# Not Bad



## Sigung (Nov 20, 2013)

I've been using the 3M paper for some time now and I've had great luck with it. It cuts quickly, resists loading up, and lasts a long time.


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Good to know. It's a shame they are switching back to 3M, which makes a decent sandpaper but the Norton stuff is tops and I'm never going back.


----------



## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

The thing about 3M is that they make a zillion different sandpapers. The stuff I find at my local Ace Hardware they called "Sandblaster." I think it's also known in some circles as FreCut and the higher grits as 3M gold. The lower grits are green, the mid grade grits are purple, and the higher grits are yellow/gold.

Then Lowe's has "Sandblaster Advanced" or Pro or something. It *is* different from the stuff I get at Ace. The backing paper is a little thicker and the adhesive on the back is a bit stronger. I think it also lasts a little longer than the "Sandblaster" stuff as described above. 60 grit is orangeish brown, 80 grit is kind of puke green, and the higher grits are yellow/gold.

Then there's plain old 3M sandpaper. It's a standard aluminum oxide paper with no stearate and I think it's closed coat. It doesn't have a fancy name attached to it and has the thinnest backing paper. It wears out pretty darn fast. That stuff is usually a uniform light brown/tan color with thin backing paper.

This stuff at Home Depot the review described is new. Or at least the name is new. I suspect it's actually Sandblster/FreCut/whatever with a red color and a different name.

I think Norton has a lot of different product lines as well but the only ones I've seen at retail stores (including Woodcraft and Rockler) are Norton 3X and their garnet sandpapers. The Work Sharp supplied discs for 400 and 1,000 are some variety of Norton paper.

Honestly, it's kind of a chore to keep track of all the different kinds of sandpaper.


----------



## Sarit (Oct 21, 2009)

One of the magazines did a head to head test of several brands and klingspor came up top when you factor cost and amount of wood removal.

Magazine Review


----------



## smessick (Jul 23, 2012)

FYI, I use a Sharpy to write the grit of sandpaper in opposite corners of sheets so I can see it in it's storage space and also when mounted on a Preppin Weapon, for instance. I write the grit in the center of sanding discs where it stays a long time. Also on the back of hand sanding sheets which when cut don't show the grit.

Again, FYI


----------

