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I have not used a belt sander! I prefer to start with a planer, then use an orbital sander! Generally work from 60 grit up to 220 depending on the surface. Popping the grain and covering the whole surface in pencil marks in between each!

For anyone seriously interested in how to get a great finishing with sanding here’s the guide I follow:

https://www.blacktailstudio.com/blog/how-to-sand-wood-proper...

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Thanks for posting it! Good point about adding the right lighting rig, haven't thought about.

I use a planer a lot but I'm still struggling with making multiple passes down a wide piece of wood. I often end up with grooves. I've gotten better over time but I'm still not happy with the results.

If it’s a particularly wide piece of wood you could try a router planning jig. I think these are used with slabs

Otherwise you could try and get access to a CNC or a large industrial belt sander

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