Sanding Cabinets Like a Pro With an Orbital Sander

If you want to restore an old cabinet or refinish a new one, you’ll need to start by scraping the old finish off and smoothing out the surface. Sanding down your cabinet can be a tedious and tiring project, especially if you try to do it by hand or with the wrong tool.

Orbital sanders are the quickest and most energy-efficient way to get the sanding out of the way and leave your cabinet’s surface slick and ready for that last coat of shine. Their circular pattern of movement does a miraculous job of evening out irregular surfaces without too much elbow grease from you.

Here’s a guide to the tools and techniques you’ll need for the sanding phase of cabinet restoration. We’ll give you some tips and tricks for prepping your surface, then finish by telling you how to finish them with a flourish.

What Is an Orbital Sander?

There are many different kinds of orbital sanders with different sizes, speeds, orbits, and configurations. What sets orbital sanders apart from sheet sanders is that the sanding pad underneath is shaped like a disc rather than a square or rectangle.

Orbital sanders generally spin at around 10,000 RPM. Some orbital sanders spin in a fixed circular motion. Others both spin and wiggle at the same, creating a random orbital motion that offsets the center by around an eighth of an inch. These are called random orbital sanders.

A random orbital sander is the best sander for finishing work where a fine touch is needed. For rough work where previous finishes or other kinds of residue need to be removed, the best orbital sander to use is one with a regular circular pattern.

Where most sheet sanders use about a quarter of a sheet of regular sandpaper as their abrasive, orbital sanders use distinctive disc-shaped sandpaper. These usually attach to the sander via glue or Velcro and cost a little more than normal sandpaper. Most orbital sanders use discs measuring 5″ or 6″ in diameter. Heavy-duty orbital sanders may use discs with diameters of up to 8″ or 9″.

Some kinds of orbital sanders come with holes in the head that vacuum up the sawdust as you sand. Some sander models come with their own hole punchers, but you may have to buy sandpaper discs with holes.

Different Cabinets Require Different Techniques

If your cabinet is made from solid wood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF), your orbital sander will work wonders. If your cabinet is made from laminate, you won’t be able to sand it without ruining the composite layer that acts as its skin. Even though laminate looks like wood, it’s basically the hot dog of wood, containing a mixture of wood and non-wood core materials.

If your cabinet has been stained, sealed, or painted, you’ll have to start by removing those layers. You can sand right through most thinner finish layers with the right sandpaper grit. Thicker finishes and most paints are better removed with a sturdy paint stripper.

What Kind of Sandpaper Grit Works Best?

Sandpaper comes in different grits, so make sure you use the right one for the job. The grit number lets you know how coarse the sandpaper is. Finer sandpapers have higher grit numbers, and coarser sandpapers have numbers on the lower end. Low-grit sandpapers are peppered with bigger abrasive specks, which sand things down faster and more roughly. High-grit sandpapers give you a more polished surface.

If your cabinet has an old finish or a light coat of paint that you want to remove, sandpaper with a coarse grit around 100 or 120 is rough enough to scratch off the outer layer quickly. When the outer layer rubs off, you can use finer sandpaper, like 180, for the main job and 220 for a smooth final round.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need for Your Cabinet Restoration

Take a few minutes to gather the tools and materials you’ll need for the restoration process. This includes equipment for sanding, finishing, and personal protection.

Sanding Materials

• Orbital sander – You’ll do most of the work with your orbital sander, so the more powerful it is, the easier the job will be. You may want to use a heavy-duty DeWalt or Makita for the first few rounds, then pivot to a smaller model or sand by hand for the finishing touches.
• Sandpaper – Have a few grits on hand for different parts of the job: 100, 120, 180, and 220 should be enough. Make sure the sandpaper fits your orbital sander.
• Vacuum – Sanding your cabinet will produce quite a bit of sawdust, so cleaning up will be a lot easier if you have a dust extraction vacuum nearby.

• Tack cloth – This sticky, lightweight cloth will come in handy for wiping off any fine sawdust left on your cabinet before applying your finish.

• Plastic sheet or tarp – You can make the cleanup as easy as possible by spreading plastic sheeting or a tarp over your work space to catch all the flying particles and droplets.

• Degreaser – A basic degreaser will help you remove any residue on the surface of your cabinet before you sand it. Tough grease comes off easily with a paint prep solution such as trisodium phosphate (TSP). Dishwashing liquid can also work in a pinch.

Finishing Materials

• Brush, spray, or roller – Keep on hand whichever tool you’ll use to apply your finish.

• Paint stripper – If you need to remove a previous layer of finish from your cabinet, a paint stripper can make the job a bit easier. It pulls the finish from the wood surface and gathers it into clumps.

• Putty knife – Once the old finish clumps up, you’ll need a putty knife to scrape off the residue.

• Wood grain filler – If your cabinet is made of an open-grained wood like oak or mahogany, you may need to fill in the large pores for as smooth a surface as possible. Wood grain filler can flatten out any large holes, so you can apply your finish evenly.

• Wood putty – If you’re restoring an older cabinet full of dents and nicks, you can use wood putty to flatten out small imperfections before sanding.

• Mineral spirits or paint thinner – If the finish you plan to use is oil-based, keep a cup of mineral spirits or paint thinner nearby to clean your roller or brush.

Protective Equipment

Sanding fills the air around you with tiny particles. If you have to sand off a previous finish, those particles could include dangerous or hazardous chemicals. Working outside will give you plenty of fresh air, but you might not be able to keep the wind from blowing foreign particles all over your cabinet while you’re trying to work. If you work indoors, make sure your work space has plenty of ventilation, and don’t let your kids or pets hang around while you’re working.

Here are a few pieces of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) for cabinet restoration:

• Eye protection – A face shield or glasses can do the bare minimum to protect your eyes, but a pair of safety goggles with a good seal will do the most to keep dust out.

• Ear protection – Depending on your ears and the kind of orbital sander you use, you might want to keep a pair of earplugs or earmuffs close by in case your ears start ringing.

• Breathing protection – If you’re sanding a small unfinished cabinet, you’ll probably be able to keep your respiratory system safe with a dust mask. For larger cabinets and fancy chemical stains, varnishes, and paints, you might want to use a respirator. Make sure to use the right filter in your respirator, depending on the particles you need to keep out. You can keep simple sawdust at bay with a particulate filter. If you need to apply or remove paint thinner, an epoxy-based resin, or lacquer, use a cartridge or filter designed to keep out organic vapors.

• Hand protection – Avoid sanding down your fingers or splashing chemicals on your hands by wearing a pair of work gloves. Even paints that don’t contain toxic chemicals can irritate or cause reactions to your skin.

How to Use an Orbital Sander on Cabinets

Now that you’ve gathered your protective equipment, tools, and materials, we can begin sanding. Just follow these steps:

1. Start by taking apart your cabinet to make it easier to sand down every nook and cranny. Take the doors off the hinges, then unscrew the hinges and any knobs or handles.
2. You might find it useful to draw a diagram of your cabinet’s configuration to help you remember where every piece goes. You can number each hinge, knob, and door and write the number both on your diagram and in a hidden place on the piece itself. Taking photos of the process with your phone can help you remember the configuration even better.
3. Remove the previous finish or paint. If the cabinet is covered in an oil-based coating or paint, rub on a coat of paint stripper, wait till it clumps, then use your putty knife to peel off the clumps. Some finishes soak deep into the wood; it’s better to just sand those off. If your cabinet is unfinished, use your degreaser to wipe down the surface and get rid of any accumulated residue.
4. If there are any dents, knots, or pores on the surface, fill them with your wood grain filler or wood putty before sanding.
5. Now, let’s start sanding. If you need to remove a coat of paint, begin with your 100- or 120-grit sandpaper. If not, start with your 180 for most jobs. If you’re sanding down a new cabinet fresh from the factory, you can even start with a finer grit like 220.
6. Move your orbital sander using even strokes and a smooth motion. It’s easiest to follow the grain of wood whenever you can. Keep the orbital sander moving continually to avoid marking the surface or digging a sander-shaped dent in the wood.
7. Pause every so often to tap the accumulating dust off the sander. If sawdust begins to pile up, use your dust vacuum to remove it.
8. If you want to do a final round by hand to get an impeccable surface, use the 220 sandpaper. A final round of hand sanding can help you reach all the little crevices and cracks.
9. Before moving on to the finish, take a minute to tidy up. You don’t want any particles stuck in your varnish or paint, so use a brush to loosen any sawdust left on the cabinet, and then vacuum it up. Give every surface a final once-over with your tack cloth, and you’ll be ready to start finishing.
10. Use your brush or roller to apply your favorite finish to the cabinet. If you want to paint the cabinet, begin by applying a primer, and then do a lightning round of hand sanding before applying the paint. Use the 220 sandpaper for this part, and make sure you file down any accumulated primer along the edges or inside the grooves.
11. Let the finish dry before you start putting the cabinet back together. Once the surface no longer feels sticky, begin the reassembly. Use your numbered diagram or photos to put the cabinet back together in the exact reverse order of your disassembly process.

Enjoy your freshly sanded and finished cabinet!