Why carry 3 types of sanding discs? We are often asked what the differences are between the three types of sanding discs and which one should be used.
Here is a brief description of each and what we recommend:
Purple Power: Purple power is a mixture of ceramic and aluminum oxide. It is tough, cuts well and is very economical. It has eight grits from 60 to 600 and comes in 1-, 2- and 3-inch sizes. This is my go to abrasive for a lot of applications and works best on dry wood. It is not suggested to use it wet because it has a latex backing and will come apart.
Remover Smoother and Green Wave: These are made with the same material and both have a mylar backing which makes them very strong and almost impossible to tear. Because of the mylar back, they can be use wet or dry. The Aluminum oxide is very uniform and does a great job. These come in one, two, and three-inch sizes AND THEY ARE OVERSIZED TO WRAP AROUND THE PAD. Please read the description carefully and note the dimensions. They pair up nicely with the radius edge backers we now carry. Grits for this material are 60 through 800 and all our discs come in sample packs as well as bags of 25. This is a good all around sanding disc but what makes it stand out is the oversize and its ability to be used wet or dry. Folks who like the wavy edge will really appreciate that style.
Wonder Weave Pro Net: These are similar in a lot of ways to Abranet but about 1/3 the cost which makes them a great value. They are made with a mesh material and are porous in nature. This makes them easy to clean if they clog because you can blow air through them, which makes them my choice when sanding wetter or oilier woods. They come in thirteen grits from 60 to 3000 in 2, 3, 5, and 6 inch diameter and also strips that are about 2.75 x 8 inches long. We also carry flexible and stiff backers for the strips. These have what is called “white” aluminum oxide in them. This is not your mother’s typical aluminum oxide. It is fired in an electric refractory furnace in the same way they make media for sand blasting. This makes it harder and sharper and you will see the results. Using these wet is ok too. We suggest getting a backer pad for these in the 5 and 6 inch, and depending on whose backer you use, having one for the 2 and 3 inch might also be a good idea. We have low and high grit sample packs in these also. Low grits go from 60 to 600 and high grits go from 800 to 3000.
Please call or email us if you have any additional questions! Thanks- Ken