need to be precise, then a wood file or an emery board could do the trick. It really all depends on the items you have at your disposal and what you are hoping to achieve.
Summary
There you have it folks, everything you need to know about sanding wood without sandpaper. Between all of the methods listed above, you should be able to find at least one or two that work for you.