Sanding the end grain

I've been trying to steal as much time as I can to get some sanding in, but my weekends always seem to be full and it's too cold at the moment to be out in the garage at night.

The front and the back of the guitar are coming up fine, but you can just sand with the grain. The sides are doing well, but but I'm not happy with the tail end and the neck end where I'm sanding the end grain of the slabs of body timber.

Is there a trick to sanding the end grain so it comes out as smooth as the rest of the body? Or is it just going to be elbow grease and lots of hard work?

Also one of the pieces of basswood in the body is visually more porous than the others. I assume this means it will probably soak up more Wudtone? Is there anything I can do to ensure a more even finish?

I post photos, but I don't have a camera capable of the kind of close up required.

Wudtone does get an even finish on the porous wood
For the tail end, go from the side of the strap button hole and go up towards the neck

Hey Fretworn.

Only this last weekend I was going through the same issue. One of the resident sanding experts would probably have some good advice, but I certainly found that with the end grain sections, I got a better result by using one way strokes.

If you are sanding back and forth across the end grain, it appears that you will keep opening the end up and dragging sawdust back into it. The same applies for sanding in the curves Start on the outside, go down into the dip, but not through the dip (do those from the other direction).

I possibly have not explained this well at all and someone who loves sanding (like DB) might have a better way to describe it (or may also point out if I am wrong).

May also be worthwhile dropping back a grain or two in sandpaper - I had deep tool marks on the end of my bass - dropped back to 120 grit, then back up 180, 220, etc when they were gone.

I did what Brendan suggested and dropped back to a lower grit sand paper. I found that the base had streaks on it...marked from where the wood was cut - so I actually dropped back to 80 grit (cause it was lying around) and then worked back up to 220 - much better. I wasn't too scientific about the direction I sanded, but I tried to be consistent.

Yep, check Dingo Bass's tag - there's always a way...

For a solid body guitar: technically sanding across the endgrain (think of the guitar laying flat on its back and sanding left and right) then you are sanding cross grain. If the guitar was on its back sanding in an up and down motion would be more correct - think of sanding with the grain along the top and rounding over the rear edge in the same movement (does that all make sense?).
Also end grain, by its nature will sometimes take on more colour and occasionally look darker

Hi guys,

I found the following you tube clip pretty useful when sanding end grain and non-flat areas of my 335. Maybe it will give some useful tips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxf9HVScCDg

cheers,
Gavin.

Awesome Gav, i'll use that vid for when i do mine, thanks

Hey guys,
I have an LP-1m kit and when received it had tiny cracks on the side of the guitar. Now, over the ast