What grit to use on a drum sander

Last updated on November 15th, 2022 at 02:47 pm

Use either 80 or 120 grit paper on the drum. This grit is perfect for removing milling marks from the planer. It works better against heavy thickness since these lower grits will allow you to sneak up on the exact thickness you are looking for.

Use the correct grit.

Match your abrasive grit to the job. The most common mistake people make is to start too fine. It will not only take longer, but the tendency to try to take too much off will lead to poor results and damaged paper. 

Grits are into three groups: coarse, medium, and fine. Coarse 24- to 60-grit papers are for abrasive planning, which involves smoothing rough-sawn lumber. It is for dimensioning lumber thickness or for removing squeeze-out on glued-up panels. 

Medium 80- to 120-grit papers are for levelling previously planned material or glued-up doors and face frames. Fine grits, 150 and higher, are for your final sanding. Always progress through the grits in order. Do not skip a number. Turn the drum sander’s thickness adjustment wheel no more than one-quarter of a turn for coarse grits and one-eighth for fine grits each time you reduce the height.

Choosing sandpaper for a drum sander

Different sandpaper grits perform different jobs, and selecting the right one can be confusing when starting. Warm up with recommendations and rules of thumb. Select the right size, choose the appropriate coarseness for the project, consider the best type of grit, and find the right tool for the easiest effort. 

Sandpaper is graded based on the number of abrasive particles per square inch that make up the sandpaper. When shopping for sandpaper, pick up large quantities of the 36, 60, and 100 grit paper. 

Which is rougher 40 grit or 120 grit?

The 40 grit is rougher than 120 grit. For heavy sanding and stripping, you need coarse sandpaper measuring 40- to 60-grit; for smoothing surfaces and removing imperfections, choose 80- to 120-grit sandpaper. For finishing surfaces smoothly, use superfine sandpaper with 360- to 600-grit.

What grit should you sand with before painting?

Grit 180 – 220 grit is used for the sanding finish or sand in-between coats. It is also great for distressing. There are instances where you can use 180 to 220-grit to rough up a piece in preparation for paint, but you do not use these grits until after your first coat. When looking to sand a surface before applying primer, the grit sandpaper to use is 320 to 400. Both these grits can effectively remove unwanted paint.

Can you use 40 grit on wood?

Yes. It is a good starting grit for newly installed floors or floors without a finish but has a lot of wood. This grit should remove all over the wood and make the floor flat.

What grit to use for sanding wood

Use 60- or 80-grit for aggressive, fast wood removal. To sand wood, scribble a light pencil line on the wood. Rub 60-grit sandpaper against the wood in the direction of the grain until the pencil line is gone. Repeat with 80 grit, 120 grit, and 180 grit sandpapers, working from lowest to highest grit. Then remove the sawdust with a vacuum.

What grit do you use to sand a car?

Dry sand using 180-grit sandpaper to remove rust or surface damage before moving on to 320-grit paper. That removes your previous 180-grit scratches. Follow any method using 400- to 600-grit sandpaper to sand the paint to prep the existing paint surface for the new coatings to be applied. A dual-action sander and 80-grit sandpaper are what you need to sand old paint and primer off a car.

How much grit to use in a rock tumbler?

Put in 2 tablespoons of grit for each pound of rock. Let tumble for 6-10 days per grit. The standard three grits, 60-90, 150-220, and 500, and polish are what you will use for any tumbling. Sometimes people use 45-70 grit for faster grinding on hard rocks.

What grit sandpaper to use on aluminium?

Use from 320 grit to 400 grit, and finish with 600. Detail-oriented polishers sometimes go to 800 or even 1500 grit before moving on to the next step.

When wet sanding aluminium, with 1200 grit sandpaper and get a bucket of warm water to soak the paper in. This process is done by hand to make the paper reach any tight corners or tricky areas of the aluminium you are polishing.

What grit sandpaper to use on deck?

Make sure the deck is clean and dry before sanding. Use 60-150 grit sanding paper or discs. Courser sanding paper could damage the wood further, and sanding paper will take too long. Make sure you wear a mask when sanding your deck surface.

What grit sandpaper to use on polyurethane?

Start with 120-grit sandpaper on refinished pieces and 80-grit on new wood. Sand with 180-grit until you have removed all the marks left by the 120-grit and the surface is level. After sanding the entire surface, wipe off the dust and all loose sandpaper grit with a clean cloth.

What grit sandpaper to use on drywall?

Use 220-grit sandpaper and sand the areas with a light and easy touch. Avoid using coarse sandpaper below 100 grit as that may damage the drywall.

What grit should I use to sand cabinets?

Use 100 or 150-grit sandpaper to roughen up the surface of the cabinets. Cabinet paint will not adhere properly to a smooth or shiny surface. You do not need to remove the prior finish. Just rough up the surface enough to give the primer something to stick.

What grit sandpaper to use before primer?

When planning to sand a surface before applying primer, the best grit sandpaper to use is 320 to 400. These grits can remove the existing primer and help you flatten the surface.

What grit sandpaper to use on headlights?

Use any grit from a 400 – 600 grit silicon-carbide sandpaper sheet to remove the initial layer of headlight oxidation. After that, you will need to use 800 – 1000 grit followed by 3000 – 5000 grit to attain the best finish possible.