3X sandpaper

[harry strasil]

I got a few sheets of different grits, boy I love that stuff, anybody else use it?

[Rick Whitehead]

YES!
Great stuff.I got a bunch of 220 to sand between coats of finish.It held up longer and didn't clog up as fast as the stuff I had been using.
I highly recommend it.
Rick

[Richard Dooling]

I like it too. I've been using it for about 6 weeks 100 grit and 320. Good stuff - nice backing.

[Casey Gooding]

I really like it for sanding between coats of finish. Doesn't clog like most sandpapers. Great stuff....for sandpaper that is.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on 3X. It's readily available at my HD in large packs and outlasts the regular stuff by far. I don't think I have anything else left around in grits up to 400. Never a problem with finishes and very consistent in grit.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Yep! Been using it for years. Works great on metal too. I've used it to lap really out of flat plane irons and chisels and it works really well.

[Jim Koepke]

I have had a box of this for a month of so now. Have only used one sheet so far. That could sum it up right there.

jim

[Greg Crawford]

I think the 3 times advertising is a lie. I'd have to say it lasts 4-5 times longer than any other (including Norton) I've used. Rather not have to ever use it, but ...

[george wilson]

Is 3X a brand? I haven't heard of it. Too used to using what was available in the museum's warehouse.

[Greg Crawford]

It's a Norton product. It comes in sheets and hook and loop discs that I know of. It truly is great stuff. It's available at Home Depot and Woodcraft that I know of.

[Jim Koepke]

Norton has a sandpaper they call 3X as in 3 times. It has a tougher backing and the grit seems to not break down as fast as other papers.

At my old home in the San Francisco area, there were a few retailers sold sandpaper in boxes of 25 and 50 sheets in grits up to 600. Here in South West Washington, I have not found any packages bigger than 25 or finer than 400. Ended up buying a bunch of garnet paper on line. At least I could get the grits wanted in packs of 100. Next time I may try ordering the Norton 3X. It looks like all the sources my searches have found so far only have up to 400 grit.

jim

[Brian Ward]

At my old home in the San Francisco area, there were a few retailers sold sandpaper in boxes of 25 and 50 sheets in grits up to 600.

Where did you find the 600-grit stuff? I wouldn't mind picking up some of that.

(Chiming in for 3x; I like it too. Great for sanding between varnish coats and for blade lapping.)

[Tom Adger]

does the 3x come in rolls with the peel and stick backing?

[Richard Dooling]

Norton site only lists up to 400.
http://www.nortonconsumer.com/Data/Element/Node/ProductLine/product_line_edit.asp?ele_ch_id=L00000000000000025 53

Site also states:
1/4 sheets are available with Stick & Sand adhesive backing
1/3 sheets are designed for "Clamp-On" style sanders

[glenn bradley]

Is 3X a brand? I haven't heard of it. Too used to using what was available in the museum's warehouse.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100026162&marketID=47&locStoreNum=616&categoryID=503553

[Jim Koepke]

Where did you find the 600-grit stuff? I wouldn't mind picking up some of that.

(Chiming in for 3x; I like it too. Great for sanding between varnish coats and for blade lapping.)

The OSH store in Pinole if my memory is working. They also had finer grits up to 1500 by the sheet. Things may be in transition since they were bought by Sears. Understand there is a sale going on there this weekend. Not good enough to get me to drive 1300 miles round trip though.

jim

[Dave Anderson NH]

I switched over to the 3X several years ago. I woukln't consider anything else in the available grits because fo the long life. My only complaint is that they don't make it in grits above 400.

[David Keller NC]

I also use it because of its long life and heavy paper/cloth backing that doesn't tear easily and still remains flexible.

However, I've also had about equivalent life observations about 3M's alumina oxide paper. My guess is that Norton's claim of 3 times the life might be compared to "ordinary" sandpaper typically sold in the big box stores that uses garnet as the abrasive. Alumina is far harder and more shock resistant than garnet and silicon carbide (the grit in wet/dry), so it makes sense that a good quality backing and binder combined with the harder and more durable grit would last a lot longer.

It definitely makes flattening the sole of a plane a lot cheaper than using wet dry. One side note of interest is that Konrad Sauer, the high end infill maker in Canada, uses 3X as his lapping plate for finishing off the soles of his dovetailed planes - that's where I first heard of it and decided to git it a try.