Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Storebought or Homemade: Tell Us!
Ken C

Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by Ken C »

Bob,

Silicone carbide is typically made to be used wet or dry. It is often used for sanding finishes prior to rubbing or buffing out. I have never particularly liked it for sanding bare wood, but for super fine grit paper without stearates, this may be the only option. Silicone carbide is also good for metal. I have sheets of various grits stuck to a sheet of glass that I use for quickly sharpening my chisels! Aluminum oxide is sort of like the orangish garnet paper, but the aluminum oxide lasts longer. You can typically get this paper with or without stearates, the coarser grits available with or without stearates, but the super fine grits may only come with stearates. Aluminum oxide is my all around favorite for working with wood. The coarser grits (like Norton 3X) are great for prepping and the finer grits (Klingspor stearated) for finishing.

I suppose there are other types of coatings out there other than what I have mentioned, zirconium oxide that you mentioned being one. I'm only opining on what I am familiar with. Regardless of the coating used, I presume many of the name brands perform equally well.

Cheap and easy to try a few papers out. Just make sure you get the selection of grits and work through all grits when prepping for finish. This ensures you remove all scratches from the wood. Generally speaking, it is also a good idea to stick with the same brand in your finer grits as the manufacturer designed the papers to work together to leave the least amount of scratching. I do jump from Norton to Klingspor at the 320 grit point, but would never consider jumping brands between say 600g and 800g.

Ken
tippie53
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by tippie53 »

For my regular sandpaper I use industrial abrasives reading pa . I use micro mesh for finishes. I use a lot of psa grits 60-80-100-120 for standard work I use 120 - 220 - 320 - 420 and for rough finish 600 - 800 - 1000-1200-1500-2000
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
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president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
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Tony_in_NYC
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by Tony_in_NYC »

I don't actually use sandpaper. I just put the piece I need sanded next to a picture of Chuck Norris and the wood gets itself into shape for me. Chuck is not stearated, but even if he was, the lacquer wouldn't dare form fish eyes. Nobody messes with Chuck Norris.
mjmeehan
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by mjmeehan »

Now that was funny! Good to see you here, Tony.

I thought of you as I dusted off my luthier's bricks this summer!
naccoachbob
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by naccoachbob »

I had to hide all the Jose Canseco pictures from my wood.
deadedith

Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by deadedith »

Dang, I'm out of luck, I only have a poster of Pam Anderson laying in the surf...
Dave B
Tony_in_NYC
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by Tony_in_NYC »

mj--when not using my luthier bricks for building guitars, I find they make excellent paperweights! Now they wont get dusty from laying around unused!!

coachbob--why do you have multiple, let alone ONE picture of Jose Canseco? Dude...thats creepy! LOL

deadedith--Dave...you poor man. You have to sand everything. Not that you get any work done with that sweet Pam poster hanging there.

Chuck Norris--Please do not roundhouse kick me in the face for taking your name in vain. All hail Chuck.
Ben-Had
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by Ben-Had »

WOW! Now I know how I got all that bear-claw on that spruce top - I left it sitting next to a picture of Sarah Palin over night!!
Tim Benware
Tarhead
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by Tarhead »

I'm loving Abranet. Lasts a long, long, long time, no clogging, great dust control, no worries about stearates. Not cheap but worth the price.
http://www.mirka.com/abranet
Tarhead
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Re: Best sand paper ... your opinions!

Post by Tarhead »

Back on topic....I'm loving Mirka Abranet
http://www.mirka.com/abranet#
on my 5" PC533 ROS. Almost zero dust, zero build up and they last forever. You absotively HAVE to use an interface pad between the abrasive and the sander hook and loop pad or the hooks from the sander pad will poke through the abrasive disks(netting) and wear down. There is a new version from a different company (Joest) which was made for drywall sanding but has a foam backing built into the discs. Joel at Tools for Working Wood is carrying them. http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merc ... y_Code=TFA. They may be an improvement but I'm happy with Abranet.
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