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I sand everything. I built some 7" drum sanders that run on my ShopSmith.
I sand the inside of the case before the back is glued on and the inside of
all the drawers before they are assembled. I just knock down any rough
parts of the inside of the back before it is glued.
I generally use a poly type finish. Some times Deft. For a non-toxic finish
you might try mineral oil. I use eatable walnut oil on my kitchen utensils.
he not busy being born,
Is busy dying.
--Bob Dylan
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I always leave the mating surfaces of mine rough-sawn. The blade marks from the band saw blade will fit together again quite nicely. If you sand those off, you run the risk of an uneven surface and a more visible joint line.
I do sand the inside cavities before the back goes on.
As for finish, I prefer something besides poly or lacquer. I just think the boxes look and feel better with a "softer" finish. I've used Livos hardening oil and then buffed paste wax. I also like the feel of mineral oil/beeswax, although reapplication of that could be messy with a flocked drawer box. For walnut, Watco Danish oil would also look good, perhaps waxed and buffed after it's dry.
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Location: South Central Oklahoma
I sand the outside of the boxes glass smooth and often knock off any sharp corners. Another trick is to cut another 1/8" off the box front so all the drawers sit just a bit proud.
i don't sand the back of the frame, nor the back. As others have suggested, any slight inconsistencies help line things up. I do LIGHTLY sand inside drawer slots. Oversand, and the drawers will be too loose. (If this happens, flock the cavity.) I sand the insides of the drawers before reassembly.
I use watco oil and beeswax for finish.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.