Wet/Dry Abrasive Papers - Sharpening Accessories

[Jeff H]

You're a versatile, creative and resourceful bunch of fellas, I have a question for the lot of you.

I'm in need once again, and before I waste too much time relearning some obvious thing someone else might already know and be willing to share, I want to ask where is the best place to source ROLLS of wet/dry abrasive papers?

I'm looking at 4" or so wide, plain or PSA-backed (no Velcro), 320, 400, 600, 800. 1200 grits.

I use cheapo WM "Spray Lube" when I used this stuff wet. I use it for sharpening all kinds of edged tools and it's too hard to find and very expensive to source locally. Sheets can be found, but they're too expensive and not ideal size-wise.

Thanks!

 

[Charles Graff]

Norton is the best but pretty expensive. I found some cheap Chinese roll at Harbor Freight. They work, but are not in the same league was Norton. BTW, Norton is made down here now.

 

[Paul Gauthier]

www.woodworkingshop.com

 

[Jeff H]

Norton is the best but pretty expensive. I found some cheap Chinese roll at Harbor Freight. They work, but are not in the same league was Norton. BTW, Norton is made down here now.

Charles - Mr. Graff,
If I didn't welcome you at your introductory post - welcome and I am happy to see you here. It tickled me to see you'd found this forum.

Thank you for the suggestion and I agree. "Cheap Chinese" anything is false economy, and Norton has been a good value for as long as I can remember.

Not everything Chinese is cheap, but I wouldn't trust the abrasive papers without handling them.

 

[Jeff H]

www.woodworkingshop.com

Paul, I had JUST laid their catalog down to type my post to see if I were missing anything before placing an order. They're good people and have decent prices.

Thank you.

 

[Bret4207]

Rockler, Jamestown Distributors...actually probably MSC has some of the better variety. Most any woodworking or shop supply outfit will have it. I agree, the Harbor Freight stuff isn't very good. I haven't tried the stuff Grizzly offers. Brownells probably has it too.

 

[fiver]

where is ITS?
I bet he has a guy too he does all kinds of that shop type stuff.

 

[Jeff H]

where is ITS?
I bet he has a guy too he does all kinds of that shop type stuff.

Oh, yeah - he's all over the woodworking stuff! Forgot about that.

I avoid sandpaper for woodworking as much as absolutely possible and only keep 220 grit on hand to put a tooth on certain woods so stain will soak into something or to knock the glare off. I acquire what little of that I use locally and it doesn't have to be as high quality. Never thought to look in my wood-working links because of that.

I usually find the wet/dry stuff I'm looking for associated with auto body stuff.

I think we have an MSC in the town where I shop now. I keep forgetting about it but this would be a good reason to put it on the itinerary for the next trip to town.

I'll look up Jamestown Dirstibutors

Thanks!

 

[Ian]

I use emery paper for hardwood and open coat aluminum oxide for softwood. Never been much for scraping out a finish.

 

[JWFilips]

I have a bunch of stuff from Klingspor: Woodworkerssupply.com used to sell it. I think they are out of business. Stuff lasted for a long time on my sanding machines.
However it was always best to place a bulk orders because of shipping charges. Now a days I mostly go to the local hardware store and buy norton stuff

 

[Gary]

I bought some wet/dry off Ebay a couple of years ago that was bargain priced and really good paper.

 

[Jeff H]

In the effort to make my post "short" (for me), I failed to mention what I am using this for.

Ian tipped me off when he mentioned aluminum oxide, which is what I use on wood, but doesn't seem to stand up like silicon carbide wet/dry like used in body shops.

This is for sharpening edges - wood-working tools, knives, axes, etc. I back it with various platens, depending on the application, and use it wet with cheap WM "Spray Lube" to keep the slurry from clogging the grit. Regular sandpaper lasts about 30 seconds with this method.

Jim, Woodworker's Supply is still kicking - good resource. Klingspor is my current first stop when I need something for wood working.

 

[Bret4207]

Jmestown Dist is a boatbuilding supply house. One of those places that often has high quality products you can't seem to find anywhere else. Lee Valley Tools is another outfit I would check. They are an outfit from Ottawa, Ont, Canada (about an hour north of me) with a distribution center in Ogdensburg NY (about 20 miles north of me). They are into specialty woodworking hand tools and SHARP tools!!! Leonard Lee wrote a great book on sharpening with info in it you won't find anywhere else. Worth a look for any woodworker of tool-holic.

For sharpening on abrasive paper I go to our local auto supply/auto paint store and get the paper there. They carry up to 400 grit IIRC. I think Lowes carries some of the finer stuff, up to 320 at least, too. Rolls of abrasive paper, the 1, 2 or 4" stuff, is harder to find.

MSC is worth contacting just to get their catalog. Used to be hardbound and measured an actual 6" plus thick!

 

[Jeff H]

Bret,
Lee Valley is a big favorite - they make some innovative tools that actually work. LOVE their dovetail saw - only around $70 and it really makes one appreciate how crappy so many other (of my) saws really are. I have a friend in Vancouver who said they used to have stores in major cities. I'd love to spend a day wandering around in one of those and handling some of the neat stuff they sell.

I've been getting my silicon carbide papers at ACE in the nearby town, but it's expensive there and they usually don't have one or more of the grits I need. I end up waiting weeks or months before I no longer have a gap in grits, which makes a huge difference in how much work it takes to get a new edged tool/blade working right. Still looking and thank you all for the help.


Since you brought up Lee Valley, I have to share this link with all of you:

404 - Lee Valley Tools

www.leevalley.com

I have a couple favorites on that page. A new one will be coming up soon - only happens once a year.

If you're a regular Lee Valley customer, you've probably seen these, but there may be one or two posters here who have seen this for the first time.

 

[Jeff H]

To make this even more fun, I recently found out that DICO discontinued their green stick buffing compound. No way to find the composition or actual grit, consistency of grit size, etc. I contacted them and they said it was discontinued and didn't know these things because they bought it from China. This will be fun as I accumulate several sticks until I get one that works exactly like the one I am trying to replace. If any of you see the little 4" (or so) DICO green buffing compound sitting on a shelf somewhere, let me know. I'd gladly pay the price, shipping and something for your time.

 

[Bret4207]

Jeff, I just got my license renewed and got the "enhanced" version so I can legally cross into Canada again and, more importantly, get back into the USA! I've known about Lee Valley for a good 20 years and have yet to visit their store in Ottawa. Obviously, I don't get out much!

 

[Intheshop]

Klingspor,and 3M gold here... but,there are some industry suppliers that are every bit as good,names escape me right at the moment. You probably ain't gonna find them on a Google search.... or if you do their names won't be like Norton or the above. They are small places that make pretty much anything you want.... and can do it competitively $$ wise. Like well kept secrets.

I'll check some names later,in shop.

 

[Jeff H]

Bret,
I used to travel to Detroit and Ontario all the time for work. Never figured out if they had a store there but was so busy when traveling alone that I wouldn't have had time. When I had company along, any knucklehead I traveled with always wanted to go to the "ballet," which wasn't a ballet, but strip joints. I always made sure we didn't have time for that either.

ITS,
That's what I'm looking for. I dealt with a couple years ago, one of which was Alliance Abrasives and no web site but I found their number. I used to get five belts from them for what one cost in a local store. Will call Monday.

Thanks.

 

[Intheshop]

I had written American Abrasives above,with an IIRC .... but then figured that doesn't sound quite right and took it out of the post. Believe it was Alliance now. Still looking for evidence in shop,haha.... will look better today.

 

[Intheshop]

Found this one,still looking for more...