Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Sandpaper Grit?
n2wood
>I just read a post here that said not to skip grits when you sand. Then it went on to say that sandpaper grits run 80, 120, 150, 180, 220, 320, 400, 600. I'm not sure that I start at 80 grit but when sanding after I get to done with 180 I'll go 220, to 240, to 280 then 320. Is this a little over kill because I've always heard not to skip any grits also. Now I'm a little confused, is 240, and 280 something that we normally do not use?
Re: Sandpaper Grit?
Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.
>Yes, using 220, 240, 280 is overkill. Any one of them would do. The grit that you start with depends on how well you've prepared the wood surface. If the surface has tool marks, end grain damage, etc. then 80 grit and oil is the way to go. After careful tool use and shear scraping to remove surfce damage, I usually start with 150 or 180 or sometimes even 220.
Something else that you should know about sanding. Don't overuse the paper. Keep moving to new grit as you're sanding. When you apply pressure on worn sandpaper you burnish the wood surface, which hardens it. That makes it very difficult to remove sanding scratches.
Wally
Sandpaper Grit?
n2wood
>Thanks Wally that cleared things up a bit. This forem is so informative.
Re: Sandpaper Grit?
bob strand
>Wally,
Great tip on not applying too much pressure while sanding. I've been there, done that.
Thanks,
Bob
Re: Sandpaper Grit?
woodspinner/ Bill Hale
>As I have heard
"Use sandpaper like someone else is buying it"
Good turning and be safe
Bill
Re: Sandpaper Grit?
Mark Kauder. Phenix City, AL
>I usually instruct people to never procress more than 50% (numerically) in each sanding step. The exceptions are once you get in the super high grits and at the very bottom grits.
By this I mean, If you start at 60 Grit the next grit should be 90 grit, though I ususally go to 80. Then you could go to 120, but just using the paper that I have most of the time, I go, 100, 150, 220, 320, 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 2000 (then 1 micron buffing compound).
If you have other sand paper, you could go, 80, 120, 180, 240, 360, etc.
In each case, the sandpaper is not more than 150% of the number before it.
As has been said before, use sandpaper as if someone else is paying for it. That does not mean to waste it, but it does mean, when it is worn out, change it. With that in mind, buy decent paper, but don't over spend. I buy large 36"x39" sheets of velcro backed paper from Industrial Abrasives and cut my own powersanding disks. For the price of one 50 disk pack of pre-cut 2" disks, I can make 350 of my own.
That way, I do not feel the least bit guilty using as many disks as I need.
Mark
