I have been asked to create a end table top for my daughter who of course picked out natural edge boards but overall the board was badly warped.

I took the warped board to the band saw and cut 3" stips.  Then Jointed and planed and glued up the boards.  The boards are flat the end natual edge looks great.

I need to sand out the slight ripple effect of the TP and Jointer.  

I have a belt sander but was wondering what grip to start with and end with?

Then I have a random orbit sander which I would step from 80 thru to 220.  

The only belt I have 40 grit and probably too rough for the wood.

Shoild I start with the belt at 60 or 80 then stop at 120, then go to ro sander or continue with the belt sander all the way to 220?

I guess my question boils down to for a belt sanded to clean up a bunch of 3" boards glued up into at 24x20 top what grit should I start with?

I scraped off most of the glue so some will still need to be removed by the belt sander.

 

It will be a natural poly finish.  

Thanks

Michael

I'd probably use a 100 or 120 grit belt, though my ability to flatten anything with a belt sander is, well, non existent.  Those grits will cut fairly fast and still not leave scratch th ROS can handle a least reasonably quickly.

I'd go with what Fred said.

Thanks I will get some 120 and try the belt sander. Then the Ro sander after that again starting at 120 and going up thru 220.

 

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I'd probably use a 100 or 120 grit belt, though my ability to flatten anything with a belt sander is, well, non existent.  Those grits will cut fairly fast and still not leave scratch th ROS can handle a least reasonably quickly.

 

Preferable method is to use a plane. That lacking router sled. If you still don't have that yes 100 because a belt sander will gouge the wood very quickly and starting with higher grit helps to alleviate that. I am like Fred with a lack of skills with hand held belt sander.

80 with the belt sander then switch to the RO at 100 up through 220. A router sled would be faster, though. I use a bit similar to this one.

Edited August 22, 20232 yr by Gene Howe

I agree with Gene. The best way is to start with a router sled and flatten it perfectly. Then I use a 1/2 sheet sander to do all the sanding. RO sanders can dig holes and make matters worse. Lacking those things a labor intensive way that works very well is to buy some large (12” or better) self adhesive sanding discs which are pretty inexpensive. Stick them onto something flat like piece of plywood screw a 2X2 on as a handle and using 80 grit just grind it flat. Works really well. Then you can use whatever sander you have to take it up through the grits. 
Paul

Thanks all, what I did was to saw it into several 3" strips then joint and plane them all to the same size.

i then glued them back together and the glue up was then sanded with belt at 80 and 100 the ro 120, 150, 220, 400.

The wetted to prep for water based finish with distilled water.  

When dried again I again lightly sanded by hand with 400 to sommoth the surface.

Then applied a General Finishes amber water based poly which was sprayed.

Everything came out great!