A survey of four woodworkers and four home-improvement editors in “The Family Handyman” yielded the unanimous answer that a random orbital sander works best for finishing cabinets.
An orbital sander can make quick work of the bulk of the cabinet door, but a sanding block or sanding sponge can help you cover any grooves or tight spots by hand.
Best Professional Grade Sander—DeWALT Random Orbit Sander
Both weekend warriors and professionals find it useful, whether it's to sand cabinets or even deal with concrete. Another great feature is its ability to hook up to other vacuum ports and dust collection bags, which may come in handy for a larger job.
In comparison to palm sanders, orbital sanders can remove material more quickly. Compared to palm sanders, orbital sanders will also remove more material. Although both sanders are regarded as being mild, the orbital sander in this comparison is more potent and will still remove more material than palm sanders.
Besides operating at no less than 90 PSI of air pressure, random orbital sanders should run with a minimum speed of 10,000 RPM. If you run the sander at a slower speed than this, swirl marks MAY also appear. But if you drop below 90 PSI at any time during your orbital sanding process, you WILL get swirl marks.
We asked four woodworkers and four home improvement editors the same question: “What is the best sander to buy for finishing cabinets”. And we got a unanimous response: “Buy a random orbital sander.” All in all, there's really nothing “wrong” with square-based, orbital finishing sanders.
Sand the cabinet doors using an electric sander and 100-grit sandpaper for the initial sanding. Sand corners and grooves with sandpaper or a sanding sponge. Finish by sanding with 150- or 180-grit sandpaper or a medium-fine sanding sponge, by hand, sanding along the grain of the wood.
Sand your cabinets
Grab your orbital sander and some medium grit sandpaper. You can sand by hand if you like, but your arms will probably get pretty tired. Painted cabinets should get a thorough sanding with 120-grit paper, but no matter the finish, do a final pass with 220-grit.
But if you sand the wrong way, you'll prevent the sander from working properly. You'll get visible scratches, often in the form of long, spiraling swirls. You may not see these swirls on raw wood, but a coat of stain will highlight them.
This “random” motion results in a smoother finish, without the swirl pattern that can come from standard orbital sanders that only move in a circular motion. Random orbital sanders are extremely efficient for large projects.
In a nutshell, belt sanders are on the powerful side, able to strip down a piece of wood in a short amount of time. Orbital sanders, on the other hand, are finishing sanders that are used to get wood ultra-smooth.
Don't Go Overboard on Sanding
But you don't need to sand to bare wood. If your cabinets have a factory finish, sand lightly with 120-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge. If the surface is rough from a previous paint job or poor varnishing job, start with coarser 100-grit paper to remove bumps.
Do you need to sand cabinets before painting? Skipping this time-consuming step is a surefire way to lead to a messy finished product. Sanding helps fresh paint adhere to surfaces and will help prevent chipping down the line. It's also better to sand twice (first to remove old paint, then to smooth out the wood).
Clean– lastly, after sanding, you'll give your cabinets one final cleaning. No need to degrease, just a good wipe down to ensure you have removed all the dust and small particles. If you're working outside, I love to use my leaf blower for this, followed by wiping with a tack cloth.
Before your final coat of paint, gently sand your cabinets using 300-400 grit sandpaper. This super-fine sandpaper will knock down any brush strokes and roller marks to give you a super smooth surface to work with. Be sure your paint brush is clean and the bristles are smooth.
The second step is give everything a good cleaning and get rid of any dirt or grease. Paint and Primer doesn't bond well with greasy and dirty surfaces. Cabinets above a stove and below the sink are usually the worst and need to be carefully cleaned before sanding.
Start with coarse 80-grit sandpaper in a manual hand sander or power sander. Using enough pressure to remove the paint but not so much that it damages the wood. Move to medium 150-grit abrasive and finish with fine 220-grit, brushing away dust from the surface each time you change paper.
Safety Rules
Don't wear loose clothing or gloves, keep long hair tied back. • Never adjust Sander or setup while Sander is running. • Never remove guard unless authorized by Technician or WRL Manager • Setups requiring anything other than the standard sander equipment must be approved by supervisor.
These units are lightweight, easy to use and offer a swirl-free finish on surfaces like wood, metal and plastic. A random orbital sander derives its name from the action of the sanding pad. It rotates and shifts its position in a random elliptical manner.