Scotch Brite Pads vs. Sandpaper

[Jeff]

I've started to experiment with the white and gray pads for light work in between finish coats and burnishing before a final coat. 3M claims that white is "light duty" and gray is "ultrafine". Certainly less messy than sandpaper or steel wool, but not as aggressive either. :help:

Is there a rough guideline for the "grit" equivalency for these pads vs. sandpaper or steel wool? :dontknow:

Thanks in advance.

 

[thrytis]

Chart on page 3. It gives both steel wool and sand paper equivalence.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I use Liberon 0000. There IS a difference!

 

[thrytis]

Another chart with some additional detail.

 

[Shamrock]

Eric-
thanks for the charts-I too have been wondering about this! That's why I love this website:eusa_clap

 

[fergy]

I've noticed that the gray leaves a lot of residue as the pad dissolves as you are using it. Similar to steel wool. You have to make sure to clean out crevices such as those around frame and panel construction. Also, I've noticed that the gray can leave scratches that show through the next coat when spraying finishes such as Arm-R-Seal, so I've been a little frustrated with my current finishing project. I'm debating switching back to 600-grit wet/dry to knock down dust nibs before my next couple of coats.

 

[Howard Acheson]

Let me make a couple of points about using steel wool or non-woven abrasive pads for finishing.

One of the primary objectives of abrading the surface is to flatten the finish. For a truly good looking surface, the surface must be as flat as you can get it. Steel wool and non-abrasive pads do not act to flatten a flat surface. They will ride up and down over uneven areas without flattening. All surfaces need flattening after the first seal coat of finish.

Sandpaper mounted on a cushioned flat sanding pad will flatten the surface and remove brush marks. For most finishes, 320 paper is the best between coat sandpaper to use. Sand in the direction of the grain. If you do a good job of flattening after the first coat, subsequent coats may not need any abrading if you recoat with 6-10 hours. Of course, if application errors occur, sanding may again be required.

Save the steel wool or non-woven pads for non-flat surfaces or deglossing the final finish.

 

[mshel]

Let me make a couple of points about using steel wool or non-woven abrasive pads for finishing.

One of the primary objectives of abrading the surface is to flatten the finish. For a truly good looking surface, the surface must be as flat as you can get it. Steel wool and non-abrasive pads do not act to flatten a flat surface. They will ride up and down over uneven areas without flattening. All surfaces need flattening after the first seal coat of finish.

Sandpaper mounted on a cushioned flat sanding pad will flatten the surface and remove brush marks. For most finishes, 320 paper is the best between coat sandpaper to use. Sand in the direction of the grain. If you do a good job of flattening after the first coat, subsequent coats may not need any abrading if you recoat with 6-10 hours. Of course, if application errors occur, sanding may again be required.




Save the steel wool or non-woven pads for non-flat surfaces or deglossing the final finish.

+1

 

[Jeff]

Another chart with some additional detail.

I'm being conceptually challenged. The 2 charts suggest a conflicting view of the relative "fineness" of the white and gray pads. White (#7445) is shown as light duty in one report and extrafine in the other report with no steel wool or sandpaper equivalent. On the other hand, the gray pads (#7448) are claimed to be "extra fine" about the same as 000 steel wool or 280 grit paper. :icon_scra

Which is it? My early findings tell me that gray is more abrasive than white so ya can't have it both ways. :dontknow: Check the following specs at Jamestown Distributors for example.

file:///Users/scharver/Desktop/3M%20Scotch-Brite%20Pads.webarchive

 

[thrytis]

I see white showing up as less aggressive than #0000 on both charts. You'll also notice three different grays in the second chart, and i recently picked up another 3M gray pad that is labeled as #00 equivalent. I'm guessing that the coarseness isn't exactly set in stone, thus why the charts don't exactly agree.

 

[Jeff]

I see white showing up as less aggressive than #0000 on both charts. You'll also notice three different grays in the second chart, and i recently picked up another 3M gray pad that is labeled as #00 equivalent. I'm guessing that the coarseness isn't exactly set in stone, thus why the charts don't exactly agree.

Not an exact science with a few semantic disconnects, but useful guidelines for future reference. Thanks for your input and information. :icon_cheers

Yesterday I used a white pad and some elbow grease for waxing a couple of pieces of cherry that had been previously finished with some Waterlox. That resulted in a wonderfully smooth satin finish.
+10-20 in my opinion. ccasion1