When sanding wood, it is important to choose the right sandpaper grit to achieve the desired finish. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the right sandpaper for your wood project:

• Coarse grit (36 to 80): This grit is best for fast stock removal, such as smoothing the live edge of a slab or sanding down rough-sawn surfaces.

• Medium grit (60 to 80): This grit is primarily used to sand rough wood and remove scratches and planning marks.

• Fine grit (100 to 120): This grit is used for sanding between coats of finish, sanding smooth surfaces, or preparing wood for finishing.

• Extra fine grit (240 to 400): This grit is used for sanding between coats of finish to remove any dust bumps in the lower coat and cut the surface of the lower coat so that the next coat adheres better.

It is also important to sand with the grain of the wood to avoid clogging the surface pores. Start with a coarse grit sandpaper and gradually work your way to finer sandpaper. Coarse grits can be used to remove large imperfections while medium grits are better for smoothing out rough surfaces. Fine grits are used for finishing and polishing.