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After some experimenting and trying different kinds and brands, I've come to the conclusion that wet / dry paper sucks for using dry.
I always sand without water, and wet/dry paper loads up quickly and it has to be replaced often. It also doesn't cut as fast as dry paper.
I use 1000 or 1500 grit wet and dry paper to establish a new bevelled edge.
If I use the paper wet, the edge is smoother at the 1000 grit stage. However, I have found that I prefer to establish a rougher edge at the 1000 grit level and let my coticule do the smoothing. For this reason, I use the 1000 grit wet and dry paper, dry.
For polishing the rust off an old blade, I would use the paper wet as I agree with you, the dry paper clogs quickly.
Actually, my point was the opposite.
From what I found so far (for the purpose of rust and pitting removal) for dry sanding, dry paper works much better than wet/dry, because wet/dry doesn't cut as aggressively as dry, and it also clogs up faster.
I think most wet/dry paper is silicon carbide, cuts very fast but doesn't last long.
Dry paper is emery, doesn't cut as fast as SC but lasts longer... I have never seen dry paper in higher grits than 400.
Why do you not sand wet?
The gold sandpapers such as Mirka gold, and 3m's 216 U work well and are avilable in high grits 800. The sand papers are a little pricy but I think this is one of the times where you get what you pay for. They are both designed for dry sanding.
As a side note most papers that are made for dry sanding will work well with kerosene or mineral spirits as a lubricant.
Charlie
The papers I bought last are aluminium oxide.
I don't sand wet because I don't like to have water on the blade while sanding
also, atm I am using a small electric wheel grinder which I've converted to a low rpm polisher. I cannot use it wet. first of all because it wouldn't be safe with the cheap electric motor, and second because the rotation would make a mess out of my workplace.
I see... then for you it's better dry.
I use a DC motor connected to an adjustable power supply, it sits over the kitchen sink, and the tap is high enough to allow water to trickle just above the wheel.
I could run the motor so slow with the motor still having good torque, with no water I can hold the blade for minutes at a time and the blade will just get warm. But I cannot stand the dust so I run with water.
I also prefer to wipe up splash than vacuum dust.