I posted this on another forum and got a couple replies. But, thought I would post it here to see if anyone else had any comments pros or cons on the product.s.
I mainly use Vince's blue discs or Woodturners Wonders discs for power sanding.
But, I do hand sand sometimes. In the past I have used Klingspor's 2"x 10yd j-flex cloth backed "shop rolls" which are the reddish/brown color. The description states "Whether you're a turner, a carver or just need to sand that certain little spot, you'll be raving"
Klingspor Abrasives Shop Roll, 2"x 10Yds, 400 Grit, J-Flex Cloth Backed Aluminum Oxide
Klingspor's Woodworking Shop is full line distributor of woodworking tools and supplies from respected companies like Klingspor Abrasives.www.woodworkingshop.com
But, Klinspor also sells their Klingspor Gold in rolls 2" x 32ft j-flex cloth backed.. The description states "This material is also used in wood sanding and is often called A Woodturners Dream Paper."
https://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/sr00881/
Both products are aluminum oxide and claim to be j-flex cloth backed.
Opinions based on your own use on which one is better?
Thanks
Ricc
-
April 2025 Turning Challenge: Turn an Egg! (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Kelly Shaw winner of the March 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Ellen Starr for "Lotus Temple" being selected as Turning of the Week for 21 April, 2025 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Klingspor "gold" vs Klinspor "shop roll" for sanding
- Thread starter Ricc Havens
- Start date
I, too, am interested in knowing how the two compare. I have the regular shop rolls, but did not know of the gold ones.
Too bad this question didn't come up before the symposium. Klingspor Shop was there; I could have asked.
Too bad this question didn't come up before the symposium. Klingspor Shop was there; I could have asked.
Personally I think the shop rolls are pretty low level abrasives. Lower than the gold.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Get the Blue discs from Vinceswoodnwonders. They outlast the Klingspor gold by a good ways.
I got a box of roll ends of reddish brown abrasives from Klingspor and it was a screaming deal in terms of volume of product for the dollar. However, the cloth backing is so thick and stiff, that they are unusable for hand sanding, in any application in which I've tried them. I was also not impressed with the rate of material removal, though that was hard to evaluate given the difficulties in using the abrasives. YMMV
My experience has been that Woodturners Wonders sells better, longer lasting and less expensive abrasives than Klingspor. And - they are easier to deal with, more friendly and woodturner oriented. Klingspor is like Woodcraft. Generalized wood working store that oh-by-the-way...also sells woodturning items if they have them. Good for some things but there are better resources if you look and study them a bit.
My go to sandpaper is sold by TurningWood.com (Steve Worcester). Mirka Gold and I use them with the Skilton Mandrels which for me last longer and work better than any I have tried. Don't know where they are situated cost wise with others mentioned here but I buy them because they work better than the others mentioned here (I have tried them all).
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
- Messages
- 9,160
- Likes
- 5,761
- Location
- Lakeland, Florida
- Website
- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
This may work.
When using paper to hand sand I was taught to break the glue by pulling the back of the paper over the tool rest in two perpendicular directions. Let’s the paper conform to the wood surface. Works on some cloth backed too.
Some cloth designed for belt sanders only wants to bend in the belt direction.
The Velcro backed rolls of abranet are terrific for hand sanding wet wood and squares work great on disc mandrel
By its nature it is stiff. Great for spheres and cutting back milk paint.
Turning wood.com
Last edited:
Thanks John but as I mentioned in my opening sentence, I do mainly use discs from Vince (and also Ken Rizza). But, I am looking for a good option for hand sanding. that's why I was looking at the options from Klingspor.
Dean, I was told once (but I never confirmed it) that the bargain box of roll ends was from heavier duty rolls used on the big thickness drum sanders. The reddish/brown 2" rolls that I have been using from klingspor that I linked above are not that stiff. I have been using them for a couple years. But, saw rhat they carried the same size roll in their gold line and was wondering about the comparison.
Tim, thanks for the input. But, as I mentioned I do use discs from Woodturners Wonders and also Vince's. WW doesn't sell sand paper in rolls. I'm looking for something to hand sand with when power sanding with a disc isn't easy - like fine details on a finial, etc.
Thanks Bill. I see that he doesn't carry sanding rolls but he does carry 9x11 sheets. I may consider that but they are way more costly than the 10yd rolls from Klingspor. Then I would have to re-think how I store and use the sheets. Right now my 2" rolls are hanging in a dispenser by the lathe. with the 9x11 sheets I's have to cut them into strips and figure out a good storage solution in my limited space. I may see about getting a sample from Steve to check the stuff out. THANKS!
Mark, yeah I didn't think about it before the symposium. I too am interested in how they compare since they both mention woodturning in their descriptions. I know I can probably call Klingspor and as the question. But, more than likely I will just be talking to a sales person on the phone. I was looking for some input from actual users of the products.
What I have been trying to get my hands on is the purple 'cubitron' stuff from 3M. I know it was available in standard cloth backed sheets, and only in grits up to about 220. Supposed to outlast every thing out there, by a considerable degree. I am hoping to find it in rolls because I want it on my drum sander. Apparently 3M only wants that to go to professionals rather than trying to go to the hobby market. I have a supplier who is looking into it for me. There was some thing like an 8 roll minimum order, and rolls were 35 yards long. Oh, 3 inch wide rolls.... There may be single rolls available.
Other than that, I keep coming back to the blue discs from Vince. I did try some of the Mirka discs once, and could get the inside or outside of one bowl with a disc. I have been sanding some honey locust bowls out, and got 4 medium sized, like 12 inch bowls, with one set of discs. Not sure on the Abranet stuff. I want the over sized discs that Vince sells. I discovered that one source of mystery scratches came from the edges of the discs, and the hooks on the mandrill. I will never use interface pads that are the same diameter as the abrasive disc again. I do love the pads from Vince that have the 1/4 round profile on the edge. With the medium pads, I use scissors to cut a 1/4 inch or so 45 degree bevel on the pads. No matter how careful I am, if the pad and disc are the same size, they never go on perfectly centered. I did try some of the woven discs from Vince some time ago, and probably need to try them again. In grits up to 180 or 220, the standard abrasives cut faster, guessing that is due to more open space on the woven discs. On grits over 220, they cut the same. I did notice that the mandrills from Steve/Turning Wood, have the quick change ring on them, which would be handy if you have a screw gun type drill.
More experimenting ahead, after I get through my show this weekend.....
robo hippy
Other than that, I keep coming back to the blue discs from Vince. I did try some of the Mirka discs once, and could get the inside or outside of one bowl with a disc. I have been sanding some honey locust bowls out, and got 4 medium sized, like 12 inch bowls, with one set of discs. Not sure on the Abranet stuff. I want the over sized discs that Vince sells. I discovered that one source of mystery scratches came from the edges of the discs, and the hooks on the mandrill. I will never use interface pads that are the same diameter as the abrasive disc again. I do love the pads from Vince that have the 1/4 round profile on the edge. With the medium pads, I use scissors to cut a 1/4 inch or so 45 degree bevel on the pads. No matter how careful I am, if the pad and disc are the same size, they never go on perfectly centered. I did try some of the woven discs from Vince some time ago, and probably need to try them again. In grits up to 180 or 220, the standard abrasives cut faster, guessing that is due to more open space on the woven discs. On grits over 220, they cut the same. I did notice that the mandrills from Steve/Turning Wood, have the quick change ring on them, which would be handy if you have a screw gun type drill.
More experimenting ahead, after I get through my show this weekend.....
robo hippy
...Right - sorry. Have you tried using the Message/screen type of rolls? I recently bought some ...IIRC Highland or maybe Penn State is where I got it. For small, fine details it seems to work very way well and lasts great.
Reed, thanks for your input. I'll look into the cubitron. A quick look at the 3M site shows they market it mainly to auto body repair work. A friend of mine builds custom cars. I will check with him to see if he has any I can try. But, I guess I may not switch to that due to it being harder to find. I'd rather have something easy to get a hold of.
Tim, I have tried mesh discs from Woodturners Wonders in the past. Wasn't to impressed as I thought the green discs from him and the blue discs from Vince held up better. I do keep some on hand for sanding wet wood when doing a natural edge bowl as they don't clog up as easliy but on dry wood I haven't seen a noticeable improvement.
Tim, I have tried mesh discs from Woodturners Wonders in the past. Wasn't to impressed as I thought the green discs from him and the blue discs from Vince held up better. I do keep some on hand for sanding wet wood when doing a natural edge bowl as they don't clog up as easliy but on dry wood I haven't seen a noticeable improvement.
I use the 3 inch by 10 m rolls of Klingspor Stearated Aluminum oxide. It is white in color. It is not as stiff as the red colored rolls. It has the felt-like hook and loop backing and I use it both on mandrels and on hand sanding. It seems to me that it lasts as long as Vince's or Steve's disks.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2021
- Messages
- 1,569
- Likes
- 1,372
- Location
- Roulette, PA
- Website
- www.reallyruralwoodworks.com
Have you tried checking Amazon? https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E9FWFBS/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
My flat paper for hand sanding is 3M from Woodcraft.
Donna Banfield
TOTW Team
Have you considered using the SIA soft abrasives from Vince Welch? Sia Soft sponge back abrasives. They're available in grits 80-1500. I use them whenever I have hand sanding to do. The sponge backing provides support and cushion to distribute the finger pressure. I blow the abrasives off with compressed air and they last longer than the hook and loop abrasives I run in the random orbital pneumatic sanders.
I don't know what-all formats the cubitron comes in, but it is great stuff, fast cutting and longer lasting than any abrasive I have used, including Mirka, 3M gold, Klingspor, Rhyno, Norton and Vince's discs. It's easy to find discounted on Amazon and Ebay as 5" discs in either film or net backing. Expensive per disc but worth it. I use it for finish sanding on convex turned surfaces with a Festool random orbit sander.
Michael - thanks, I will check it out.
Brian - thanks for the link. that's some pricey stuff!
John - thanks, I will check it out.
Donna - thanks. I have seen it on his website in the past but haven't tried it due to the cost. It's pricey and I'm on a disability income, so budget is an issue.
Brian - thanks for the link. that's some pricey stuff!
John - thanks, I will check it out.
Donna - thanks. I have seen it on his website in the past but haven't tried it due to the cost. It's pricey and I'm on a disability income, so budget is an issue.
I have found that the cubitron (Cubitron II actually) lasts exceptionally long when used on a ROS but not on a rotary sanding mandrel in a drill.
Steve Worcester
Admin Emeritus
We carry rolls of Abranet in 80-400, but also sell it by the foot.
Abranet Rolls and Sheets - TurningWood
www.turningwood.com
Steve, I haven't actually tried the "abranet" brand but I have tried other weave product before and they were okay for wet wood but I didn't see much difference with dry wood. I assume the abranet is better based on the price. But, it's out of my budget range since I'm on a disability income.We carry rolls of Abranet in 80-400, but also sell it by the foot.
Abranet Rolls and Sheets - TurningWood
Thanks
Ricc
After using the 3M sanding papers for a very long time, I switched to the Finkat papers about a dozen years ago. Finkat is a very high quality paper with great consistency.
www.woodturnerscatalog.com
The one thing that makes hand sanding work to a high degree of proficiency, is to heed the old saying: "Use sandpaper like someone else is paying for it!" This is a tough one to abide by....but you can trust me that it's premise is grounded in experience. I normally only use an unused section of sandpaper a single time, then it's tossed. If you can get past that, I guarantee your results will be greatly improved. (That said, my sandpaper usually gets near 100% used, in spite of only using all portions of the available surface only once.)
-----odie-----
Finkat Sanding Paper - 10 Pack
Made in Japan, this premium grade sanding paper has earned a reputation among professional woodturners as the finest paper available. Finkat is a fast cutting paper with a high resistance to clogging. Resin bonded premium aluminum oxide abrasive grain produces more uniform, shallower scratches...
www.woodturnerscatalog.com
The one thing that makes hand sanding work to a high degree of proficiency, is to heed the old saying: "Use sandpaper like someone else is paying for it!" This is a tough one to abide by....but you can trust me that it's premise is grounded in experience. I normally only use an unused section of sandpaper a single time, then it's tossed. If you can get past that, I guarantee your results will be greatly improved. (That said, my sandpaper usually gets near 100% used, in spite of only using all portions of the available surface only once.)
-----odie-----
Odie, I have never used Finkat before. I need to check it out. In regards to your recommendation on sanding like "someone else is paying for it". I do that most of the time. I usually cut a 4" or 5" piece off the roll and each time I pick a piece/grit up to use I look for a fresh un-used spot on the strip of paper. Looking at the price of Finkat on the link you provided seems com[arable in price to the rolls - maybe cheaper if you calculate out the square inches. And, I would need to find a better way of cutting and then storing the strips if I cut up the sheets in the limited space I have in my small shop. The rolls didn't take up a lot of space on the wall in my roll dispenser right next to the lathe.After using the 3M sanding papers for a very long time, I switched to the Finkat papers about a dozen years ago. Finkat is a very high quality paper with great consistency.
Finkat Sanding Paper - 10 Pack
Made in Japan, this premium grade sanding paper has earned a reputation among professional woodturners as the finest paper available. Finkat is a fast cutting paper with a high resistance to clogging. Resin bonded premium aluminum oxide abrasive grain produces more uniform, shallower scratches...
The one thing that makes hand sanding work to a high degree of proficiency, is to heed the old saying: "Use sandpaper like someone else is paying for it!" This is a tough one to abide by....but you can trust me that it's premise is grounded in experience. I normally only use an unused section of sandpaper a single time, then it's tossed. If you can get past that, I guarantee your results will be greatly improved. (That said, my sandpaper usually gets near 100% used, in spite of only using all portions of the available surface only once.)
-----odie-----
Hello Ricc.....
I was just putting the information out there, and wasn't particularly speaking to you. Yes, I do favor the Finkat paper, but this is woodturning, and there are many other top choices, depending on who is speaking at the moment!
That saying about treating sandpaper like someone else is paying for it, has been repeated over and over again around here.....so, that is nothing new. I do find it to be very much the bottom line in sanding, though...
-----odie-----