Peter Sefton looks at abrasive coatings, and promotes the use of Mirka's Abranet.

The density of the sanding material decides the sanding result. The basic rule is that the denser the coating, the larger the stock removal and better surface finish. However, in order to prolong the lifetime of the sanding material as well, a more open coating can be better when sanding soft clogging materials and lacquer finishes.

A semi-open coating can also be a very useful product as it is halfway between the two extremes of grit density. A closed coating provides maximum cutting and best surface finish but tends to clog. It is best used on hardwoods. A semi-open coating is a good all-rounder, while an open coating gives greater paper flexibility and is resistant to filing or clogging when used with resinous timbers and lacquers.

Sanding with Abranet

Sanding dust is a major health problem in furniture making. Dust from lacquers and hardwood can be carcinogenic. Abranet has helped the dust problem with a simple but clever sanding net with thousands of holes providing dust extraction. Because the dust is being continuously sucked away, sanding is virtually dust free...

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