As you might guess, no two pieces of sanded barnwood are exactly alike, just like no two pieces of unsanded barnwood are exactly alike.  What a sanded piece of barnwood is going to look like depends on various factors, including what the board was like before it was sanded and how it was sanded.  
 

To provide a visual feel for the types of impact sanding can have on barnwood, Trestlewood sanded four samples each of Antique Brown Rough Barnwood, Antique Gray Rough Barnwood and NatureAged Gray Circle-Sawn Barnwood.  In each case, we used an orbital sander with 150 grit sandpaper and made quick passes over the wood.  Check out the results below (and then look for a few "lessons learned" under the photos):


Antique Brown Rough Barnwood - Unsanded




Antique Brown Rough Barnwood - Sanded




Antique Gray Rough Barnwood - Unsanded




Antique Gray Rough Barnwood - Sanded




NatureAged Gray Circle-Sawn Barnwood - Unsanded




NatureAged Gray Circle-Sawn Barnwood - Sanded




Some Lessons Learned
 

• Different boards respond to sanding somewhat differently;
• Sanding can often be quite effective in reducing the "sliver factor" without causing huge changes in the look of the barnwood;
• Not surprisingly, boards that start out less rough generally require less effort to make them smooth to the touch;
• Non-aggressive sanding of boards with coarse/rough textures often makes the high spots smoother to the touch without as much impact to the low spots; and
• Perhaps most importantly, when using sanding to tweak the smoothness and/or other characteristics of barnwood lumber, be patient and don't try to accomplish too much too fast (it is easier to sand a little more than to reverse the effects of oversanding.)