Sand paper

Big Smitty

Big Smitty

Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
509
What is the best brand of sand paper to use for hand sanding blades? Let's hear everyones opinion. I am looking to figure out what cuts the best and lasts the longest. Thanks!
 
i recently bought some stuff i believe was called Gator 220, 320,600,1500, that was pretty decent, cut nice and held up pretty well. i think it might have been made by 3M, also ive got a bunch of Norton that cuts real good as well.

andrew
 
I alwas use norton and was happy but now my local supply has gator in bulk and it seems to be as good. Use a lubricant water with a drop of soap or I use W40.
 
3M Gold for 220 through 600

Norton Black Ice for 2000 grit.

I'm a slow study. I tend to let stuff run out and sometimes I'd have to buy some different brand if the auto paint store is out. It's always turned out being a complete waste of time and money. I finally figured out that it's better to just stop in the middle of a project and wait until the good stuff comes in.

Cheers,

Terry Vandeventer
ABS MS
 
tvandeventer said:
3M Gold for 220 through 600

Norton Black Ice for 2000 grit.

I'm a slow study. I tend to let stuff run out and sometimes I'd have to buy some different brand if the auto paint store is out. It's always turned out being a complete waste of time and money. I finally figured out that it's better to just stop in the middle of a project and wait until the good stuff comes in.

Cheers,

Terry Vandeventer
ABS MS
Click to expand...

I second Terry on the Black Ice but I use it from 220 thru 2500 grit It cuts better and for a longer time than anything I have used to date
 
I'm digging the 3M sandblaster series, I dry sand up to 320 then switch to wet sanding with baby oil from 400 up. I'm getting about 1.5 - 2x more out of it than the gator stuff. but when i really need to hog i use old broken gator brand belt sanding belts, there ridiculasly long lasting! Also dont want to press hard with them as they will gouge annealled steel!

Jason
 
For 600-2000, I use the black Klingspor autmotive paper. MUCH better than the Gator stuff, IMHO. I also have some of those foam feeling 3M polishing sheets in 4000, 6000 and 8000. For 120, 180, 220, 320 and 400, I buy the Standard Abrasives AU 2 inch X 50 yard shop rolls from TruGrit. I have used water, Simple Green, Windex and WD40, but a few weeks ago, I had an epiphany. I used some of my Cool Tool cutting fluid in a spray can that I use for milling 416 and it seems to have cut my sanding time by about 1/3 compared to Windex and WD40. It not only seems to cut faster, but still leaves a finer finish than the paper grit would indicate just like water based fluids and the paper seems to last longer. The downside is that it seems to make even more of a mess than WD40:D
 
Where are you guys buying the Norton Black Ice? I'm having a hard time finding it locally... and not too many places online seem to actually have it.

Thanks :)
 
NickWheeler said:
Where are you guys buying the Norton Black Ice? I'm having a hard time finding it locally... and not too many places online seem to actually have it.

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I can find 1000 grit to 2000 grit all day long online but no 2500 grit or anything lower than 1000. If you find anything please post it and i'll do the same.
 
3-M Imperial wet/dry. I get mine at a local auto paint supply place in packages of 50 and 100.
 
If you guys tell me what grits and sizes you want Norton Black Ice in, I'll see about adding it to my assortment. I've read about it in my catalogs but never have tried it. Guess I will now.
 
Nick,

I buy it at an auto paint and supply place. If you can't find it there I will pick some up and send it to you.
 
Thanks guys. I'll look for it at some of the auto-paint places. I've been buying Mirka from the closest one for about 5 or 6 years and have been pretty happy with it, but I'm always interested in what might work better.

Bill, I'll be taking you up on that if I can't find it in smaller quantities. I'm happy to buy 50 or 100 sheet packs once I try something and like it... but hate to spend a few hundred bucks on it without trying it. Thanks Bill!

BTW- I've been pretty impressed with the red Rhino stuff from Super-Grit that Burt Foster put me onto. Burt Foster, Burt Foster! :)
 
Nick, as slow as you are, I am slower...lol. If you haven't done so before, you should try using Cool Tool on the heavier grits. I can actually feel the 120-220 grit paper "grabbing" when it cuts. It really seems to speed up the process. I start with 120, whihc people tell me is too coarse. That makes the cros sanding with 180 a chore, but it is faster now. Once I get to sanding lengthwise with 220, it only takes a couple of strips of paper to get the 180 scraches out and after that, the higher grits go amazingly fast. Of course, with your particular personality, the mess might drive you mad and cause you to spend more time than you save sanding cleaning up:D
 
Imperial 3M wet/dry in 220 and 400 grit is the only one I use. You can get it at most auto parts stores and sometimes at Wal Mart.
 
Maybe just a novice answer, but oh well... I find what works best for me is to use different grit belts and rip them into the size I need. They seem to last a long time.
 
Joe, I was a huge proponent of Cool Tool II for several years. I think in the coarse grits (like you said) it makes a HUGE difference.

With more fiddling/time, I've come to where I start with 320 or 400X, and I think Cool Tool II is a bit heavy for those grits. I use Cool Mist in a spray bottle.

I also use Windex at the very fine grits. I have stuck to the real stuff too... I bought some "store brand" crap at wal-mart, and it actually etched the steel while I was sanding with 1200X. Talk about a great way to piss me off!

I think I'm just going to sand-blast everything from now on ;) :)
 
I have went almost entirely to the Rhino Wet from SuperGrit. I spent over a hundred bucks on one order and they gave me free scotch bright. It dont get better than that.
 
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