Replies

1. 
   ToolDoc | May 30, 2003 07:26pm | #1

   First Lady of the Forest: I use mostly the lighter paper as I ussually stock up on it when my local stores have it on sale,I have found good bargans on it at the local Big Lots..yeah IM cheap <G>.. The heavier paper does seem to hold up better but for the cost I wonder if it really is worth the extra cost?? I just use the lighter stuff & when it gets worn & torn just toss it & use a fresh sheet..Save your hard earned bucks & use the cheaper sandpaper..Then when you save up enough for plane tickets you can take a jount up here & we will go quaff a few beers..LOL..

   Take Care & have a nice weekend..     ToolDoc

1. 
   forestgirl | May 30, 2003 08:08pm | #3

   Now, Doc, you're trying to get me in trouble!! 

   I wonder now, from reading your description, if I might be tossing out the paper sooner than I need to.  Especially with the finer grits, I have trouble telling when it's gotten to the point of diminishing return.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   jackiechan | May 31, 2003 06:16am | #7

   Forest Girl,

   You can extend the life of any sandpaper (power tool or hand sanding) by rubbing it down with one of the crepe abrasive belt cleaner sticks.  I've even used it lightly on a piece of 5 micron wet/dry paper on my sharpening glass.Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.

1. 
   forestgirl | May 31, 2003 07:13am | #8

   Yep, that makes 3 of us in the Crepe Club.  Can't imagine working without one.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   pauld | May 30, 2003 07:48pm | #2

   Hi FG,

   I use lightweight paper ( "A" through "C" weights) for hand-sanding, especially where I want the abrasive to conform to irregular shapes, and I'm looking for the tactile feedback it provides.

   I reserve the stiffer and thicker backing papers ("C" through "F") for machine sanding, not only because the backing paper lasts longer, but because the adhesives used on heavier-weight papers tend to hold up to the heat of machine sanding a little better than the lightweight stuff.

   There's a correlation between the composition and coarseness of the grit, and the longevity of the backing paper; for example, I buy all of my Garnet abrasives on lightweight paper, irrespective of grit, because the Garnet breaks down so quickly, However, much finer grits of silicon carbide come on heavier, water-resistant, paper because of the way it's used.

   FWIW, I've found it worthwhile to stick with open-coat abrasives for wood, reserving closed-coat abrasives for metal. Open-coat abrasives are less likely to load-up, and they tend to be less expensive because there are fewer abrasive particles per square inch.

   BTW, I generally start sanding with 220-grit abrasives when I scrape or plane first. There are times, depending on the finish, I sometimes skip the sanding completely after planing.

   Hope this is the kind of information you were looking for,
   Paul

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/30/2003 12:51:42 PM ET by Paul D

1. 
   forestgirl | May 30, 2003 08:13pm | #4

   Fantastic info, Paul.  It used to be so easy years ago when I just went down to Ace and picked up a mixed pack of "course, medium, fine."  Getting into a catalog like Klinspor's is like walking into a graduate class in sanding!

   What about stearate vs. not?  I was thinking about going for the stearate only for sanding between coats.  Make sense? 

   What's your approach for very soft woods?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   pauld | May 31, 2003 12:18am | #5

   What about stearate vs. not?  I was thinking about going for the stearate only for sanding between coats.  Make sense? 

   What's your approach for very soft woods?

   FG,

   As you know all too well, sanding and scraping can chew away the softer wood fibers, leaving exagerated growth rings and grain undulations in softwoods. I like to apply sanding sealer or shallac to soft woods while the pieces are still fairly crisp after machining square and to size; it's fairly quick and easy to scrape away from prescribed areas before glue-up. Masking off first can save time if you know you won't want to deal with a seal coat in a certain area. Helps clean up glue squeeze-out, too.

   When I'm marking out hinge gains, miters, etc., I like the crispness and enhanced definition the seal coat provides (in hardwoods, I'll often cover an area, like a hinge gain, in low-tack [white] masking tape before I start marking-out for the same reason - my bi-focals like the enhanced contrast).

   Stearated papers are really useful when sanding between coats. They can be helpful when sanding softwoods with a high resin content, but sometimes it's cheaper to use several pieces of less-expensive Garnet paper.

   FWIW, I have an old, thin, piece of crepe rubber (a piece of an old shoe sole) that I glued to a piece of heavy canvas that fits my pad sander- I can turn on this sander and run the rubber across a piece of abrasive to clean it up and get  little extra life out of it - much as you would hold a rubber against a moving sanding belt or disk to clean it up and extend the life of the abrasive.

   Sanding seems to be in the same category as death and taxes - unavoidable, but easier to confront with a little advanced planning.

   Have fun!Paul 

1. 
   forestgirl | May 31, 2003 12:27am | #6

   Thanks for the additional info, Paul.  I too use crepe to clean discs, belts, etc., but must confess I buy the commercial sticks.  Works great!

   I'm going to have to work on the masking-off technique.  Tried it awhile back while staining prior to assembly on a shadowbox-type piece.  It was a disaster.  The stain (Watco) leaked underneath the (blue) masking tape, very inefficient.

   I used to resent the time it took to sand, but am now feeling (as is appropriate) that it's an investment in the quality of the final finish and learning to enjoy it -- sometime it's nice to have something routine and pretty mindless to do when I get home from work.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   rslatm | Jun 02, 2003 05:02pm | #9

   I buy from Kligspor on occasion but use http://www.industrialabrasives.com/index.html for most all my general abrasive needs. Good prices on good quality sandpaper with a reasonable turn over time. Klingspor wanted $75 for a 42" x 75" widebelt. I can get two of them for that price at Industrial Abrasives. 
1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 02, 2003 07:21pm | #10

   Thanks for the additional source, Rick.  In general their prices look pretty much on par with Klingspor, and I'll certainly order their catalog, but given the equipment I have (5" RO sander, 1/4-sheet finishing, 6"x48" belt/9" disc combo) I'll probably get most of my stuff from Klingspor.  Couldn't find 5" discs at IA.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   rslatm | Jun 02, 2003 09:07pm | #11

   http://www.industrialabrasives.com/Psa5X5.html?SESSIONID=728b0c46556d2b4b3cf34d74e66721f6

   Take another look. Prices are a lot cheaper. 

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 02, 2003 11:49pm | #12

   I use hook-and-loop, not PSA, but I did find them when I went back.  I'll reserve my opinion until I get their printed catalog.  There is no information on the web page about exactly what type of 5" 180grit disc they're offering for $11.95/50ct.  Lightweight? Heavyweight? Coated? etc., etc., so price-comparison isn't doable.  I'm hoping that their printed catalog is much more detailed in information.  The web site has a long, long way to go [it's hard to design a web site that effectively presents the sheer number of options such as what's found in "abrasives"!]

   Was noticing at Klinspor that they've got an introductory special on cloth-backed discs (150 and 180 grit) A/O for $7.50.  That's not bad!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)