Klingspor gold sand paper stearate or not?

[mreza Salav]

I have thousands of LF of moulding (Maple) to sand and I got a moulding sander kit (from Stockroomsuply) that is using Klingspor gold sand paper
(the type that is used in their sanding mop I think http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fs36120/).
I will be finishing the trim with WB General Finishes products and I wanted to make sure that the sand paper is not stearate or it could cause problems at the finishing stage.

Does anybody have experience with this particular sand paper and know if this is stearate or not?
I have called both General Finishes and Klingspor and was told first it is stearate and then that it is not and I should be fine, but I would like to hear from those who have experience with it.

[Larry Frank]

I use the Klingspor gold for a sanding mop and for sanding pieces in my Intarsia work. It is a really good sandpaper and I have not had any issues finishing. I generally use a Minwax Poly for finishing.

[Peter Quinn]

Mreza, I just finished up a project at work which involved a huge volume of white oak cabinetry finished with a WB laquer similar to general finishes, most of it was sanded with klingspor and mirka paper, not the gold line specifically, but both types that are considered stearated paper, no issues with finish reaction. It is my understanding that most major brands have resolved the issues with their sandpaper regarding stearate contamination and WB finishes, it was a big problem early on but as WB has become more prevalent the paper companies have adjusted. Best bet is to call Klingspor, real nice people, I'm sure they wont hesitate to give you the information you need. Second thing I would do is simply do some test pieces on a small scale, spray them and see how it reacts. The general enduro-var looks great on maple! To the original question, yes Mirka gold is considered a stearated or "self lubricating" paper.


http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fs32220/ ----Read the part about "We added lubricants...." That is stearates, but most of the modern ones have been adjusted to be WB compatible.
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/Ezine/Archive/Norton-3X-Paper-and-Micro-Fiber-Cloth-Ease-Waterba-6944.aspx

[Peter Quinn]

I use the Klingspor gold for a sanding mop and for sanding pieces in my Intarsia work. It is a really good sandpaper and I have not had any issues finishing. I generally use a Minwax Poly for finishing.

You wouldn't have the problem with a traditional oil based poly, the issue was the waxes and lubricants in older format stearates worked fine for solvent based coatings but created fisheyes when used before or between coats on water borne finish application.

[mreza Salav]

As mentioned I called and talked to Klingspor and GF. GF says as long as it is not stearated it should be fine and they "think" Klingspor should be OK.
The answer from lady on the phone from Klingspor was initially "definitely stearated" but after my surprise reaction she put me on hold to check it out and came back and said the manager says they are NOT stearated and should be safe with WB finishes.
On another forum people are saying they have used this Gold series and haven't had issues with WB finishes so I guess it should be fine.

[Wayne Hendrix]

I read an article a few years ago, I think it was in Fine Woodworking, where the writer tested if stearated sandpaper would affect the adhesion of the finish. He came to the conclusion that it did not. If I recall correctly, he said originally stearated sandpaper did affect the finishes and is why there is the cautions about it but the new sandpaper did not. My magazines are in storage currently so I can't pull the article out and read the specifics but I do remember he conclude there was no issues using stearated sandpaper.

[Peter Quinn]

As mentioned I called and talked to Klingspor and GF. GF says as long as it is not stearated it should be fine and they "think" Klingspor should be OK.
The answer from lady on the phone from Klingspor was initially "definitely stearated" but after my surprise reaction she put me on hold to check it out and came back and said the manager says they are NOT stearated and should be safe with WB finishes.
On another forum people are saying they have used this Gold series and haven't had issues with WB finishes so I guess it should be fine.

Funny, they call the Kilngspor gold stearated on their own web site! I'd spray a test area for sure.