Choosing sandpaper for your project

An experienced wood finisher knows that simple finishing tricks, good planning and good quality sandpaper will give the best professional looking results to a sanding project. You need to understand that sandpaper is graded on the number of abrasive particles present in the sandpaper per square inch. In fact, the lower the number of abrasive particles, the coarser the grit will be. The most common grades for sandpapers include a coarse grit, a medium grit, a fine grit, a very fine grit , an extra fine grit  and lastly, a super fine grit

Grading Sandpaper

Primarily, there are two kinds of sandpaper. One is the commercial grade and the other is the industrial grade. The differences between them are based on the type of material used in the grit, the backing material or paper and the glue used to hold the grit together.

Abrasives and Adhesive-backed Sandpaper

There are three different types of sandpapers available in the market, but not all are conducive for woodworking. Backings serve as the basis for the abrasive minerals found in sandpapers and combined with the adhesive bond, they help hold the abrasive mineral. The adhesive backed sandpaper uses the abrasive grit and offers its unique soluble and waterproof abilities. Sandpaper comes in various forms, including sheets, discs, rolls, belts and specials. Angle grinder sending discs, orbital sanding discs, sanding belts for metals and dremel sanding discs are some of the most popular forms of sandpaper used in both commercial and industrial projects.