# Abranet



## bjbear76 (Jan 25, 2014)

I hear a lot of positive reviews of using abranet instead of sandpaper.  Do you use the various grits the same as sandpaper?  The ones I've found only go up to 400 grit.  Where are the best sources to buy?  
Thanks,
Bill


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## walshjp17 (Jan 25, 2014)

All the major vendors (CSUSA, PSI, Woodcraft, etc.) sell it as do several of the member vendors.  I got mine in a box with rolls in grits from 180 to 500 at WC but I have also bout sheets from just about everyone else.


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## Jim Smith (Jan 25, 2014)

I do price comparisons for Abranet every time I resupply.  I typically use grits 240, 320, 400, and 600.  There was a posting here about a month ago where the person actually did a price per square inch comparison and found that buying the rolls worked out to be cheaper, but you had to buy them in the 50 ft rolls.   Great stuff by the way.  Far superior than sandpaper in my humble opinion.

Jim Smith


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## butchf18a (Jan 25, 2014)

Woodcraft is my source up to 600 grit. Works great, lasts long time. If gets filled with dust quick blast from air compressor clears it.

Jmoicbw-bidi


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## LeeR (Jan 25, 2014)

I found a cool little hook and loop hand sander at Woodcraft that takes 5" disks, and I now use the  Abranet disks for hand sanding.  They are easy to stick on and remove.

Buy 5" Foam Hook & Loop Sanding Block at Woodcraft.com


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## plano_harry (Jan 26, 2014)

I get the 3x8 10 packs on amazon and cut them in half. Perfect size for pens.  I use 400 and 600. The main advantage besides being open mesh is that you will never get a scratch.  Roll sandpaper has 1 grit that is oversize and will put a scratch in your finish that takes 5 minutes to remove.  Stick a strip of Velcro hooks on the wall and you can hang your abranet pieces on that.  Use a marker to mark a big 4 or 6 on the piece so you can easily see what it is.  I have 2 sets.  Dry before CA and wet after and for resin.  After a using dry for a few pens dry, I retire the set to wet sanding.  They last a long time.  So much better than paper!

Harry


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## edstreet (Jan 26, 2014)

Jim Smith said:


> I do price comparisons for Abranet every time I resupply.  I typically use grits 240, 320, 400, and 600.  There was a posting here about a month ago where the person actually did a price per square inch comparison and found that buying the rolls worked out to be cheaper, but you had to buy them in the 50 ft rolls.   Great stuff by the way.  Far superior than sandpaper in my humble opinion.
> 
> Jim Smith



That would be me.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f28/abranet-trick-117740/#post1609803

I included the excel spreadsheet that I used.  The 10yard roll last me around 1 year and I just cut off the sections that I need.


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## TimS124 (Jan 26, 2014)

I use 'em and when they start to load up, I pass them over the vacuum nozzle that serves as my lame dust collector during sanding…sucks the dust right out.


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## chrisk (Jan 26, 2014)

The Abranet sheets work fine for me. But IMHO they don't last as long as the sanding cloths I used previously.


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## brownsfn2 (Jan 26, 2014)

I was using them early on in my pen turning but I found that I was getting deeper scratches than I wanted on acrylics.  It could have been due to my inexperience though.

So I switched to Norton Sandpaper and used it for a while and found that it was too hot in some cases.  

Finally I bought a bunch of SiaSoft foam backed paper from Vince's WoodnWonders.  I like it because it keeps me from applying too much pressure.  The high (800g) grits do load too much but usually a flick will clear it.  

I have been looking to try the Abranet again since I see I can get 800g now but it is too expensive to buy a whole roll just to try it out.  So I have been looking for a combo pack with some in it.

It would be interesting to see if there was a review that compared various papers and sanding materials.


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## edstreet (Jan 26, 2014)

brownsfn2 said:


> I was using them early on in my pen turning but I found that I was getting deeper scratches than I wanted on acrylics.  It could have been due to my inexperience though.
> 
> So I switched to Norton Sandpaper and used it for a while and found that it was too hot in some cases.
> 
> ...




They do work quite aggressively and need a soft hand if you want smoothness.  If you want PM me your shipping address and I will send you some of the grits that I have.  I hae 80grit HD, regular in 120, 240, 400, 500 and 800.


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## BayouPenturner (Jan 26, 2014)

do you use this product wet or dry?


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## edstreet (Jan 26, 2014)

BayouPenturner said:


> do you use this product wet or dry?



Either works.  One of the big needs for wet sanding is to remove the chips and dust from the work material as it turns into an abrasive and scratches/damages the surface.  Being wet helps remove that and also helps keep the surface material from heating up.  With abranet you have a significant advantage in both areas as chips/dust tends to be off the material but some will stay, also with the open mesh design does not allow heat to build up on the material.


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## plano_harry (Jan 27, 2014)

brownsfn2 said:


> I was using them early on in my pen turning but  I found that I was getting deeper scratches than I wanted on acrylics.   It could have been due to my inexperience though.



Ron, to Ed's point, the only time I use Abranet dry on acrylic is if I need to clean up some turning marks.  Abranet 400 and 600 wet give a very smooth, scratch free finish that is ready for MM.  I have recently started using old MM pads as a backer for the Abranet if I want to even out the pressure.  In my imagination, maybe it gives me a better result. 

If I have a disaster like a blowup repair that needs something more aggressive than 400, I use the regular cloth roll strips in lower grades.

Harry


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## CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI (Jan 27, 2014)

*Somtehing to wonder about*

Wouldn't Micro Mesh be improved if it were on a screen material.


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