# What is the advantage of garnet sandpaper?



## Purrmaster

I've had this burning question for some time….. is garnet sandpaper really superior for woodworking? I have a few sheets of garnet paper. But I mostly use the 3M Sandblaster or Norton 3X sandpapers. And I can't find garnet sanding discs. Garnet sandpaper sheets are actually quite hard to find. And I have never found garnet sandpaper above 320 grit.

So what is the advantage of garnet over other abrasives, like aluminum oxide? Garnet papers are still being produced so there must be something desireable about them.


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## fussy

There is none. Garnet breaks down more readily than aluminum oxide exposing fresh edges. However, garnet doesn't cut as well or as consistently or last as long as other materials, and is quickly becoming obsolete. Its' only advantage may be lower cost, but as it wears so much faster, there is no cost advantage. The reason you have a hard time finding it is that fewer manufacturers are making it in response to fewer woodworkers buying it.

Steve


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## AlaskaGuy

Garnet is a natural abrasive that is still commonly used in woodworking. It is not friable like Aluminum Oxide and tends to wear out a lot faster. This is not necessarily a detriment since garnet will produce a smoother surface than aluminum oxide of the same grit number. It will however cut slower than its stronger cousin will. Garnet is also an excellent choice for a final sanding paper. It has the tendency to burnish, or seal off a wood's grain. This allows pigmented stains to penetrate woods such as birch, pine, or lauan, more evenly.


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## tenontim

I don't think you'll ever find garnet paper sanding disc. They would wear out too fast. It's good for touch up sanding and I use garnet for my final hand sanding, prior to applying the finish. Usually have strips of it, in various grits, folded up, laying around the shop. 320 is the finest that I've ever found also.


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## Smile_n_Nod

I've always found it strange that garnet is used as an abrasive, but is also considered a gemstone. Of course, diamonds are, too.


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## Richforever

It's less expensive, but wears out quickly; so it could end up being more expensive. I think it is technology that has been passed over by better stuff.


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## Loren

I haven't used it in awhile but as I recall it has some applications
in hand sanding the finest work, like musical instruments. 
Other papers are more useful for general use and cabinetwork,
mostly due to versatility with both power and hand sanding.

More info here:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20176&cat=1,42500


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## Purrmaster

I haven't found garnet papers to be less expensive. I've found them to be more so. Not as much as the stearated stuff from 3M and Norton. But more than standard issue aluminum oxide.


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## Tennessee

How bad is it? I've got some at the bottom of my sandpaper drawers, and it will stay there…


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## Grandpa

When the option was sand or garnet it was far superior. Now the legend lives on. It probably still has its place but is not as needed nor ranked as highly as 40 years ago. What hasn't been manmade? Seen a chrome car bumper lately??? LOL


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## CharlesNeil

advantage None, in the same catagory as BLO way past its prime, old and cheap dont make for "good"


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## Purrmaster

I should have said I did have one instance in which garnet sandpaper worked better. I was sanding a block of red heart. The regular 3M Sandblaster and Norton 3X paper were leaving a nasty grayish color on it. I switched to garnet paper and the gray ick was gone and the sanding proceeded.

I tend to sand up to 400 grit so even if garnet leaves a better finish, it's not going to matter, since my final sanding won't be with garnet paper.

I only found 320 garnet once and that was "Gator Grit" sandpaper. It's ok but I'd prefer finding 3M garnet paper at 320. I've found 40-220.

P.S. Diamonds aren't as rare as DeBeers would have you believe.


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## AandCstyle

There is an article in the current FWW by Teri Masacchi. She refers to garnet sandpaper as "yesterday's news". There is very little, if any, reason to use garnet today.


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## JustJoe

*"Call me old fashioned"*

WTF Beech? You joined last year, commented on a few projects so you could post a link to this online abrasives company, disappear for a year and now you're back with three comments in an hour - all with links to the same abrasives company? I don't call that old-fashioned, I call it a spammer.


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## Benvolio

I only use it for sanding filled in bits of plaster (or `dry wall`) on the walls as it's so cheap I don't mind if it clogs.

Occasionally I use it to help with stripping paint off an old piece for restoration but only if I expect the paper will clog before it wears out


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## Benvolio

^ and to underline JustJoe's point - I now know one company which I will not be patronising for sandaper


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## beech

hey justjoe - I haven't been around due to illness - I get a lot of information from these forums - felt up to sharing back and find out a little info on another topic or two

wishing you health and happiness - I will keep things I like to myself if not appreciated.

__

'DON'T JUDGE A MAN UNTIL YOU HAVE WALKED A MILE IN HIS BOOTS'
~unknown


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## JustJoe

Sure Beech, and you just happened to dig up some old threads that have been dead for months, and what a coincidence they all had something to do with sanding and whaddya know, the solution just happened to be a link to a certain company that you have linked to in every one of your prevoius posts. No projects, no posts about woodworking, no questions about woodworking, just 8 replies with 8 links to one company.

I might be ugly, but I'm not dumb - If it comes in a can, looks like rotting head-cheese, and smells like road-kill - it's spam.

And like Ben, that's just one company for me to add to the not-gonna-happen list.

Have a Nice Day!


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## Redoak49

If you are in north eastern New York near North Creek you can go on a tour of a garnet mine. I did this many years ago and it was interesting. The garnet appears in softball sized rocks in a grey stone. You can do a search on garnet mine tours to get info.

I think garnet gives a very good smooth surface but wears out quickly. The newer abrasives are much better.


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## Dark_Lightning

If you want a smoother surface, use a finer grit, instead of hoping that the garnet will "auto-wear" to the wood. I haven't used garnet sandpaper in decades. Why "wood" I, when I can go all the way to 3000+ grit? Not that I use such on wood working projects.


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## danr

I happen to like the the garnet sand paper. It works quite well for me.

Sounds like maybe you should try some, if you have not allready and see how you think it works compared to the others. Use what works for you.

I was surprised to see this comment from Charles:

"BLO way past its prime, old and cheap dont make for "good"

I like BLO and use it as a component in 2 of my finishing techniques.

Again, use what works for you and experimenting is a good thing in the shop.


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## thesoninlaw

Brett, yes garnet is an abrasive and a gemstone. Not so strange when you consider that aluminum oxide is the same stuff sapphires are made of.


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## BJODay

Joe, thanks for identifying Beech as a spam spewer.

BJ


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## fuzzyz

I am surprised that every one talks about the life span of Garnet sandpaper as compared to Aluminum Oxide, but how about the feel.
Garnet has an initial feel that is much sharper than the (made for metal working) AO, and due to this sharpness leaves a much finer cut surface in stringy woods such as Ash, where the AO paper leaves almost a gnarled surface.
True Silicon Carbide is a rather sharp sandpaper, it's very closed grain nature leads to excessive clogging on the finer grits, unless you are wet sanding your wood projects???
I say bring Garnet back, and leave the AO paper for the big box stores.


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## HapHazzard

I have to agree about garnet being better for "stringy" woods. I make a lot of tools, so most of the woodworking I do is turning tool handles out of Ash and Hickory. I love Hickory, but it's impossible to get a smooth, glossy finish with anything but garnet, even with totally dry wood-and you hardly ever use dried wood for turning.

This might just be a misperception, but I always thought garnet was sharper too, and that this was the reason it worked better. It seems like it cuts the wood fibers at the surface while the aluminum oxide pulls them until they break, leaving a fuzzy appearance.

I'm also a little confused about which is more friable. I work in metal about as much as I do wood, and I wouldn't dream of using anything but emery cloth on metal. (Emery abrasives are made from a naturally-occuring aluminum oxide.) I have no idea how long the garnet would hold up, but the reason you don't use it-or even cheaper grades of aluminum oxide-is that the abrasives break off and become embedded in the metal. Considering the higher heat and and forces involved in metal sanding, if emery abrasives don't fracture in metal working, I wouldn't expect even the cheaper grades of aluminum oxide to do so while sanding wood, but then, the range of different grades of aluminum oxide is simply staggering. ¯\(ツ)/¯

Regarding silicon carbide, sure woodworkers do wet sanding: on finished surfaces.


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## MSoares

The post is old, but today I read an article that deals with it is resolved to recommend it to anyone who is interested.

This is the article entitled "I Hate Sanding" Playbook by Michael Dresdner, which was published in Woodworker's Journal - February 2015 (pg 82-84). In the last section, called An Extra-Special Step, Michael Dresdner justify the use of garnet sandpaper.

Best regards.


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