Abrasives
Urushi work is, by volume, mostly sanding. Between-coat leveling, ground-layer flattening, and final polishing each call for a different abrasive:
| Abrasive | Stage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sandpaper, 320–3000 grit (wet/dry) | Between-coat leveling, shitaji flattening | Beginner range recommended by Tamenuri Studio |
| Micromesh, 1800–12000 | Final pre-polish smoothing | Same source; used after conventional grits are exhausted |
| Tonoko (fine clay powder) | Final polishing / migaki stage | Traditional finishing abrasive, used damp with a soft pad or the palm |
| Jinoko (coarser clay/stone powder) | Ground-layer (shitaji) building | Mixed into raw urushi as filler-abrasive base, see Chapter 15 |
320-grit is also cited as a sensible stopping point for the underlying wood surface itself before the first coat goes on — hand-tool-finished surfaces are preferred over heavily machine-sanded ones because urushi telegraphs surface texture rather than hiding it. (Fine Woodworking)