Obtaining High Grit Sandpaper

Joined
Oct 13, 1999
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I'm looking to polish up a few of my khuks. I've tried looking at Walmart and the local hardware store for really high grit sandpaper (up to 2000) but so far the highest grit sandpaper I've seen offered is 400 grit. Where is the best place to look for high grit sandpaper? Should I look on the net for some? Thanks for any and all help.

Bob

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The Milk Snake: Beautiful, harmless, good-natured, eats venomous snakes for lunch.
 
I asked Yvsa that question when he was in Phoenix and he recommended auto parts stores.

Paint stores might work too.

It is out there!

-Dave
 
It should indeed be at Wal-Mart. Check the automotive section, next to the touch-up paints, with the bondo and stuff.
 
:
Bob it's sorta strange since I thought Walmarts everywhere carried the same products, but evidently they don't.
I found up to 2,000 grit at Walmart in Phoenix in the auto parts section, but it isn't carried by the Walmarts here in Oklahoma or at least the Supercenter I asked at here didn't carry it.

I have yet to check at one of the large auto parts stores like O'Riely's or Auto Zone, but I would think they would/should have it for fine finishes on cars.

I didn't check at Paxton's, a fine wood lumber company, the other day when I was there to pick up some rottenstone, but that may be another possible option.

And this would also be another good question for the guys on the Shoptalk Forum since several of them have mentioned finishing handles out to 2,000 grit.

I don't recall if "Crocus Cloth" had a designated grit size, but it's what we used in the machine shops after 400 or 600 grit paper for polishing prior to any buffing on precision parts.
HTH's.


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Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
Auto parts stores usually carry wet or dry sandpaper, I think it is sometimes called Durite? or something similar. 600 grit is the finest paper I have ever used on steel, after that I usually go to a polishing compound either on a wheel or worked into a piece of leather.

FYI wet or dry is grey and if you are polishing a piece of wood that is pale like maple or cherry you may find some discoloration from the dark grit imbedding in the pores. In that case you need to find someplace that sells fine grit garnet paper.
 
I do have an AutoZone in my town, so I'll check there tomorrow. Thanks again everyone.

Bob

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The Milk Snake: Beautiful, harmless, good-natured, eats venomous snakes for lunch.
 
I got some a few weeks ago at a Rockler Woodworking store. They also have a website (www.rockler.com). They had sandpaper all the way up to 8000 grit.

I got some 4000 and it put a nice mirror shine on a puuko blade I got from Ragnar.
 
I just went to the Rockler site and saw that they had Micro-Mesh, which I've never used, up to 12,000 grit! Anyone ever used it? I may have to get some just to see that finish
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Mccld,

12,000 grit? Don't be surprised if they hand you a piece cut out of a silk nightie
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Man! that must be some fine stuff! Let us know how that is
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I ordered some 6000 and some 12,000 grit. We'll see how they do on the finish, then we'll take a thin strip glue it down to a homemade strop and see if I can't get a full-body shiver sharp edge
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I didn't know it was out there til today either, and at $2.94 each + s&h I was willing
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I'll let you know if it's worth it.
 
Today I stopped by the local craft store and found some K&S Flex-I-Grit sanding film. It's like sandpaper but with a plastic backing. The regular assorted pack has five sheets 150 to 600 grit. The micro fine assorted pack doesn't list grits, only materials (cerium oxide, chrom oxide, aluminum oxide, and silicon). Some of the sheets are so smooth it's hard to tell which side to use! Unfortunately the sheets aren't labeled, so you have to go by "feel".

This stuff is working nicely to touch up a brass handle on an old knife. I had gone as far as I could with Brasso. The micro fine sheet does pick up metal, but it doesn't leave any "scratch lines" behind, so it's nice for finishing. I'll see how it works on the GRS when it arrives.
 
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