Sandpaper recommendations?


Marmotjr

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I have some packs of Gator paper, and I'm trying to sand the tough spots on these reindeer.   More crap is coming off the paper than the wood.

So, a two part question:

1) What brand would you recommend getting from a big box store on short notice?

2) What brand do you recommend long term?  I prefer internet shopping, and my local hardware store only carries gator, so I'm looking to stock up on a reputable supply.

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For hand sanding and sanding blocks i only use that 3m stuff that has the heat activated sticky back. I think it's 3M sandblaster? I usually buy it by the 20 sheet pack but i bought my first 20 sheet pack like 5 years ago and have yet to find the bottom. I should invest in a real sanding block but most of the time i just wrap a piece around a cutoff.

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1 hour ago, drdabrown said:

No one has mentioned Festool Granat. I know that it is a proprietary product and may not for your ROSS, but they sell she's and sanding pads as well and there is NO BETTER product it there. Lasts forever.

I should have, i use the sheets on a snading block after the sander has it's go with them. I still think the 3m has a slight edge though.

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2 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

@Brendon_t turned me onto Mirka. The discs are a little pricey but they tend to last longer. I haven’t tried their sheet paper yet. 

With normal hole pattern Sanders, I really liked mirka paper. My honest impression is that I would use it over the festool paper if the holes aligned.  Festool paper is really expensive and with how often I change discs, it's not worth it. I also have noticed swirling on granat paper that I absolutely can not get rid of.

For drum paper, I use performax paper from Amazon. I Only stock 100 and 120 for the drum. Any more aggressive an takes so long to get the lines off.

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I like the FT Granat discs. I tend to use finer grits and haven't had a swirl issue. Turn down the suction when hooking a vac to a ROS.  I drilled about 6 - 3/8" holes in the hose end fitting on my Fein vac and the hook & loop pads lasted 3 times longer plus no more swirls. Too much suction pulls the sander down tight, makes swirls and heats up the pad shorting it's life. Festool is proud of those $$ pads.

I use 150 grit on my 19/38 and previous 16/32 to remove saw marks from strips. You just have to watch for resin build up and keep the abrasive clean. Keep your crepe rubber block in the freezer, it works better & lasts longer. Definitely use the shop fridge to avoid issues w SWMBO.

The Klingspor 3" abrasive rolls work a little better but I often get the  cheaper chinese stuff from Peachtree Woodworking because it's halfway between the house and the shop. 

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On 12/17/2017 at 1:59 PM, K Cooper said:

@Brendon_t turned me onto Mirka. The discs are a little pricey but they tend to last longer. I haven’t tried their sheet paper yet. 

I've used the Mirka Abranet discs and sheets for a while now and can't imagine going back to paper backed.

The mesh structure really improves them not getting clogged up and the dust collection.

 

Chris

"It's never too late to have a happy childhood"

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