A new sharpening find!

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stitchawl

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Jul 26, 2008
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Today I found something new in the hobby section of a large department store. This is the sort of place where the railroad modelers go to get parts and pieces to build hand-made layouts, RC folks get stuff to upgrade their electronics, and plane, ship, and character model builders get those little hard-to-find bits that make their stuff look so real...

... and in the 'finishing' section, I found 4,000 grit and 8,000 grit wet/dry sanding 'cloth!' Not paper. Cloth! Cost about $2 per sheet, roughly 5"x10". Seems to be a bit more aggressive than the polishing films of the same grit, but the scratch patterns are about the same. I'm curious as to its longevity. It's going to be fun to experiment with!


Stitchawl
 
3m makes that stuff and a couple of knife making sites sell it. It's pretty good stuff. The fibers of the cloth itself are the abrasive, so it doesn't have a grit that can wear off like sandpaper. Basically use it until it's too shredded to be of use. It's not as abrasive as a fine sandpaper, but the longevity makes up for it IMO.
 
I have some of the 3M stuff, in full-size sheets (maybe 8-1/2" x 11" or so). Sort of a fine, thin mesh. Kind of like a Scotch-Brite pad, but much thinner, like fabric, and impregnated with aluminum oxide abrasive. I used it for finishing touches when I thinned & polished the blades on my Opinels (doing the heavier work with wet/dry sandpaper). Don't remember what the grit was, at the moment. Only thing to watch out for, because it's a mesh and has some 'give' to it, is a tendency for it to roll over/around the edge when 'stropping' on it.

(Edit: The 3M stuff I have, I think is called 'Micron Polishing Paper', but that's a little mis-leading, as it's more like a fabric mesh. I have it in 9/3/2/1 micron grit. Edited sheet size info above. Got it thru Amazon, pic below...)

31vYCFUcaeL._SX300_.jpg



David
 
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Maybe its Micro-Mesh. I have some of the 3m cloth too. Pretty handy stuff. I originally used it on pool cue shafts.
 
No, guys, this is a very different thing. It's exactly like emery cloth but at a much finer grit.
Nothing on it or on the package says 3M. It feels more like thin canvas with a fine grit on one side.
As I said, just like emery cloth.


Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
No, guys, this is a very different thing. It's exactly like emery cloth but at a much finer grit.
Nothing on it or on the package says 3M. It feels more like thin canvas with a fine grit on one side.
As I said, just like emery cloth.


Stitchawl
Click to expand...

I sort of wondered if you had something like that. Didn't know if the 3M stuff was similar. I'd be curious if the abrasive is firmly bonded to the cloth backing. Emery cloth (the conventional stuff) seems to shed the abrasive if it gets wet. First time I used it, I found that out the hard way, when I tried to 'rinse it off' in water. Left with little more than a piece of wet canvas in my hand, and a puddle of abrasive slurry in the bottom of the sink... :rolleyes:

It'll be interesting to hear how it works for you. Keep us posted. :thumbup:


David
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I sort of wondered if you had something like that. Didn't know if the 3M stuff was similar. I'd be curious if the abrasive is firmly bonded to the cloth backing. Emery cloth (the conventional stuff) seems to shed the abrasive if it gets wet. First time I used it, I found that out the hard way, when I tried to 'rinse it off' in water. Left with little more than a piece of wet canvas in my hand, and a puddle of abrasive slurry in the bottom of the sink... :rolleyes:

It'll be interesting to hear how it works for you. Keep us posted. :thumbup:
Click to expand...


I just cut off an inch of the stuff and put it into a jar of water. I'll let you know the results tomorrow.

I used the 4000 and the 8000 to strop with after stoning an edge of a Mora to 1000 (aprox) with an Arashiyama (not the brand, the location where I bought it) water stone. I was pleased with the results at that point, but of course, couldn't stop there... :)

I can say at this point that the grit seems to be bonded to the backing material better than ordinary wet/dry sandpaper. There was very little loose material when I was finished using it.


Stitchawl
 
Anyone ever used that 3m sanding thing that looks like foam/cheese/air filter? Just saw it at oreillys yesterday
 
stitchawl said:
I just cut off an inch of the stuff and put it into a jar of water. I'll let you know the results tomorrow.
Click to expand...

24 hours soaking in water... No change. Well, it's wetter, but that's about it. Doesn't seem to be any softer though. The grit retention doesn't seem to be affected at all. Just a sloppy wet piece of sanding cloth. Interesting...


Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
24 hours soaking in water... No change. Well, it's wetter, but that's about it. Doesn't seem to be any softer though. The grit retention doesn't seem to be affected at all. Just a sloppy wet piece of sanding cloth. Interesting...


Stitchawl
Click to expand...

That's definitely better than with emery cloth. The stuff I'd tried lost almost all abrasive within seconds, after wetting it and 'scrubbing' a little with the fingers. No idea what it used to 'bind' the abrasive to the cloth, but it wasn't durable at all, when wet.


David
 
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