Reason why most wet/dry papers stop at P2000?

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777funk

Seems like many wet dry sandpaper manufacturers quit at P2000. I see that one goes to P3000, so it's possible to go higher but my question is this... is it a technology reason (would require technology that is expensive or not available to produce finer than P2000) that they stop at P2000 or is it because that's really as high as a person needs before buffing? Maybe the tradeoff of time makes it better spent buffing rather than sanding after P2000?

I realize 3M now goes to 2500 but it seems like a lot of manufacturers stop at 2000. Curious the reasoning behind this by those who actually do sanding (like myself).
 
Good question and I know some industries have 12000 and 16000 grits but years back i was lucky to get a tour of a Norton plant and the real answer is cost and equipment of make very expensive and is there really that big of a demand.

BUT!!! I have always thought, why can't we sand a car with 800 and work our way up to 16000 and never need to buff????
 
You know that's true! I'm as much of a woodworker as I am a finisher and Norton makes sharpening stones that are labelled in the 16000 range. Micromesh also has "16000" and I believe "32000". But I wonder about what grading system they're using because at least in the Micromesh abrasives, their 3200 is more like P320 from my experience and their ultra fines are more like P2000 maybe. I believe I've seen a P3000 that was actually P graded in wet/dry, and in foam discs Mirka Abralon has a P before their P4000 so it must be the real deal there. But that's as far as I've seen it. I know the foam backing tends to help with abrading and not leaving scratches. Maybe just the wrinkling and distorting of the light A weight wet/dry paper as it sands would scratch more than P2000 and that's why???? who knows. I've been curious of this for a long time and I always wonder where I'm best off to start buffing since there's territory overlap between fine sandpaper and course buffing compounds.
 
My buddy never goes higher than 1500. And his stuff looks outstanding when he is done.
 
I've played around with this stuff: http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/sh1200/ and at the finest level you're basically buffing the paint but it's slow. I tried it by hand and also on a jitter bug. Always looking for a different way to achieve a higher quality result often only ends up in wasted time. I've concluded there's no gain in result or speed by going any finer than 3000 or 4000 grit. I have sheets of Mequires (nikkens) paper in 3000 grit but the 3M and Eagle 3000 DA discs do most of my work and the trizac 3000 grit pads can also be used by hand in tight areas,4000 grit Abralon pads also work good but I haven't used them in awhile. Some jobs stop at 1500 grit, higher quality work I always take it to 3000. I've seen where I've lost a small amount of surface straightness/flatness on jobs when to much buffer was needed trying to take out heavier scratches-JMO
 
Here's an interesting grit comparison on Micromesh and microns to P scale.

http://www.fingerlakeswoodturners.com/downloads/Sand Paper Grit Comparison.pdf

With all the new stuff in sanding technology (P3000 wet/dry you mentioned, the Eagle stuff, trizact) it's interesting to see what would help make buffing easier. I think all the products you listed have been good stuff (haven't yet tried the Meguires but everything else).

One thing I found is that an inline (i.e. old National Detroit 600 or Sundstrand) leaves a better off the sander finish than an orbital type sander. But either one still has to be buffed of course. I like not finding any pigtails if I don't hit an area quite enough.
 
Funk, what kind of pad are you using on that ND600? Something soft? ever have the paper tear?
 
Bob Hollinshead;17964 said:
Funk, what kind of pad are you using on that ND600? Something soft? ever have the paper tear?
Click to expand...

Hi Bob,
I use the stock rubber pad and the clips on the end. The rubber pad is a little softer than a tennis shoe sole. It's also slightly ribbed, I'm guessing to give the paper traction. And no the paper never really tears. I'd say out of probably the last 100 sheets of wet dry I've mounted maybe 1 tore if that. But it does tend to get a little stretched out. But by that point it's worn out anyways. As soon as it loads a little, I usually pitch it. Keeping the workpiece good and wet helps with that though.

The ND600 is an inline sander by the way (forward and backward stroke) and not a jitterbug. On my jitterbug ND (ND400 I think), I sand using courser grits and that thing tends to tear paper if I catch an edge of anything .
 
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