Abrasives for flattening a jack?

[James Carmichael]

Where do you get sandpaper sheets/rolls long enough to lap the sole of a jack? I checked klingspor, but don't want to pay $80 for a roll I'll never use up..

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Don't they have something like this at your local Borg?

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/multisand-coarse-60-grit-3-2-3-inch-x-25ft-sanding-roll/982204

[Edward Clarke]

Just a thought but... could you cut a belt sander belt in half to get a long narrow piece? You'd need to hold it down to something flat with 3M adhesive.

[Don Dorn]

Given the general use of a Jack, is it really necessary to flatten it? It would have to be way out of whack to prevent it from being used for the rough work it's really used for. Just a thought.

[Greg Wease]

I can buy abrasives in any grit, any width, any length by the pound at a local store specializing in abrasives. A San Diego area store won't help you in Texas but you might find a similar store near you. (It is North County Tool and Abrasives in Escondido, CA for you locals.)

I have also used a cut 6" wide belt sander belt with good results.

I have also used standard sized sheets end to end. Continuous sheets are convenient but not really necessary.

[Joe A Faulkner]

+1 for using sanding belts or some folks buy loose grit, available at autobody shop suppliers, and use kerosene as a lubricant - using 1/2 inch or thicker float glass as the reference surface.
I've flattened a few old Bailey's using continuous sand paper - 24 - 30 inches in length, and have never used anything more aggressive than 80 grit and work up to 150 or 220 grit. It can sometimes take a while (1-2 hours) to get the toe, heal and areas directly in front of the mouth flat, but I don't like the idea of introducing deeper scratches into the sole of the plane than necessary.

[Charlie Buchanan]

Klingspor lists adhesive-backed 5 meter rolls 6" wide silicon carbide rolls in lots of grits for $9.95 per roll. Search for "silicon carbide rolls" at Woodworkingshop.com.
Don't know for sure but I have been told this is really, really sticky stuff unlike the 3M Stikit which peels off easily.


Where do you get sandpaper sheets/rolls long enough to lap the sole of a jack? I checked klingspor, but don't want to pay $80 for a roll I'll never use up..

[Jerry Thompson]

I have used the Klingspor rolls for several years. The are not diffecult to remove from a flat surface.

[Pinwu Xu]

Given the general use of a Jack, is it really necessary to flatten it? It would have to be way out of whack to prevent it from being used for the rough work it's really used for. Just a thought.

Agree, unless you want to practice the flattening. Or you can get another jack plane for cheap, which could be of better condition.

HTH.

Pinwu

[Jim Neeley]

It doesn't say what type of paper it is, but http://ptreeusa.com/psarolls.htm offers 4.5"x10yard rolls from 80 to 320 grit for about $17/roll.

[David Weaver]

mirka gold 80 grit psa stick-down paper - 4.5" wide and 10 yards long i think. I have flattened gobs of planes with it.

Follow it up with 220 grit of the same if it's still "sharp" when you're done with the 80 grit (if the 80 grit is worn, it leaves a pretty good surface).

http://www.supergrit.com/products/products_rolldrumsleeve-psa.asp (no affiliation)

You can get by with loose belts and rolls, but they will dub all around the plane (which makes no difference with a jack). Thoroughly stuck down PSA paper will not dub. I like Al-ox for this, it doesn't fracture quite as quickly as silicon carbide (which is nicer for hard metal work on a power sander).