Sandpaper grits labels?

[Bennylava]

I have a filing cabinet out in my garage, and I reserved a drawer for sand paper. I want to make a file for each grit. That way it's easy to keep them all organized. But what's the rate of increase? Looks like it would be about 20 each time it goes up, but I think that's only to start with. So iirc it starts at 20 grit and goes 20, 40, 60, 80, but I doubt it keeps going like that.

I want to start at 40 grit, and go all the way up to 3,000 grit. I use sand paper for all manner of stuff, not just auto body. So what numbers should be on my labels? This is more about what to write on my labels, than what sand papers I need to purchase.

Should I do 40, 60, 80, 120, 180, 220, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000? Think that would just about cover it for general shop use? Thanks!

 

[Tools4Me]

There are standard sizes you can use to make your file folders, but there's a bit more to it. Not all sandpaper brands are marked using the same grit size standard. The two most common standards are the USA CAMI standard (which usually just has the grit number printed on the back of the paper), and the China/Europe FEPA-P standard (usually designated with a P before the grit number on the back of the paper).

Functionally, the printed grit labels for those two standards can be considered equal for grit sizes 220 and smaller in number, so file folders for coarser grits are easy to make. For grits finer than 220 grit (larger numbers), you should really stick with only one standard or separate your CAMI and FEPA-P spec paper to avoid issues. If you want to mix and match standards, it would be helpful to keep a printed comparison chart in the file drawer with your sandpaper.

Example 1- 180 grit USA CAMI marked paper has the same actual grit size as P180 grit marked FEPA-P Europe/China paper.

Example 2- 400 grit USA CAMI marked paper has the same actual grit size as P800 grit marked FEPA-P Europe/China paper.

Example 3- 1200 grit USA CAMI marked paper has about the same actual grit size as P5000 grit marked FEPA-P Europe/China paper.

I attached a basic comparison chart to this post as well as a link for reference purposes.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9a/0f/26/9a0f264c3a2da6b22b4eaeeedc4ab3fa.jpg

If it helps, I only really buy and use USA CAMI spec 40, 60, 80, 120, 240, 400, 600, 800, 1200, and 2000 grit paper. That's all most people would need for pretty much any type of work. If possible, also purchase your finer grit sandpaper sheets in forms that can handle getting wet so they can be used for wet sanding existing finishes if you want to be able to do that sort of thing.

EDIT- I said I really only buy and use CAMI spec paper in the paragraph above. In my shop I have a large selection of what I would call NOS sandpaper, sourced cheaply over time in bulk amounts, from estate sales, bodyshop closings, ebay, etc. Likely more than I will ever use for some grits. Much of it is CAMI, but some is FEPA-P. After reading dnschmidt's post (right after this post) and doing a couple quick searches online it does appear that FEPA-P numbered sandpaper has become very dominant across most of the modern market. I guess I was suffering from a bit of personal experience bias by thinking people still had to pay attention when purchasing the finer grits. Maybe there's no need to muddy the water with info or talk about CAMI paper anymore.

 

[dnschmidt]

Your missing 100 and 1200. I don't know where people buy CAMI paper anymore other than 3M wet-or-dry in the olive drab color. Almost all sandpaper comes from Europe or Korea and all of it is in P-grade. All of 3M's newer papers are P-grade as well. CAMI is sort of an artifact of the past.

 

[david3921]

I agree on including 100 grit. I use it to clean up grinding marks. 80 grit tends to create more marks. I find that I use a lot of 150 grit on metal also. It seems to work well for removing rust.

 

[ZRX61]

Your missing 100 and 1200.

320, 360, 500..

 

[M6erfan]

Yes, 320 is pretty common.

 

[PCustoms]

I must not be ocd enough...

I buy paper that I use and then organize in order, not create a spot for every potential grit that exists.

 

[reader2580]

I must not be ocd enough...

I buy paper that I use and then organize in order, not create a spot for every potential grit that exists.

This seems like buying a socket tray and then trying to find the sockets to fit the empty pegs even though you will never use that size of socket.

 

[4xdog]

I must not be ocd enough...

I buy paper that I use and then organize in order, not create a spot for every potential grit that exists.

Me too. I create a system that can be expanded, but I don't create files for things I don't have.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Should I do 40, 60, 80, 120, 180, 220, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000? Think that would just about cover it for general shop use? Thanks!

Do you really stock all those different grits?

 

[CallumRD1]

What are you doing with the sandpaper?

If it's woodworking: 80, 120, 150, 220, 320, 400 will do almost everything.
If you want to work up to a mirror finish on paint or metal you'll need grits up to about 2000.

If you're sanding metal then it's almost always advisable to use wet/dry sandpaper with a lubricant to keep the paper from clogging up.

 

[LeeG]

Here is a link to a very complete chart in a text table - it might be easier to reprint.

Abrasive Conversion Chart | The Sandpaper Man

Abrasive Conversion Chart compares equivalents between MICROMESH, CAMI, FEPA, euro, APEX, MICRON, emery cloth, emery paper, glass paper.

www.thesandpaperman.com.au

 

[RTM]

Do you really stock all those different grits?

I don't go down below 60 for Woodworking, use a rasp or scraper instead. But I do have up to 2000 for blade sharpening. So I have most of them.

 

[engineer2]

I use an accordion folder to hold sandpaper. I forget how many slots, but enough for all the common grits, plus a couple of extra for scotch-brite pads.

 

[southalabama]

This seems like buying a socket tray and then trying to find the sockets to fit the empty pegs even though you will never use that size of socket.

There are many threads of people doing just that to fill up Hansen socket trays.

 

[Movin/on]

This seems like buying a socket tray and then trying to find the sockets to fit the empty pegs even though you will never use that size of socket.
How else would you know you are missing a socket?
Movin/on

 

[yatg]

This seems like buying a socket tray and then trying to find the sockets to fit the empty pegs even though you will never use that size of socket.

What's your point?

 

[reader2580]

What's your point?

The point is it makes no sense to have a space for every grit of sandpaper ever made unless you are truly going to buy and use all of those grits. A lot of people buy the Hansen socket trays and then they just can't stand to have an empty peg so they buy a socket they will never use just to fill that peg.

 

[CallumRD1]

The point is it makes no sense to have a space for every grit of sandpaper ever made unless you are truly going to buy and use all of those grits. A lot of people buy the Hansen socket trays and then they just can't stand to have an empty peg so they buy a socket they will never use just to fill that peg.

But comparing sandpaper with sockets doesn't make much sense. When you're tightening the lugs on your car, you don't work up from a 10mm to a 12mm to a 14mm and finally to your 19mm. When sanding a piece of rough wood you may go from P80 to P120 to P180 to P220 and then apply a finish, sanding with P320 between coats. If you want to polish a piece of stainless steel, you may start at 220 and use 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, and then buff it. You can't just decide to skip intermediate grits indiscriminately or else you'll be working for far longer getting coarse scratches out with too fine of a grit.

 

[yatg]

A lot of people buy the Hansen socket trays and then they just can't stand to have an empty peg so they buy a socket they will never use just to fill that peg.

And? That's what they're supposed to do.

 

[Bennylava]

This seems like buying a socket tray and then trying to find the sockets to fit the empty pegs even though you will never use that size of socket.

Me too. I create a system that can be expanded, but I don't create files for things I don't have.

To answer both, yes. Not because I'm a tool aficionado (which I am) but because I don't have any choice. I'm familiar with the laws that dictate this.

If I do not have it, at some point, I'll need it. And then I must pay penance for being in violation of the law by waiting the obligatory 5 business days for the tool to be delivered to me. You can't circumvent the law either. It will be out of stock. Traffic will be severe. Frustration will run high as store after store has every tool except the one that's needed. You don't challenge the laws of the tool gods.

If you ever wanted to test this, find one that you know nobody would ever use, somewhere in my collection. Remove that one. I will need it the next time I go out to the garage to do something.