Navigating the do’s and don’ts of fixing up your place

Tried wet sanding plywood once - never again. The top layer just peeled up in spots and I spent twice as long fixing it. Dry sanding with a shop vac hose taped right to the sander is my go-to now. That paint stick tip is underrated... way better control on those inside corners. Mouse pad for curves is clutch, but I’ve also used an old flip-flop in a pinch. Wet sanding’s for the brave or the bored, honestly.

Wet sanding’s for the brave or the bored, honestly.

Can’t argue with that. Wet sanding plywood is just asking for trouble - top veneer’s way too thin and the glue lines don’t always hold up. I’ve seen folks try it thinking it’ll keep dust down, but it usually just turns into a mess of raised grain and peeling edges. Dry sanding with a vac hooked up is the only way I’ll touch plywood now. Keeps the surface intact and saves cleanup time.

The paint stick trick for inside corners is underrated, agreed. I’ll sometimes wrap sandpaper around a scrap of MDF if I need something stiffer, but paint sticks are cheap and everywhere. For curves, mouse pads are great, but I’ve also used chunks of dense foam insulation when I’m in a pinch - works about as well and you can cut it to whatever shape you need.

One thing I’d add: grit progression matters more than people think. Folks jump from 80 to 220 and wonder why their finish looks blotchy or uneven. On plywood especially, I stick to 80-120-180-220 if I want a clean surface for stain or clear coat. Skipping grits just doesn’t save time in the long run.

If you’re sanding pre-finished ply or anything with a factory veneer, light passes only. It’s easy to burn through before you realize it, especially on edges. Learned that the hard way on a set of closet doors - ended up veneering over my mistake.

Haven’t tried the flip-flop trick yet... might have to next time my dog chews up another pair.

I get what you’re saying about wet sanding plywood, but I’ve actually had decent luck with it on higher-end stuff - like Baltic birch - if I’m super careful and use a barely damp sponge. Helps kill the dust in tight spaces. Wouldn’t touch it on cheap big-box ply, though. That stuff falls apart if you look at it wrong.

On grit progression, totally agree - skipping steps just means more work later. But sometimes if I’m painting and not staining, I’ll go 80 straight to 150 and call it good enough. Depends how picky I’m feeling that day...

Funny you mention the cheap ply - tried wet sanding some bargain stuff once and it basically turned into oatmeal. Baltic birch, though, yeah, that stuff can take a little more finesse. I’m with you on grit skipping for paint jobs... sometimes “good enough” really is good enough, especially if you’re just slapping on primer and color.

I’ve definitely learned the hard way that not all plywood is created equal... tried sanding some “mystery wood” from the bargain bin and it basically disintegrated under my palm sander. Baltic birch is a whole different animal - almost feels like you can’t mess it up unless you’re really trying. When you’re prepping for paint, do you bother filling every little ding, or do you just let the primer do its thing? I keep going back and forth depending on how much coffee I’ve had that day.