The Staining Mistake That's Leaving Lines And Swirl Marks On Your Wood

Using the wrong technique when staining wood can ruin the look of a project. After you have spent hours crafting the perfect wooden furniture or decor piece, the last thing you want to do is damage it. Leaving unsightly swirl marks is one of the common errors beginners make after staining wood. If you have ever done this yourself, you were probably left wondering what causes swirl marks in the first place. Random orbital sanders leave those marks when they are improperly used.

Applying too much pressure, using the wrong kind of sandpaper, and operating the sander too fast are just a few of the factors that can lead to swirl marks on stained wood. Luckily, you can avoid these mistakes by learning how to operate a random orbital sander the right way. If you already have a stained wood DIY project that has been damaged with swirl marks, you can remove them by gently sanding the surface once again by hand and refinishing it. Ensure that you sand in the same direction of the wood grain.

If you left swirl marks on your stained wood DIY project with a random orbital sander, take a look at the Instagram video above posted by user @graceful_designs_diy to learn exactly how to remove them. As you can see, you will need to start out by sanding the surface down to remove the marks using 220 grit sandpaper. The Fandeli 220 Grit Multi-Purpose Sandpaper will help you complete this step. Rather than using an orbital sander here, simply sand the surface by hand following the grain.

Next, apply mineral spirits to the wood. This will make it easier for you to identify any spots that require additional sanding to get rid of remaining swirl marks. The U.S. Art Supply Odorless Mineral Spirits would be a great option to use for this part of the process because it will not fill your space with a strong chemical scent. After sanding down any missed spots, you can move forward with reapplying your stain on your swirl mark-free wood.

To prevent yourself from leaving swirl marks on your wood projects in the future, consider practicing using your random orbital sander until you really master it. You can do this with a piece of scrap wood. While practicing, do not apply too much pressure or move the machine too quickly across the wood. You should eventually get to a point where you are able to sand without leaving swirl marks. At that point, you can safely use your machine on your actual beginner-friendly woodworking projects.