Old timer told me to quit sanding between coats on shaker doors

I had this guy come in with a set of shaker doors I'd done for him 5 years ago. He said they looked fine but the finish was peeling along the inside edges of the panel. He asked if I used a random orbit between primer and paint. I said yeah, 220 grit. He laughed and said that's why it failed. Said the dust gets trapped in the grain and creates a weak bond. Now I just wipe with a tack cloth and go straight to paint after primer. Has anyone else had a finish fail because of sanding between coats on MDF or poplar?

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2 Comments

derek_coleman5mo ago

Huh. That makes a weird kind of sense actually... never thought of it that way.

6

the_alex5mo ago

Yeah, totally get it. Some things just click when you finally hear them said out loud.

2