Sanding Disc Choices

[Larry Frank]

I need some hook and loop sanding disks. I have been using the Norton 3X and they have performed well for me. However, where I bought them has now started to carry some off brand so I am looking for new ones. I could order them from Amazon or somewhere else but have decided to try some others.

I have had good results from Klingspor on other products so I thought that I would try theirs. The problem is that they have several varieties



Klingspor Gold – cloth backed which makes it softer and is supposed to be their best – alumina




Light Weight – alumina open coat paper disks which are the cheapest and probably not what I want.




A-Z Plus – D weight paper with alumina zirconia grains – stearate additive




Heavy F Weight – Alumna grains on heavy paper


I think that I am going to try the Klingspor Gold but would like to hear from any others who have tried the different ones or other brands that have worked well.

[Jim Andrew]

I bought some of Klingspor's blue discs, and they are fantastic. Also bought a bunch of the closeout discs, and they aren't bad. Just not as good as the blue. Get several of their foam discs, saves the pad on your sander.

[scott vroom]

I bought some of Klingspor's blue discs, and they are fantastic. Also bought a bunch of the closeout discs, and they aren't bad. Just not as good as the blue. Get several of their foam discs, saves the pad on your sander.

Have you tried Mirka Gold? Amazon has the full line.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Give Vince at vinceswoodenwonders a shot. His blue discs are great.

[scott vroom]

I bought some of Klingspor's blue discs, and they are fantastic. Also bought a bunch of the closeout discs, and they aren't bad. Just not as good as the blue. Get several of their foam discs, saves the pad on your sander.

Jim, where did you purchase the Klingspor discs?

[Jeff Duncan]

I really like the film-bak discs from Hafele. One very important thing about discs that's often overlooked is how you use them. If you switch from different grits often and don't spend a lot of time with the same grit it's advantageous to go with a less expensive disc. If you stick with the same grit or re-use old discs it may be better to spend more. Generally speaking the more expensive discs are going to cut longer than the cheaper. The Film-bak give a pretty good life at a very competitive price. Klingspor are pretty good....but expensive!

good luck,
JeffD

[scott vroom]

The second statement seems to contradict the first. If more expensive discs cut longer, wouldn't that hold true whether or not you change grits frequently? In other words, why is it advantageous to go with a cheaper disc if you change grits frequently? How do frequent grit changes reduce the life of a high quality disc more so than if you stayed with one grit longer?



If you switch from different grits often and don't spend a lot of time with the same grit it's advantageous to go with a less expensive disc.


Generally speaking the more expensive discs are going to cut longer than the cheaper.

[Sam Murdoch]

Here is an EXCELLENT source for sanding products. I especially like the Mirka Mesh discs for sanding finishes. I have found NOTHING BETTER.
http://www.2sand.com/ This is a great company to deal with too.

[Jeff Duncan]

The second statement seems to contradict the first. If more expensive discs cut longer, wouldn't that hold true whether or not you change grits frequently? In other words, why is it advantageous to go with a cheaper disc if you change grits frequently? How do frequent grit changes reduce the life of a high quality disc more so than if you stayed with one grit longer?

That's why I included the "stick with the same discs or re-use old discs part";) You have to take the whole paragraph in context....let me try to do a better job of explaining though....

If you change discs frequently you don't want to be throwing away discs with much life left on them. In a hobby shop it's possible to re-use a disc, in a production setting changing discs means tossing them regardless of how much wear they have. So for instance if I'm sanding doors I sand one at a time. I may start them with 100 grit and then finish up with 120. With a long life abrasive I might get 2 or 3 maple doors out of the disc, but once I switch to the finer grit they're tossed anyway.....wasted money! With cheaper discs they may be almost done after one door so no biggie tossing them. So it doesn't make sense to spend more on a premium disc if your not going to maximize it's life, it's better, (financially anyway), to get more quantity of the cheaper disc....I hope that makes more sense:)

JeffD

[Jim Tobias]

+1 on what Sam said. I started using the Mirka Abranet and Abralon pds about 3 years ago and have not used a regular disc since(and I have a few boxes of random sizes sitting on the shelf).
The Abranet seems to cut better and last longer. IMHO
Jim

[Larry Frank]

Following one of the suggestions, I bought some of the Mirka Gold and tried them today. They seem to work find but will have to use them on a bigger project to really see how they will work. The price was very good as I bought them on Amazon and got 10 of five different grits for around $15 with shipping included.

Now, after reading more of the responses, I am going to have to try the Abranet. I like the idea that they will reduce dust getting away from the sander. I am using a 5" DeWalt RO hooked to a Festool dust extractor.