Hey, I hear ya, Emiliano.....
There comes a point where tool expertise has diminishing returns. I don't know if you remember, but there was a single time where I was able to finish a surface with 600 grit directly from the tool. This, IMHO, is taking a good thing too far! There is little loss of geometric integrity when you get to start at this high a grit.....that's the good news. The bad news is, although the possibility of taking tool work to this extreme does exist, the practicality of such a feat is less than desirable. In other words, you just have to work too hard, and too long at eliminating sanding, when you set your goals too high. Starting at anything finer than 320 grit turns out to be a losing proposition in the overall scheme of things......or, this is the way it seems to me. I actually seldom have a sand-able surface, able to begin at 320 grit. When I do, that's great, but realistically speaking, I can begin to sand quite often at 240 grit. Even at that, there are ways to increase the efficiency of beginning sanding at 240 grit. You just learn to "see" and respond to the visual input.......after about a thousand times of contemplating the clues you have available to you! (Hind sight again, here!
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My personal rules about sanding aren't generic, either.......specifically because some species of wood are more difficult than others, as well as some grain patterning are more difficult to get a clean cut, or sand, than others........but, I know you already knew that. I'm just putting into words some of the thoughts I've had that are pictures in my mind, and this forum gives me the opportunity to do that. It allows me to focus my thoughts a little more clearly for my own purposes.....that's all.....
-----odie-----
