sanding paper

choosing the right grit sandpaper
For heavy sanding and removal, you will need coarse sandpaper with a grit of 40–60; for smoothing surfaces and removing small irregularities, choose medium sandpaper with a grit of 80–120. For a smooth finish on surfaces, use ultra-fine sandpaper with a grit of 400–600. As a rule, sandpapers have a grit of 16 (the coarsest, roughest) to 3000 (the finest).

Sandpaper contains sharp blades that cut away the required layer of wood or metal. The abrasive particles are bonded to a backing material, such as kraft paper, with a binder.

When performing a specific job, gradually switch from using coarse sandpaper to fine-grained sandpaper
This means that you start with a coarser grit sandpaper and then use a finer grit. Each time you move to a finer grit sandpaper, you remove the scratches from the previous layer. The extremely fine sandpapers can be the last step in the process of using progressively finer grits.

sandpaper types according to blade material
There are four main types of sandpaper: aluminum oxide, garnet, silicon carbide, and alumina. Aluminum oxide lasts longer than other types of grit because it has a self-sharpening property. Garnet wears the fastest but produces the smoothest surface. Silicon carbide is ideal for sanding harder materials, such as metals and plastics. Aluminum oxide-zirconia sands aggressively, so it is also suitable for heavy-duty jobs.

Sandpapers are divided into dry and dry/wet. Silicon carbide sandpaper is often preferred for wet sanding because it can withstand heat when exposed to water.