Roloc Discs

[DFB]

Okay I am absolutely dizzy looking at knock off brand 2" abrasive disc multi piece "kits" like found all over Amazon and on Ebay.

Some multi piece kits even come recommended by certain YouTubers like the one in this link where the feedback from many buyers mentions South Main Auto (Eric O) linking them up to these

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073D9WK9H/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They do look like some decent grit numbers for cleaning up metal without a lot of scratching.

As does this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T1M9KC1/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Colors seem the same though number grades differ slightly.

Now I'm not a big abrasives expert by no means I have always used fine emery cloth and other abrasive grits papers along with wire wheels and a lot of these kits have some really coarse Al Ox grits that I'm not sure I really need for much

So thinking I maybe want to focus on just the 3M Scotchbrite type of abrasive disc but dunno

Who's got favorite and for what uses?

I guess that is what I need to know to possibly narrow things down or at least get a good handle on what does better for what.

Recently I got the Milwaukee 12v sander/polisher tool but soon be adding one of their 12V die grinders most likely the RA version

 

[56Mark]

I usually use the 3M 3" ones on an air driven Znex roloc air sander (which they don't make anymore). It is similar to a right angle die grinder. I use various grits. I usually use them for grinding welds on body patch panels or sheet metal welds. The coarse grits cut crazy fast which is nice because it doesn't generate much heat, then as I get closer to the sheet metal I switch to finer grits. I finish with the surface conditioning, socthbrite looking ones and can make a weld virtually disappear. I think the 3M ones outlast most of the other brands enough to pay for themselves.

 

[Robinson1]

Blackhawk from Ebay

 

[HMCFab9]

Orange Norton are great!
The 3m green roloc grinding discs don't stay sharp.

 

[DFB]

Have to say haven't seen the orange ones yet

 

[LNKMK8]

I cheaped out and got some of the knock-offs from Amazon... they are pretty bad. They just seem to plug up and you toss them after one use. The 3M ones that I have are way better quality and worth the money to me.

 

[rlitman]

My favorite roloc is the bristle disc:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E612L3M/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They don't clog at all, and while the green cuts at least as fast as an 80 grit abrasive disc, it lasts WAY longer and leaves a much smoother finish. I'd say comparable to 220 grit paper.
One of these days I need to pick up some other colors...

I just bought some wool pads:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LD2JXP9/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Hoping to do some burnishing and polishing with them. Like polishing my headlights, Jeep soft top window scratches and musical instruments.

Oh, and if you plan to use the face of the disc, put it in an angle die grinder. The straight body grinder is good if you're only using the edge of the disc, but bounces all over uncontrollably if you use the face.

 

[d.mcfarland]

You can buy individual ones at zoro.com for something like $1.

 

[DFB]

I'm not at all familiar with the bristle discs...so they generally work like a wire brush would?

But are just what one wants for like gasket removal correct?

I see they are color coded different so some are more heavily abrasive than others too

 

[BiggityBen]

I'm not at all familiar with the bristle discs...so they generally work like a wire brush would?

But are just what one wants for like gasket removal correct?

I see they are color coded different so some are more heavily abrasive than others too

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSU3PYQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

i've had great experiences using this and the yellow color/grit on my pneumatic IR die grinder with gasket removal. i just used one today on a John Deere 4045 during a water pump replacement. i got the bulk of the material non-petrified-on off with a razor blade and used the yellow to finish the job. mating surface was smooth as a baby's rear afterwards.

 

[InjectorService]

I haven't used any of the bristle discs except white, but I find they only work well when brand new, and don't cut as fast as I would like. I'm speaking rust and gasket material. That being said I use them on a Milwaukee M12 Polisher. But also the maroon rolocs seem to work well on it.

 

[rlitman]

I haven't used any of the bristle discs except white, but I find they only work well when brand new, and don't cut as fast as I would like. I'm speaking rust and gasket material. That being said I use them on a Milwaukee M12 Polisher. But also the maroon rolocs seem to work well on it.

White is the finest, green is the coarsest, and yellow is in the middle. I've only used green.

 

[InjectorService]

White is the finest, green is the coarsest, and yellow is in the middle. I've only used green.

Wow, ok thats not what NAPA said when I bought them.... Geez. Ill definitely try a yellow or green next time.

 

[rlitman]

Wow, ok thats not what NAPA said when I bought them.... Geez. Ill definitely try a yellow or green next time.

Yeah, it's a weird system:
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...reselect=8711017+3293190359+3294857497&rt=rud

Green is 50, yellow is 80 and white is 120, but those numbers don't correspond directly to abrasive grits.

 

[DFB]

Ha got to try my out my 2438 today. I had brought it down to the motorcycle shop I frequent to show my pal the owner. (I had just got him started on M12 tools over the past holidays with the grease gun)

He had a dozens of Roloc type of surface conditioning discs already in the garage for his air die grinder and he also had he had some jury rigged setup for his Makita 18v impact driver I think a 1/4 shank drill collet to use them with too.

So he give me a big pile of discs mostly red/maroon looks like they are the 120-150 abrasive grit range of disc plus some buffing pads and even a tiny flap wheel

I grabbed a rusty old fork tube spacer from the scrap pile and went to cleaning it up boy did it a nice, efficient cleaning off the rust with leaving any deep scratches.

He did quickly caution me how they can be too aggressive for anything aluminum though and that what he generally does is use the worn down ones for the application when needed.

I was telling him about the bristle discs. He wasn't familiar with them. I figure I'll toss him a couple when I get some.