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I have started to sand my wooden dining table. Even after two rounds of 80 grit, the etches are still quite deep. Should I go down to 40 grit or is this going to be more problematic. See photo of a section
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @mccark185. It's amazing to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about restoring a tabletop.
It looks like those marks have penetrated quite deeply into the timber rather than being surface marks. There’s unfortunately no real way to know how deep staining goes until you reach clean timber, and the fact that you’ve already done two solid passes with 80 grit and they’re still clearly visible suggests the stain is well into the tabletop. That’s not uncommon, especially if something oily or wet was left sitting on the surface for a long time and had time to soak in.
Dropping down to 40 grit generally isn’t recommended for this sort of job. It removes timber very aggressively and can leave deep scratches that are difficult to remove later, as well as increasing the risk of creating low spots or an uneven surface. Eighty grit is normally more than sufficient for heavy material removal on a tabletop. If you’re using a battery-powered sander, switching to a 240-volt random orbital can make a noticeable difference, as they maintain speed and pressure much better under load. Even then, you may find you need to remove several millimetres of material to fully chase the stain, and at that point you’re effectively resurfacing the entire table.
In some cases, even that isn’t enough. I’ve seen similar tops where the staining went so deep that sanding it out completely just wasn’t practical without risking damage, particularly if a belt sander is introduced. Belt sanders can remove material quickly, but they also make it very easy to gouge or dish the surface if you’re not extremely careful.
If the marks continue to persist, the more realistic option is often to work with them rather than fight them. Applying a darker stain or tinted finish can help disguise the affected areas and give the table a consistent, intentional look. It’s a good way to save the piece without removing excessive material, and it’s often the path people take when stains have soaked too deeply into the timber.
I presume there are fixings holes for the legs in the underside, which are preventing the top from being flipped over, concealing the stain on the bottom side?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
