I'm working on a bench seat for my dining room table and opted for a budget-friendly approach by ripping plywood into 1x3 boards instead of purchasing precut boards. Now I've noticed that the edges of the boards are quite sharp. Should I sand everything after assembling the bench or would it be better to sand each individual board before putting it together?
2 Answers
It's generally a good idea to sand all your pieces to 120 grit before you assemble them. That way, you can do the final sanding once it’s all put together, maybe touching up the glue joints afterward too. If the edges are really sharp, try to round them over a bit before assembly. It'll make handling the bench much more comfortable later on!
It really depends on what look you're aiming for. I usually like to put a small 45-degree chamfer on all edges before I glue things up. It helps with hiding alignment issues and gives a nice finish afterward. Just keep in mind that if there’s any glue squeeze-out, you should trim it with a razor knife once it's semi-dry to avoid smearing it all over.
Thanks for the tip! I was thinking about how to make it look nicer, and I like that idea of a chamfer.