Planning and Sanding

It's been a little over two months since the timbers were cut. I am starting to feel that creative itch to get my hands dirty and not just work on the planning side.

There is lots of work being done behind the scenes. Surveyors are scheduled to mark the property line. A septic inspection is on the calendar. Building permits are being submitted.

As with any build, there are lots of interrelated decisions that need to be coordinated. Building location, foundation design, wall system, HVAC, windows, interior finishes, water and power options and the list goes on.

It is time to prep the timbers for staining and final finishing.

I tested and researched a number of sanding methods. Kate requested a rustic feel without a rough edge. The solution I found that we liked best is an Osborne Silicone Carbide brush mounted on to a variable speed angle grinder. One very important detail, your angle grinder must be variable speed. A normal angle grinder will spin way to fast for the brush. A fast brush speed is not only hard to control it created a look that was not desirable and cooked sap onto the timber at contact. I found a Makita 9565CV set to a speed setting between one and two to be perfect. Many others using this technique use a heavy duty buffer in place of an angle grinder to maintain a good slow speed with lots of torque. The variable speed grinder worked perfect for me.

The timber on the left has been sanded with an Osborne Brush. You can see how it nicely removes sap, pencil marks and any unnatural blemishes.

Looking closer, you can see the brush leaves a lot of character in the timber while removing the rough edge. This is the look I wanted. It will show even more character when stained.

If you want a smoother look, a high power orbital palm sander will do the trick. In my testing with sanders and sandpapers, I quickly found sap is the biggest enemy. (The Osborne Brush handles sap with ease and you will only need one brush if you like the look above.). Sanding is still a very viable option if sap is present, but be prepared that the sap will clog the sandpaper relatively fast. I would purchase a 50 or 100 pack of 60-80 grit paper to start - working to finer grits until your desired smoothness is reached .

Happy sanding!