Thread: Sandpaper

I usually buy sandpaper by the box. I've been using Klingspor. What I've noticed is that it seems to be durable. The loops on the back of the rotary disks can be cleaned with a shop vac. This helps when "Going through the grits".

I'll throw in Abranet, especially for machine sanding.

Yes it's on the expensive side, but you save by using less discs, quicker sanding time and IMHO a better finish.

YGWYPF!

Aluminium Zirconia is more durable/tougher than Al.Ox in grits up to about 240. Ceramic grit for finer than that. Film substrate rather than paper vastly reduces tearing the abrasive discs and dog-earing the edges. Klingspor have these sorts of abrasives, as do Jöst. There may well be other brands too. They are more expensive to purchase but last MUCH longer, and are therefore cheaper to operate, even in the shorter term.

The other thing to watch out for in abrasives is "rogue" grits, where you might get a few individual grains that are coarser than than they should be. Those few grains will keep coarser scratch marks in the job. That's what the "P" means in European abrasives - a guarantee that the grit is within a certain range size for each grade.

I tried some very cheap discs about 5 years ago, which were made in Korea. I had assumed South Korea, but after using them I'm certain it must have been a bit further north. Absolute rubbish! By the time I eventually got up to 800g it put scratches in the job so bad that I had to go back to 320g to remove them. This was for some extensive testing that I did between Festool, Klingspor, Jöst, and shall we say Brand "K". After not very long I dropped "K" from the testing because it was just a waste of time and energy.

Have a look at Revcut Blue, I've found it to be excellent value for money.

Sia sandpaper works a treat and has for my use lasted longer than Diablo, Flexovit, and Bosch branded paper.

Originally Posted by Pat

I'll throw in Abranet, especially for machine sanding.

Yes it's on the expensive side, but you save by using less discs, quicker sanding time and IMHO a better finish.

Abranet

After allowing for longevity, I would suggest that Abranet is actually cheaper.


Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Abranet

After allowing for longevity, I would suggest that Abranet is actually cheaper.

A-bloody-men to this. The dust collection is fantastic and the discs last forever which makes them tremendous value. Do yourself a favour and get a sample pack to try.

As a side-bar, I was told by the Abranet rep to make sure I used a pad saver (double-sided hook-and-loop insert) to make sure that I didn't melt the sander's hooks on its pad if I pressed too hard. Not that I do press very hard, but I figure it's cheap insurance.

Has anyone compared abranet with sia mesh? Sia mesh pads are ceramic + al ox grain which I assume will last longer?

Those that use mesh discs - do you use an intermediate pad between your ROS pad and the disc or just stick it straight onto the ROS pad

I use the 3mm intermediate pad, I brought 2 at the time and have placed the spare somewhere safe in the shed. I don't think I need to bother to try to find it atm.

hey everyone

Sussertown lives in the USA -- Colorado Springs, CO according to his profile.

we probably should be sending him to the Norton and/or 3M branded stuff in his local Home Depot or Lowes or from Lee Valley.
I'm not sure what Woodcraft and Rockler stock

I've been using 3M brand sandpapers for years for both sanding and sharpening.
Fairly constant inspection of the scratch patterns with a 10X magnifier on the steel carving tool edges.
I see 2 things:
1. The grit uniformity, the "nominal particle size" does not make the odd very deep scratch from oversized particles.
2. Durability seems excellent, I suspect from the quality of the adhesive that sticks grit to ground.

Originally Posted by Pat

I use the 3mm intermediate pad, I brought 2 at the time and have placed the spare somewhere safe in the shed. I don't think I need to bother to try to find it atm.

Where did you buy it from? Was it the Mirka/abranet version?

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Originally Posted by qwertyu

Where did you buy it from? Was it the Mirka/abranet version?

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I got them from Best Abrasives.

Originally Posted by qwertyu

Those that use mesh discs - do you use an intermediate pad between your ROS pad and the disc or just stick it straight onto the ROS pad

I use an intermediate pad which I bought at the same time as my discs. I'm still working on my initial purchase which is why I'm such a fan of Abranet longevity.