A lot of edge tools will not be necessary, but for good-quality work they must be sharp. You will need a block plane, preferably with an adjustable mouth, and, perhaps most important in finishing, a cabinet scraper.

Sander Orbital

Sanding
Sanding blocks made from cork or rubber can be bought, or you can stick a piece of felt or rubber to a block of wood. The block should be big enough to wrap a quarter-sheet of standard-sized abrasive paper around. Apply pumice and rottenstone with a felt-based block.

Sander Orbital

Sticks and dowels are useful. Wrap the abrasive round ordinary round-section pieces for mouldings, or profile your own for unusual shapes.

Machines can do some of the hard work. Disc Sanders for electric drills leave nasty circular scratches. Do not touch them. Belt Sanders are heavy, powerful, expen¬sive machines for removing the really rough stuff. A moment's inattention and you will find you have gone right through a veneer or dug a trench in the wood. Rub the (expensive) belts with a wire brush to unclog them. Orbital and finishing sanders are the best bet.

Stripping
Wire (steel) wool is the standard stripping material, and you will also need putty and decorators' filling- and scraping-knives (a hook scraper is efficient but easily scars the surface).

A wire brush will remove every bit of waste from the grain; a small brass shoe-cleaning brush, a nailbrush, and a toothbrush will all be needed at times.

Pointed dowels and toothpicks will all come in useful for carvings and mouldings.

Hot-air strippers make more sense than blowtorches for furniture, but be very gentle. They are best for paint on flat surfaces, and useless for synthetic lacquers. Never use heat to strip veneers.

Brushes
For varnish (which here includes polyurethanes) buy a best-quality 35-50mm (l-1/2-2in.) brush and never use it for anything else. Real bristle is always better than nylon for a good finish. You need full bristles, slightly tapered, with some flagged tips to control the flow. In cheap brushes, the two rows of bristles are set too wide apart to hold the liquid and let it flow well.

Fine artist's brushes will be necessary for touching in colours; bear-, sable- or squirrel-hair 'mops' for shellac in awkward corners and a 'grass' or nylon scrubbing brush for bleaches. The finest is a 'dulling' brush (furniture rubbing brush), for laying pumice powder on to a bright finish.

Tools and Brushes For Wood Polishing

Sander Orbital