Advice re sanding please

[NARSES2]

I've always been a person who learns practical things by seeing it being done in front of me and that is why I bemoan the lack of a local model club both when I was growing up and now. There are probably many ways in which I could improve my techniques simply by having the various ways of doing things shown to me. Please note that I tend to have to be shown a couple of times as I've always been a theoretical rather then a practical person which is strange when you look at some of the craftsman in the family tree, but I do get there in the end.

Anyway enough meandering my question is this - When sanding a seam is it best to sand along the length of the seam or across the seam, or indeed does it matter at all ?

Thanking you in advance

Chris

[TallEng]

Not necessarily best practice.... But
I mostly sand across the seam, where possible.
My favorite tool for that at the moment are the
Nail files that you can buy in chemists for doing
Ladies (I presume  ) finger nails. Normally one side
Is rough the other smoother with a kind of spongy layer
In the middle. And to finish off a nail buffer which brings
Up a nice shiny smooth finish.
Of course fingers and torn off bits of Wet and dry for those
"Difficult to reach" places.

Regards
Keith

[Hobbes]

If I want to level a seam, I usually sand across the seam, because it's quicker (takes off more material in each pass). When I'm preparing the surface for painting, I switch angles a lot in order to remove scratches/prevent new ones from forming.

[PR19_Kit]

I too go with the majority to start off, sanding across the seam does the majoity of the material removal. But then I find going along the seam afterward smooths things off a lot better.

I use the foam sanding blocks from my local DIY place (3 for 50p at the last count  ) and they come in various, but unquoted,  grit sizes. Nowadays I tend to use 320 grit to kick off, followed by 600 and then maybe 800, and I can tell which grit size is which just by looking these days of course. 

[Gondor]

I can tell which grit size is which just by looking these days of course. 

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that's from old age Kit, tell them it's experience!

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Cheers lads 

Transverse sanding it is then. I can actually see the logic in that if I think about it