You will then be ready to purchase the correct sandpaper and tools for your project to go smoothly. By: Vineta Jackson Published: MaLast updated: JanuHome Woodworking Tools This handy guide will teach you everything you need to know about different sandpaper grits, so you can choose the right one for your project Expecting one type of sandpaper to perform all tasks equally will lead to disaster. This sandpaper is often used for final sanding before a project is completed.Įxtra-fine Sandpaper, including paper with 240-grit to 600-grit, is used between paintings or varnishing and is best suited for polishing jobs.įamiliarize yourself with these sandpaper grits before hitting the hardware aisle. Medium Sandpaper ranges from 60- to 100-grit paper and is used with final shaping, primary sanding, and removing of planning marks on wood.įine Sandpaper, ranging from 120- to 220-grit, is used in most home workshops. This sandpaper runs typically in the 40- to 50-grit range. It ranges from 24- to 36-grit sandpaper.Ĭoarse Sandpaper works best on shaping rough wood or removing previous finishes like polyurethane. ![]() Remember these characteristics of the various levels of coarseness.Įxtra-coarse Sandpaper is used primarily for tough jobs like removing paint and varnish or sanding old floors. Medium grit good for general purpose sanding. Some projects may call for a certain coarseness of sandpaper instead of a specific grit. Course best used for removing large amounts of wood and rounding off corners. The lower the grit number, the larger the grain and coarseness of the sandpaper. The higher the grit number, the smaller the grain and the finer the sandpaper. The size is determined by a gradation scale established by the Coated Abrasive Manufactures Institute (CAMI). Review these recommendations for the best choice for your project.ĭifferent projects require different grit sizes. Selecting the correct grit of sandpaper can be confusing. These particles are sifted and sorted by size before being applied to paper with adhesive, thus creating the abrasive and handy helper. On the other hand, because FEPA does have a tighter tolerance for particle size (= more consistent scratch pattern), some woodworkers prefer FEPA graded paper for fine finish sanding tasks.Despite its name, sandpaper is not actually made of sand instead, it consists of grains or grits from natural or synthetic sources. This is not a big deal for coarser grits because a finished surface is not the goal and hence CAMI is still used for grades coarser than 80 grit by most major abrasive manufacturers. In addition, CAMI is less stringent than FEPA in that it tolerates a wider range of particle sizes for a given grit grade. Above this, FEPA graded sandpaper becomes increasingly coarser than CAMI graded paper for a given grit size. The CAMI and FEPA scratch patterns are similar for the coarser grits up to 220 grit or so. (There are other standards such as JIS but it is rarely used outside of Japan). If there is a “P” in front of the grit number (ex: P180), the grading system is FEPA. Below is a steel wool grit chart to help you pick the appropriate texture for your next wood finishing project. On the other hand, steel wool quality is measured in grades, from grade 4 (extra coarse) to grade 0000 (extra fine). Sandpaper is labeled on the back with the grit size. Generally, sandpaper grit numbers range from 60 (extra coarse) to 400 (extra fine). The “ought” system is an older grading system that is seldom used anymore but included here for sentimental reasons. ![]() CAMI is used primarily in North America whereas FEPA is used in Europe and many other parts of the world. CAMI and FEPA are the two most common grading systems in use today. Grits below 40 only need to be used on wood that has a lot of paint or varnish to be removed. ![]() Extra fine grits like 400 are used to get a really fine finish on wood for waxing and polishing. This chart compares sandpaper grits using three different grading systems: 1) Coated Abrasives manufacturer’s Institute (CAMI), 2) Federation of European Producers Association (FEPA), and 3) the “0” or “ought” grade system. Girts above 240 can be used between coats of paint to help get a super smooth finish. This entry was posted in Finishing on Decemby Bill Kovalick
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