When it comes to wood working there's light sanding, medium, heavy and extreme sanding. The general rule is always sand with the grain to prevent cross-grain scratches. However, if you want to remove a lot of wood or smooth a really rough board with a belt sander you can save time and elbow grease by bending this rule just a wee bit. Instead of moving the sander up and down with the grain turn it to a 45-degree angle, then move it back and forth up and down the grain while keeping it canted at the same angle. This semi cross-grain approach will give your sander an aggressive bite and quickly whittle down even tougher woods. Once you've reach the desired thickness or depth straighten the sander and work parallel with the grain to start smoothing out any diagonal scratches. Then use your finer grits to smooth the surface as needed. When it comes to "extreme" sanding, sometimes you've just got to break the rules to get the job done fast and right. And that's the On The House tip for today...