P120: Recommended starting grit for softwood sanding.It also does an effective job of removing shallow scratches from metal surfaces. P80: This is the recommended starting grit for working with hardwoods.P40-P60: For stripping finishes and paints, smoothing rough pieces of lumber, removing stock from thicker pieces of metal, or removing knots or bumps in wood pieces.a soft wood like pine.) Does the finish need to be glass-smooth or are you looking for a more textured effect?īelow is an overview of common grit numbers and their recommended applications: How much material needs to be removed from the workpiece? What material are you working with? (For example, metal vs. When determining the right grit sequence for your application, confirm what you want to achieve. A popular grit progression for sanding metal is 60 grit followed by 120 grit, 220 grit, and 320 grit. There are makers that will start with a coarse grit as low as 40 grit for sanding metal that is pitted or rusty. Since metal is a harder material, you can use coarser grains as part of your sanding process. Makers that sand metal often follow a similar grit progression to the makers that sand wood. A popular grit progression for wood is 80 grit followed by 120 grit, 150 grit, 180 grit, and 220 grit. Usually, 60 grit is the lowest grit experienced makers will use on wood and that's only if the piece has gouges, splinters, loose fibers, or dips. When you're sanding wood, you typically won't start any lower than 80 grit. Still, we've taken the time to outline common grit sequences for both wood and metal. The best grit sequence for your application is going to depend on the type of finish you're trying to produce and the material you're sanding. When you skip more than one grit, the higher grits only cut the tops of the scratch peaks, leading to an uneven pattern and blotching. By using a correct grit sequence, you gradually even out the scratches. Why does this happen? When you start with the coarsest grit, you apply deep scratches on the workpiece surface. You’ll end up oversanding and create an uneven finish or sanding swirls. For example, if you use a P80 to strip away caked-on, layered paint and follow it with a P180 instead of P120 or 150, the marks from the paint removal won’t totally be removed. If your process starts with rough sanding and ends with a flawless finish, you should never bypass more than one grit. What does a good grit progression look like? Are you a hobbyist or professional knifemaker? Do you make rough, handcrafted furniture or try to get sheet metal as smooth as glass? Red Label Abrasives can advise you on which grits you should have on hand for best results. The number of grit sizes that you’ll need to keep in stock will depend on what you work on. The lowest numbers denote the coarsest grains while finer ones have a high number. At Red Label Abrasives, our products use the Federation of European Producers of Abrasives (FEPA) standard, which means that our sandpaper grits are signified by the letter P and a number, such as P80 or P240. Grit sizes explainedĬoated abrasives like sanding belts, sanding discs, sanding rolls, and sanding sheets have a range of grain sizes. Any deviations can compromise the quality of the finished workpiece, so the team at Red Label Abrasives has put together this sanding grit guide to support the success of your sanding efforts. You want to start with a rougher abrasive that eliminates all stock and finish, followed by successively finer grits that clear away sanding marks until a smooth finish results. What does a good grit sequence look like?ĭuring a sanding project, choosing the right grit sequence is critical. You’ll then want to use medium grits (P100 - P220) for prepping and shaping materials followed by fine grits (P240+) for sharpening and polishing. Generally speaking, you’ll want to use coarse grits (P8 - P80) for stock removal and the stripping of paints and varnishes.
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