My favorite Sanding Disks

   / My favorite Sanding Disks #1  
EddieWalker

EddieWalker

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Tyler, Texas
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Sometimes I do a lot of sanding on peoples homes, especially when I'm repairing all their exterior wood. When jobs like this happen, I need a really good five inch sanding disk. In my opinion, most are junk, a few are OK, and 3M is about the best I've come across. They only sell them in the painting section at Lowes. If you go to the tool department, they just have the junky stuff that isn't worth buying no matter how cheap it is.

The 3M disks have the very best Velcro that I've seen. They stick the the sander until you pull them off. The other brands will spin off before they are dull, and once it comes off, it doesn't stick again. The 3M also last a very long time.

The Lowes that I went to last week only had 4 boxes of ten in stock, and I used the last one yesterday, so I was forced to use up my collection of junk sanding disks. Diablo was OK, but wears out a lot faster then 3M. All other brands would slip off after a minute, or just ten seconds. They are impossible to use on thin edges, or anything round. They only worked when the sander is perfectly flat.

At a buck each, they are the most expensive to buy, but since they last so much longer and I can get so much more done, they are worth the cost!!!

 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks #2  
I agree. 3M seems to have figured out how to bond the abrasive to the disk better.

Have you tried the Scotch-brite non-woven disks? I find that they are quite durable for removing paint, especially on metal surfaces.

All the best,

Peter
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks #3  
I just bought a sander from a professional wood worker and he swears by "Serious Grit" discs. He said he has tried them all and these are the best he has found. Available on Amazon.
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks #4  
Hardly anything will stand up to old oil based enamel paint. It heats up and just turns to goo. It will clog the best sanding disks. The best way to handle it is DON"T--Strip it clean and be done with it. Or use a power scraper or hand plainer to remove it down to primer or wood.

When I had my body shop, I used Norton PSA sanding disks and in-line rolls. I used 3M sheets for wet sanding. I tried a lot of abrasives but never found anything that would last as long or cut better.
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks #6  
If you think those are good get some 3m Cubitron II discs. They eat metal and wood like you cannot believe.

Like these net discs:

Or these regular discs:

The billion-hole pattern is great since you don't have to line them up and they fit any sander pattern. These ones are targeted at wood, but they have version for metal that make steel disappear like butter.
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks
  • Thread Starter
#7  
ponytug said:
I agree. 3M seems to have figured out how to bond the abrasive to the disk better.

Have you tried the Scotch-brite non-woven disks? I find that they are quite durable for removing paint, especially on metal surfaces.

All the best,

Peter
Click to expand...
I tried something like that a long time ago and didn't care for it. Is this new and worth buying to remove old paint and wood on the exterior of a 60 year old house?
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks
  • Thread Starter
#8  
dstig1 said:
If you think those are good get some 3m Cubitron II discs. They eat metal and wood like you cannot believe.

Like these net discs:

Or these regular discs:

The billion-hole pattern is great since you don't have to line them up and they fit any sander pattern. These ones are targeted at wood, but they have version for metal that make steel disappear like butter.
Click to expand...
I bought some of them off of Amazon and didn't think that they removed material very well. I think that they would be great for finish work and cabinet type work. I still have quite a few of them, but it's not worthwhile using them on the exterior of this house that I'm working on.
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Tinhack said:
Hardly anything will stand up to old oil based enamel paint. It heats up and just turns to goo. It will clog the best sanding disks. The best way to handle it is DON"T--Strip it clean and be done with it. Or use a power scraper or hand plainer to remove it down to primer or wood.

When I had my body shop, I used Norton PSA sanding disks and in-line rolls. I used 3M sheets for wet sanding. I tried a lot of abrasives but never found anything that would last as long or cut better.
Click to expand...
I was told a long time ago that the best primer is the original paint. If it's still working, don't remove it. On this job, I'm removing all of the paint that is flacking off that the two previous contractors just painted over. They also painted over ivy that had grown up on the house a decade ago and caulked over the rotten areas, or just put another board over top of the rotten areas to hide the rot, and painted over that. This is the first time in 60 years that this house is getting the full treatment of fixing everything, and making it perfect.

I like Norton sanding disks, but personally classify them with Diablo as a middle of the road brand. Not junk like gator and Craftsman, but not what I need for what I'm doing. I get them at Northern Tool.
 
   / My favorite Sanding Disks
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Fxfymn413 said:
I just bought a sander from a professional wood worker and he swears by "Serious Grit" discs. He said he has tried them all and these are the best he has found. Available on Amazon.
Click to expand...
I didn't notice that brand when I was searching on Amazon, so I put it in and it came up. I just ordered a box of 50 that should be here Monday. I'm looking forward to trying them out!!! Thank you.
 
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