Online source for sandpaper

[jnich67]

My local automotive store is really bad about re-stocking their wet/dry sandpaper and I rarely have time to go to the home superstore. Does anyone know a good online source?

Thanks

Jordan

[Joe Chandler]

My local automotive store is really bad about re-stocking their wet/dry sandpaper and I rarely have time to go to the home superstore. Does anyone know a good online source?

Thanks

Jordan

There are several I use, but my primary source is trugrit.com. Keith at handamerican sell some of the really superhighultrafine grit papers, as does riogrande.com. There are probably lots more, but those are the three I use for paper. You can get flapwheels up to 400 grit at widgetsupply.com, and radial bristle discs from either rio grande or otto frei (Otto Frei is the only one I've found that has the disc sizes I use). I know your post was about sandpaper, but the other items were listed for info purposes, as they're great for restorations and blade cleaning/polishing/sanding. Good luck,
Joe

[FiReSTaRT]

Joe, I have a couple of questions about these puppies..
1)Which size do you use? I am assuming it's 2"?
2)How many individual discs do you stack?
3)Is pumice an intermediary step between 400 grit and 1 micron? Do you know the approximate grit?
4) I am assuming that I don't have to do any grits between 120 and 400 if I already have 120/240/400 grit flap wheels?
5) How many blades can you do with a disc?

[Joe Chandler]

Joe, I have a couple of questions about these puppies..
1)Which size do you use? I am assuming it's 2"?
2)How many individual discs do you stack?
3)Is pumice an intermediary step between 400 grit and 1 micron? Do you know the approximate grit?
4) I am assuming that I don't have to do any grits between 120 and 400 if I already have 120/240/400 grit flap wheels?
5) How many blades can you do with a disc?

Ilija,
1) I do use the 2" discs. Usually stacked 4 thick, but sometimes 5. You can't use them in a Dremel, btw. The mandrel is 3/8", with a 1/4" shank, which is too big for a Dremel. I use a Foredom for the radial bristle discs. Use mandrel #M30 (available from Foredom). The smaller discs can be used in a Dremel, due to smaller hole/shank size. I like the 2" because it seems to me to be the best size in a handheld device. Bill uses the 6" stacked discs (I think) that cost about $40, but I don't have a buffer set up to handle them, as they're designed for a tapered spindle.
2) See answer 1
3) Pumice is, I believe, and intermediate step. I rarely ever use it though. The pumice seems to want to "gum up" faster than any of the others. I use it, but only occasionally.
4) I go from 120 (if I go that coarse...usually if I need that coarse, I'll use the flapwheels) to 220 to 400 to 6micron to 1micron. Sometimes I'll go from 80 grit up through the sequence, but I try not to skip steps. It usually means I'll have to step back down and start over. I also have 4 buffing wheels set up to work with, which helps a lot in evening the finish out.
5) I'm not sure, as I use a combination of flapwheels and discs. I'd say with the 2-inch, 4 deep, probably 30-40 blades, if I don't use too much pressure or catch the disc with the edge. I made me a magnetic sanding jig (a Kelly jig, if I remember Bill's video correctly), which has pretty much eliminated that problem.
Hope this helped,
Joe

[FiReSTaRT]

Thanks Joe. 9/16 would be too small for what I am used to, as I'm using 1.5" flap wheels and they work just fine. Can you think of a way to ghetto-rig the shank or the rotary tool so they will fit? What sort of a finish do 6 microns and 1 micron give you?

[jnich67]

Thanks for the info Joe. I'll give them a looksee.

Jordan

[Joe Chandler]

Thanks Joe. 9/16 would be too small for what I am used to, as I'm using 1.5" flap wheels and they work just fine. Can you think of a way to ghetto-rig the shank or the rotary tool so they will fit? What sort of a finish do 6 microns and 1 micron give you?

Honestly,no. At 5-15,000 rpm, if it's jury rigged, it'd be really tough to balance and if it flies apart, you got problems.

As far as the finish 6&1 micron give, all I can say is I use those grits on mirror polished blades to remove stains without dulling the finish much. None of the rbds cut like flapwheels. Even the ones that cut, cut much shallower.

[FiReSTaRT]

I just thought of an idea. Can the discs be ghetto-rigged onto a Dremel mandrel?

[Joe Chandler]

Not sure. I've never tried it, so I can't speak from experience. If you were to get a couple washers with 1/8" center holes to put on either side of the rbds, it might work.

[FiReSTaRT]

That's what I was thinking. Thanks Joe. I may even be able to write it off come tax-time lol