World's best sandpaper

**bcarley** · 03-25-2002

I am in the process of varnishing my Sea Skiff and was in Sears today looking for something to help with the varnish sanding. Found a new 3M sandpaper that said on the package "no clogging". I bought a sheet and took it home and tried it and, although "no clogging" is a bit of an exageration, it is really incredible stuff. Not only does it not clog up but it lasts 10 times longer than ordinary sandpaper. It's a little on the expensive side, but not only does it not clog up, but it lasts 10 times longer than the normal stuff. What I am using is P150 grit, 3M's ID number 235U. You can recognize it by the color of the grit, which is green. It also comes in 220 grit.

**Mike Keers** · 03-25-2002

I can't speak to your new favorite sandpaper, but something to be aware of is that many "non-clogging" papers are treated with stearates, which are incompatible with some finishes. I'm not sure about any coatings in particular except for epoxy...using non-clogging paper on surfaces to be epoxy coated or painted can lead to no end of trouble. I believe there are other finishes the stearates can affect as well.

**Bob Cleek** · 03-25-2002

I can't imagine buying sandpaper at Sears! LOL I was in there the other day while a friend was exchanging something and was really disappointed at what their tool department had become. Their Craftsman sockets and wrenches and so on are still decent, but the rest... fuggedaboudit!

You probably got some good sandpaper there if it is 3M. There are lots of GREAT sandpapers, but the real problem with sandpaper is finding just the right balance between cost and staying power. You can pay a huge amount for great sandpaper that lasts twice as long, but later find that two sheets of the cheaper stuff costs a fourth of one sheet of the fancy product. I'd like to know what folks think of where the cost-benefit analysis comes out on basic sandpapers. You can get some good deals ordering from the manufacturers, and, of course, the ONLY way to buy sandpaper is in 100 sheet sleeves, given the pricing system. As far as I know, for boatyard refinishing purposes and all around sanding, 3M's aluminum oxide Tri-M-Ite is still the industry standard. Outside of some catalog sales, believe it or not, the cheapest sleeve price I've found on it lately was at Home Depot, of all places!

**Dave Fleming** · 03-25-2002

Ok, 'Cleekster' and others....A sea story of sorts.
Was working at WF Stones in Alameda, CA.. Grand old yard and good people.
We had a famous, I wanna say Dorade but, am not betting on it, out of the water on the ways for bright finish on the hull.
It was a recoat job and we used 'stinky blocks'.
Ya know what 'stinky blocks' are? Well they are those blown glass blocks used to clean restrauant griddles. We used them with a hose as a wet sandpaper substitute. Boy do they smell of sulphur and that is why they were called 'stinky blocks'.
In My Opinionated Opinion, they are 'ACES' for the application.
Problem is that as well as they sand through existing varnish, they abrade your skin as you hold this approx. 3 inch thick and wide, bye 8 inch or so long block of black bubbly glass brick. Bye the end of the day your finger tips are so worn that if you squeeze them blood will ooze out!

We did the varnish on one side, since it was Friday late afternoon, we knocked off and went home.
When we showed up on Monday morning Mr.Stone was standing there looking at the hull with a look of utter dispair upon his face!
It, the port side, was covered in bugs!!!!!! All stuck to the varnish.
What the cause was... across the street was a nice Japanese family's nursery and they used Lady Bugs for pest control.
On Friday afternoon late, they released a couple of million of those Lady Bugs into their plantings. The wind came in the Bay and blew a lot of those blankety blank bugs across the street and onto the freshly sticky varnished hull of the vessel!
So you know just what Billy Linderman and I were doing for the next day or so.

**Scott Rosen** · 03-26-2002

The folks at Jamestown Distributors turned me on to Norton No-fill Champagne aluminum oxide paper a couple of years ago. It beat the 3M products by a mile. It cuts faster, cleaner and lasts multiple times longer. Apparently it's very popular with the professional painters and varnishers in Rhode Island.

**Bill Berrisford** · 03-26-2002

In our shop we try out a few hundred sheets of new paper every now and again and we still keep going back to Klingspor PL35.

**Jim H** · 03-26-2002

I have been using 3M abrasive pads (green) to sand between coats, they do a good job and last a long time. they come in superfine,fine, medium and course. I have been using the "fine" pad on furniture that I have been applying a Shaker finish to and it beats sand paper hands down.

Jim

**Wild Wassa** · 03-26-2002

The Norton's are very good dry papers. Considering the thin base they don't crinkle readily. I can't say the same for Norton's waterproof but still good papers. The best value papers I find, are rolls, at any length.

Warren

[ 03-26-2002, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

**Bob Cleek** · 03-26-2002

Sounds like brand preferences are the same with sand paper and toilet paper. Me, I'm just glad there's some of either around when I need it! LOL

Ah, yea... those stinky blocks. I've got a couple in the shop. I first used them over at Bill Garvie's yard in San Rafael ages ago. I've never seen them used on topsides, though. I've only used them on bottoms, where they work great. We used to wrap masking tape around our fingers to keep the skin on 'em! LOL

**Scott Rosen** · 03-26-2002

Originally posted by Bob Cleek:
Sounds like brand preferences are the same with sand paper and toilet paper. Me, I'm just glad there's some of either around when I need it! LOL

What do mean "some of either around"? You don't throw out your used sandpaper do you? I prefer 40 grit for the really heavy jobs. 320 grit when I'm dealing with a liquidated damages case.

**Dave Fleming** · 03-26-2002

Scott, that some lawyer lingo or secret code amongst members of the bar????

**Tom Lathrop** · 03-26-2002

Several years ago at the Woodenboat show in Newport, RI, I saw vendor with SandEze sanding materials. It is made in Sweden and I ordered about $200 worth of it. All in all, for price and service, it has been very good. I don't know who deals in it nowadays or where it can be found. Had to make a large order then to get them to sell to me though. I've run out of some kinds and have bought Klingspor which is pretty good, and Norton which is also good. I've used a lot of 3M tri-m-ite on sticky rolls and it is OK but does not last as long as the others. I really prefer the velcro stuff since it is so easy to change grits.

**wolfietuk** · 03-26-2002

I cant help but recommend klingspor. Great prices and great advice. I have bought plain sheets to 25 inch wide belts.

Rick

**Mike Keers** · 03-26-2002

I'll throw my hat in the Klingspor ring as well. Always been satisfied with the products and service. It's all I've used for about ten years or more now.

**WFK** · 03-26-2002

I'll have to say that I like 3m's gold stikit. I buy it by the roll in various grits. It's great for sticking to any shape of sanding block you want. Another thing I like to do is double up scraps of formica cut to what ever length I want, normally a couple inches wide by a foot or so long, stick my paper to that, and now I'll have a sanding board that'll contour to any shape.

**NormMessinger** · 03-26-2002

I think what Scott was suggesting is that a lawyer is only as abrasive as necessary. No?

--Norm

**Tom Lathrop** · 03-26-2002

Speaking of Klingspor, I bought a 10yd roll of 4 1/2" 100 grit klingon from them two weeks ago for a bit over $33. It's new with them and apparently they glued some cloth material on the back of some of their regular belts. It is the most aggressive stuff I've ever seen. On a 4 1/2" bug it's hard to hold the thing but it really does cut and lasts really well too. I have to be careful when pulling the sandpaper off the bug or it will rip the gripper stuff off. I'm happy with it but it does seem coarser than 100 grit.

Two years ago I ordered some 4" discs for a minigrinder from them and had to send it back. They had punched it out of their regular fabric backed material and it would destroy itself if you caught an edge. Could grab and send a screaming 12,000rpm grinder around the shop too while I (more nimble than I knew was posssible) danced out of the way. I wrote them a letter about the danger of this stuff as it was a great moneymaker for Cleek's compatriots (not Bob of course). Although they seemed to ignore the caution, I notice that they have finally changed over to stiff fiber backing, which they should have used all the time. They are a North Carolina company and I buy stuff from them but I question them more carefully when I order now.

**Terry Etapa** · 03-27-2002

I've found that using a shop vac attachment for dust collection helps to extend the life of any sandpaper.

Before I decided sucking dust professionally was more than I can handle, I worked in auto body repair. Then, my hands down favorite sandpaper was Norton. That was over 20 years ago, things may have changed.

**Bob Cleek** · 03-27-2002

God, Scott... 40 GRIT! You're a better man that I! If it'll stand 40 grit, I'll bet you could reach back and use that thing to open a beer, too! Actually, I always found the fuzzy velcro stuff a grossly expensive extravagance until an old timer showed me how, after the sandpaper side was worn out, you could use the soft fuzzy velcro side to wipe your butt!

[ 03-27-2002, 05:51 PM: Message edited by: Bob Cleek ]

**Tom Dugan** · 03-28-2002

Yet another item I don't think I needed to know!

**gert** · 03-28-2002

Nortons is JUNK.
this stuff should be outlawed; the average consumer is getting robbed when he buys Nortons.The big orange box should have it's --- kicked for selling it, but they cater to their bottom line regardless of consumer needs or ethics, why not pay twice as much for something that does realy last ten times as long?
The best sandpaper is EKAMANT from Sweden, wear gloves when you use this stuff, it's that sharp.
The second best is SIA from Switzerland.
Klingspore is third. 3M a distant fourth.

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