▼EXPAND THIS SECTION FOR IMPORTANT INFO▼ ★THIS VIDEO WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY★ 3M Xtract CUBITRON II sanding discs: lddy.no/19fdf *The mesh are my favorite, but the purple discs with the spiral of holes are great too! Just try one pack and see the difference! 3M Professional Sander: lddy.no/19fcc *Taylor Tools is a small, family owned business that is a sponsor of our videos, including this one.* Please visit them through this affiliate link for any tool purchase: lddy.no/s80f *My table saw and other great shop machines are from Harvey Woodworking Machinery: www.harveywoodworking.com/ *Please help support us by using the link above for a quick look around!* (If you use one of these affiliate links, we may receive a small commission) *Some other useful links:* -More videos on our website: stumpynubs.com/ -Subscribe to our e-Magazine: stumpynubs.com/browse-and-subscribe/ -Check out our project plans: stumpynubs.com/product-category/plans/ -Instagram: instagram.com/stumpynubs/ -Twitter: twitter.com/StumpyNubs ★SOME OF MY FAVORITE CHEAP TOOLS★ -123 Blocks: lddy.no/vpij -Mechanical Pencils: amzn.to/2PA7bwK -Lumber pencil: amzn.to/2QtwZjv -Pocket Measuring Tape: amzn.to/2kNTlI9 -Irwin Drill Bit Gauge: amzn.to/2AwTkQg -Nut/Bolt/Screw Gauge: amzn.to/2CuvxSK -Self-Centering Punch: amzn.to/2QvbcrC -Self-Centering Bits: amzn.to/2xs71UW -Angle Cube: lddy.no/10nam -Steel Ruler: lddy.no/10mv7 -Utility knife: amzn.to/3nfhIiv -Center-Finding Ruler: lddy.no/10nak -Bit & Blade Cleaner: amzn.to/2TfvEOI -Digital depth gauge: amzn.to/3mwRf2x -Wood Glue: amzn.to/3mqek6M -Spade Bits: amzn.to/3j8XPtD
Lets say you're sanding a BIG job like a 36' fiberglass sailboat and removing epoxy paint. How many square feet do you think you should get out of a disk? Is there a reference guide around somewhere to provides this info?
@@slick8086: You will never find such information. It all depends what you are sanding and how thick it is, along with the disk you are using. (design, material, density. etc.)
@@slick8086 I just restored a wood epoxy trimaran. From frames to finish. Trust me, you needed that Cubitron, yesterday! Just make sure you use dust extraction and NEVER sand uncured epoxy near other humans.
As a painting contractor who finishes a lot of log home interiors I go through several thousand sanding discs a year. It's not always easy to get my employees to replace sanding discs as often as they should. They are trying to keep my expenses down by getting as much as they can from each disc. I tell them that sandpaper is cheaper than labor and they should change discs as soon as they notice it isn't cutting as fast as a new one.
Teach them the principle of “Penny Wise, Pound Foolish” the English provided us. Had to train my employees about breakage at my wine distribution company - break a bottle then we need to sell 5 cases to make up the cost from the profit.
Based on the title and thumbnail, I thought this was going to go over cool stuff to do with the discs AFTER changing them out, not just a deep dive into "you should use new and high quality sanding material"
One of the things I've admired about your videos is the excellent writing in the "scripts". Very clear, no excess verbiage. Also good clean production values in the video. Thanks for the high quality information!
Great ideas! I squirrel worn sandpaper away, too. In a pinch I use them as finer grit papers. I also do modelmaking and model trains. Sanding belts make great roadways!
Best way I found to save on sandpaper is use a hand plane or card scraper before sanding. It takes some practice but is faster, less small partical sawdust and much more pleasing to do.
I'm reminded of a time I needed to take a rough edge off, and grabbed a sheet of sandpaper that had been sitting in the shop for years. all the grit wiped right off.
After watching your video, I went on line and bought the CUBITRON sanding disc. These are amazing disc. I will never buy the disc from the big box stores again. Thank You so much for the advice.
Nice, informative video, as usual. Thank-you! At some point, I recall seeing a video in which you mentioned something that could be done to preserve and protect the backing pad of an ROS sander. Pretty sure it was an add-on, another product of some sort, between the backing pad and sanding disk. Seems like the idea was to avoid damaging the backing pad and the cost of replacing it. Cannot remember the details, or find the video. Might have been in this one, but if so, I missed it. Please advise. Again, thank-you for all you do to promote the craft, share information and educate all of us.
Always great info James! Another thing to note for this video... don't lean your DA sander up in the edge to dig in... you'll add small scallops on the piece because the edge is round. Keep the sander flat!
Thanks James. Great advice. I switched to Curbitron discs 2 years ago. Wow, what a difference in performance, speed, and final product. Plus they last so much longer.
Maybe it's not most effective, but I tend to take worn out discs from the ROS and set them aside for the hand-sanding needed to break some edges, sand round-overs or get in tight spaces. They seem to have enough life left for that, and I toss those as soon as the next ROS disc is available.
Especially the center area usually is rather intact still. From there I cut 2" circles matching a sanding pad that goes into my cordless drill. Great for small stuff and only takes a few seconds.
This may sound odd, but I keep unbelievably worn down discs of 320 and use them to burnish things. It creates a shiny surface that leaves that same shine of applying a finish. Add a finish on top and it just looks so smooth and shiny. It was a total accident discovery, and I only use it on small things and you do it with only quick bursts of the sander.
I just use 1200 grit, I'm one of those guys who has had to buy a replacement pad for my sander and do not recommend using old sand paper. First off, it will begin to tear and it will leave marks if you decide to press down harder. I don't know how many times in the past I had to resand a project and actually ended up hurting the thickness of the boards doing so. Just use the proper grits and get rid of that old stuff.
I do the same for lathe work... but only if I'm planning a final finish around the 400-600 grit range. Anything above that, it just messes up previous sanding.
Scotchbrite pads work well for the same effect but without the squirely scratches. Follow that with a cheap car da car buffer armed with a wool pad and paste wax and you end up with eye candy when done.
Two comments. First, I started using Cubitron sanding disks about a year ago, and they are definitely a cut above (pun intended) any previous disks I have used. Second, I bought the new 3M orbital sander as recommended on the Stumpy Nubs channel last year and have found that it is without a doubt the best sanding tool I have ever used. I used to HATE sanding… but these two items have changed that. I just finished sanding a pair of hanging shelves I’ve been working on. I accomplished the job in less time and with less fuss (and far less sanding dust) than I would have thought possible.
This is the best information I've learned! Wow I've been pressing on the sander, being cheap trying to stretch paper. PS your shop is the nicest I've ever seen!!
I have a belt sander, two RO sanders and two finish (straight line) sanders. I’m gradually increasing my skill with using a smoothing plane and cabinet scrapers, and sanding much less now. If I sand at all, it’s usually just once with 220 grit or higher, and then just between coats of finish. Sanding is really the only part of a project that I don’t enjoy doing.
Thank you, James. I know that I've been guilty of doing just those errors. I'm very much hoping to get back in my shop. This has been a long cold winter and I'm more than ready to start building again.
I've learned the lesson to not try to be cheap multiple times. Between buying multiple versions of tools and finishes. I spent enough money trying to up my dowel game (landing on the DowelMax) that I could have just bought a Domino right off the bat. For some reason, I keep making these mistakes though. Definitely going to try out that 3M Xtract next time I need sandpaper though!
Another great video Maybe I’m a bit weird I actually like sanding it means I’m in the home stretch. But do not want to waist time. In process of moving my shop 700+ miles I was shocked at how much old sandpaper I’d squirrel away. It’s been over 2 years sense I’ve been able to use it can hardly wait!! 🎉
1:39 - Perfect picture showing why hand sanding for the final pass is important. While everyone is looking at the really dark pigtails - look around all that. The entire board is covered in pigtails too, just lighter. In my opinion (from experience) not giving a hand sanding leaves the wood "muddy". Also - using worn sandpaper is NOT the same as using a finer grit.
I am probably on the other end, I change my disc all the time, maybe before the need it. Hooking my orbital sander up to a shop vac did wonders for the quality of the sanding.
I have been unable to find a supplier of the 3M Cubitron disks here in New Zealand and it is really expensive to import them due to shipping costs. I am currently restoring a 110 year old home and all of the trim wood is Rimu (a local hardwood), which is beautiful when polished and oiled, but at that age it is almost petrified, harder than nails, which bend when not pre-drilled. Sanding it takes a lot of disks, especially when they are a cheaper variety. I do envy you guys in the US who have ready access to all the equipment I see in these videos.
If you use frequently the rubbery plastic sandpaper dressing to remove the dust, they last at least 20 times longer. This applies to discs belts orbital sanders and not forgetting sandpaper on a cork block. I’ve been doing this for decades as one came with my belt sander. Most sanding videos don’t include this simple money saver. I haven’t changed my edge sander belt for 6 months. In the past I have used an old belt on my edge sander to flatten the sole of a plane, and to rehone a notched chisel.
Another secret is that you can get huge ones at truck stops and they cost nearly nothing. Apparently truckers use them on their brakes or something. It's literally the same stuff though.
I'm going to try those 3M pads. I've looked at the 3M sander & fell in love with how quite it is but my husband said I don't need a $500 sander 😔 so I'm stuck with my $90 DeWalt but its ok bc it's a really good sander for the money without being too cheap. I do need to get me those anti vibration gloves you showed on another video though those would really be nice to have for extended periods of sanding.
I appreciate your explanation but like the other guy said, I wanted to know what I could do with the used discs. I’m cheap! So I learned the hard way that cheap discs are actually more costly. But even though I swap out for fresh ones more frequently now, it pains me to just throw them away.
Just started using the mesh Cubitron disks last week… and holy crap. I was cleaning up some reclaimed wood and had previously been using Diablo disks, which are also pretty good imo. But the 3M disks would do in a single pass, what the Diablos took 3 to 4 passes to accomplish. It’s insane, you can damn near power carve with these things haha. 🤘🤘
@@Painfulwhale360 yes. I bought a box of the cubitron to try it out. You can’t use it on a geared rotary sander (it does say so on the box) and the equivalent grit size in the granat mesh is way better, for me at least. Don’t get me wrong - it’s very good sandpaper. Granat mesh is better. Stronger and stays sharp much longer.
I'm one of those guys who has a new replacement pad for his sander due to overusing sandpaper in the past. No it's not been put on yet, I'm waiting for the old one to fully give up before I replace it. Once the old one just shoots disks across the shop, well then I will replace it lol.
I just picked up a random piece of well treated pine on the side of the road in my neighborhood. I saw exactly the pattern you showed of pig tail scratches. And low and behold you put out a video covering just that the very same day. I thought maybe the board was used as a shelf that carried many candles, because it vaguely resembles the wavy bottom of many glass candle holders.
My dad used to help me from time to time and he would try to stretch a sanding pad as long as possible. I told him one day, here is how I want you to think about it. If I was paying you what do you think would cost me more per hour, paying you trying to get every last bit out of a pad or the cost of the pad? Now I don't want you to sand one little thing and throw it, but once you stop seeing a decent amount of dust production throw it and grab another. The $1ish it costs me to change the pad is more cost effective than paying you to try and get an extra door or 2 out that pad.
Great information. Lots of varying views on how long to use sandpaper. For instance Lyle Jameson advocates only using sandpaper once. I think that is a bit extreme. Others say use a grit until it stops cutting well and then use it as the next finer grit. I don't buy that one either. I do think most of your suggestions are the way to go. 👍I don't absolutely agree with anybody. 🙂.S. Off subject question. the fence you are using on the table saw for a router looks interesting. Can you point to any information you have about it? Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
Wonderful information and definately worth the few seconds and pennies to put a new piece of sandpaper on. Thank you for sharing. Stay warm, safe, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
You just got a new studio? No more planes to dust. Couldn't agree more with you about replacing sanding discs and the great 3m products. New Harvey sponsor? Looked at their site, products seem pretty good; made in the U.S.? Doubt it given the prices but Taiwan is fine.
Save the small bags of silica that come in some product packaging and re-purpose them in the containers that you are keeping your sandpaper in, change them periodically to maintain their effectiveness and/or recharge them by putting them on a tray and place them in a recently used oven. You can also used the silica bags in your tool containers to keep the moisture from potentially causing 'rust' on metals and moisture out of electronics.
What about adding a couple of those small silica gel packs, that come with shoes and electronics, into the plastic bag or container? They should help keep the sand paper dry, too.
All good advice but do not forget that disks can be cleaned by rubbing a crepe block against them, cleans the disk for longer life. Been using them for 20 years, saved a fortune on all my sanding products.
Related to sanding, but not the disks themselves. I constantly have static shocks from my sander. And it gets worse if you run the sander vertically instead of horizontally. I went as far to attach a wire to the metal plate that holds the cable inside the sander, through the metal in the dust hose, to the shop vac, and then even a metal connector from the shop vac side of the hose to a grounded outlet. STILL getting massive static shocks that even reset the sander. I ended up removing my shoes and trying to sand that way, which did make it better. But, there is still A TON of static shock. Using the same 3M sander and a 16 gallon shop vac with the rockler dust-rite 3-12ft hose. Would love some ideas and strategies for this beyond spending many many more hundreds on a Festool or 3M true dust extractor.
I watch a lot of the woodworking stuff on several platforms, having been around for a long time, often I have to voice disagreement about the content, oddly I don't seem to get to comment on your stuff. So endeavoring to budge the algorithm in the favor of reliable information I said this.
Just saw your vid on SCRAPERS, and that thing makes sanding obsolete, so you don't need to buy any sanding discs at all! Just 3 or 4 scrapers, edged up at the beginning of a job, and No More Sanding! (right? or is it wright?, well you get the idea)
Great tips. I’m guilty, I almost always stretch my use too far. In addition to flat work I also turn wood. I really like the mesh Abranet discs but am now having a hard time finding them in 2” sizes with the scalloped edges and in all the grit sizes. It’s also hard to find them in bulk. The typical pack is 10 discs. I’ve spent tons of time looking for places that have what I need but haven’t found a “one stop shop” yet. If you have any information that can help, I sure would appreciate it. Thank you
I like to hang on to the larger silica packets that come with large electrics to reuse in my storage containers and such. The nice ones come in a cloth bag.
Let's be real. Sanding is absolutely noone's favorite part of a project. It's probably most people's least favorite. However it's also a vital part of a quality project and thus unavoidable. To me those are exactly the places worth spending the extra bucks to skip through as fast as possible while not sacrificing quality, to get back to the parts I do enjoy.
I keep all my discs and I'll throw them onto my sanding blocks, both homemade or not. Also I do stuff like add them to a shim for tight spaces, etc. I've learned my lesson with sanding, you can TELL. I'm doing a tabletop and I'll start on one corner, I will go with the grain back and forth and about 1/3 the way I switch discs. Do the middle 3rd, and the second 3rd. Also doing some overlap on previous. then at the end I do 1 new disc, but a faster pass over the whole thing. Then using some shop lights at each end I examine the surface and adjust. Also, if you use these 3m discs, you have to use a vacuum or dust collection. There is less surface area than say something like a gator or any of those big box stores so the dust collects. If you don't have dust collection, then you may want to use another type of disc, 3m makes 3 discs I like that have varying levels of mesh. You may think that sounds crazy but it's WAY faster than going slower waiting for the sand paper to cut, doing more passes. The difference is night and day to me now, I just didn't see it then, but I dare you to try it. Basically, the table I'm working on is 8 foot by 45" wide (walnut). Think about it this way, let's say you drop 2000$ USD on 150 BF of black walnut. Do you think I'm going to get worked up using 3-5 1.25$ Discs vs trying to spend MORE time working 1-2 discs because I'm trying to stretch it out? N O P E.
My sandpaper is self-changing. Ill be sanding a long and Whoooosssh!! The shit flies across the shop My sanders never did this until I bought Duragrits carbide sanding disc and replaced the pads on my sander with their "Heavy duty" conversion kit. Now I have a carbide disc that wont cut anymore and sand discs flying all over the shop.
Why won't your carbide discs cut anymore? What did Duragrit say when you asked their advice? And the replacement Velcro is stronger than the cheap stuff they put on inexpensive sanders, so I can't imagine why it would not grip a paper disc unless it has been damaged.
@@StumpyNubs Not sure. I just doesnt feel like its cutting anything anymore. I contacted them about the pads not sticking and they said since the carbide disc was heavy its recommended not to let the sander spin free in the air....(which I dont do anyway) and to make sure the disc has contact with the wood before starting the sander. They sent me replacement hook and loop pads. I put them on and they seemed to work for a while and the woooosh! Another one gone. I use the Dewalt 5" ROS. Both of them are about 2 year old.
I seen my new favorite sandpaper my boy blue told me about n see gotta see what he says to do with em. And OVER USE sandpaper 😆 I do only retire to a new one when I gotta make stuff disappear lol
Thank you sir for sharing new tips. Question about Duragrit metal sanding discs. I bought 2 of them, 60 & 80 grid, used them with new velcro pad it came with on ridgid sander. Not sure why, but looks like those metal discs overheating easily on long projects and both my discs not flat anymore, they're warped. Is it me or its a nature of that product? Thanks.
Dang! In my country in my prefered hardware store the 3M cubitron are just $0.65 a piece and they are really the cheapest and by far much better than the other availabre options.
I usually scrub gently any coarse 40--120 sandpaper with a soft brass wire brush after using it and it prolongs its life for at least thrice. For finer grit, once they are clogged for 1st time they're done, just swap it
Precisely EXACTLY why I had them transpose is into 3 phase electricity, for the new forest 1300mm dual header panel sander. I put my all my rotational vibratory sanders of the like into goodwill, plus this thing sands ANYTHING! I took almost an inch off my wife’s crock pot that’s 6 or 7 “subcontinental dark ones” too tall for her cupboard. I took a whole cm off the DVR to get in the cabinet hole. Lately I’ve been thinking on the heavier-set friend of my wife, she is always on about diet this and diet that and not being as small as she used to be... 😎
You know, to clean paper discs in a pinch a wire brush works great, but you can't go to town on it. Don't apply the brush with the sander on. Just keep the sander off, and brush with light light pressure and minimize using the brush as it is wire and can damage the paper quicker, but it works awesome if applied correctly especially with really gummy situations. I use sandnet from Diablo so I don't get the issue anymore. And the gummed up paper is shot so it's worth a try with the wire brush anyways.
I use a file card, a small brush with wire bristles on one side and natural bristles on the other. A few raps with the wire bristles will give me a few more minutes with the cheap sandpaper I've been using. The file card also works wonders if used as intended on a file or rasp.
My main issue with sanding is the paper keeps coming off the sander and leaves behind loose paper on the Velcro. I've even got a shop vac attached to the sander and pressed lightly because it might be overheating, didn't fix the problem and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. So the backs of the sandpaper gets ruined faster than the front and I've constantly had to change the grippy hooks because it's a hassle the use tweezers to remove the debris stuck on them all the time.
As far as 3M sandpaper goes this stuff sands like nothing else, even on white oak the pad cut longer than every other brand I've tried. What really sucks about these sanding disc is the Velcro backing, even fresh pads don't stay attached when the sander is not in contact with the work piece. Having suction from a shop vac really helps and the discs without holes do hold a little better.
I don't have that problem on my Festool Rotex 150. However, I have noticed that Festool branded sandpaper adheres (Velcro) much stronger than 3m Cubitron 2 sandpaper. But the 3M lasts twice as longer (or more) and far outperforms Festool sandpaper in speed and on some woods even gives better finish. It is surely incredible stuff and not expensive at all considering those facts.
I have not had that problem with the backing at all. You can even see in this video how well the backing gripped the sander on the old disc I peeled off. Maybe the problem is your sander's pad. I had a brand new Ridged that wouldn't hold discs well at all. Same with some of the other mid-range sanders out there. They seem to intentionally make the hooks hold loosely. I think it's to make it easier to change discs many times without wearing out the fuzzy backs.
What foam sanding pads do you use for your orbital sander and where do you get them? I have checked every hardware, auto, and wood shop in my area and nobody sells them in-store.
You say that the 3m cubitron lasts longer than anything you've ever used. For a while now, my back burner shopping list has included the Duragrit carbide sanding discs that you've featured before. I'd love to learn more. I haven't found much chatter about those anywhere, and they seemed like a long lasting and quality product. (Like you said, doesn't pretty much everyone hate to go through sanding discs?) What about those? Is there some nasty secret I don't know about? Is 80 grit (their highest) not an important first step for finish sanding?
One thing I've noticed is my battery operated sander makes it more difficult too. Tell when sandpaper is at the end of its life because of battery drain on the tool and how it causes the tool to move different. It makes it a bit more difficult to judge
The 3M Cubitron IS the best bargain, due to it's prolonged life. If you have the spiral-hole pattern version (that was the first ones I got), you may find that the cotton backing turns to dust loooong before the grit wears out. I still have some of the original (spiral pattern) disks that I use in hand sanding. I can't get them to wear out. The new ("fractal" pattern) version is only about 50% grit- faced, and that seems to have adjusted the useful life so that front and back wear out about the same time. Check out the box instructions on the Cubitron. Mine says max ROS speed 12k, which is less than the max of my ROS.
▼EXPAND THIS SECTION FOR IMPORTANT INFO▼
★THIS VIDEO WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY★
3M Xtract CUBITRON II sanding discs: lddy.no/19fdf
*The mesh are my favorite, but the purple discs with the spiral of holes are great too! Just try one pack and see the difference!
3M Professional Sander: lddy.no/19fcc
*Taylor Tools is a small, family owned business that is a sponsor of our videos, including this one.*
Please visit them through this affiliate link for any tool purchase: lddy.no/s80f
*My table saw and other great shop machines are from Harvey Woodworking Machinery: www.harveywoodworking.com/
*Please help support us by using the link above for a quick look around!*
(If you use one of these affiliate links, we may receive a small commission)
*Some other useful links:*
-More videos on our website: stumpynubs.com/
-Subscribe to our e-Magazine: stumpynubs.com/browse-and-subscribe/
-Check out our project plans: stumpynubs.com/product-category/plans/
-Instagram: instagram.com/stumpynubs/
-Twitter: twitter.com/StumpyNubs
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Lets say you're sanding a BIG job like a 36' fiberglass sailboat and removing epoxy paint. How many square feet do you think you should get out of a disk? Is there a reference guide around somewhere to provides this info?
@@slick8086: You will never find such information.
It all depends what you are sanding and how thick it is, along with the disk you are using.
(design, material, density. etc.)
@@slick8086 I just restored a wood epoxy trimaran. From frames to finish. Trust me, you needed that Cubitron, yesterday! Just make sure you use dust extraction and NEVER sand uncured epoxy near other humans.
As a painting contractor who finishes a lot of log home interiors I go through several thousand sanding discs a year. It's not always easy to get my employees to replace sanding discs as often as they should. They are trying to keep my expenses down by getting as much as they can from each disc. I tell them that sandpaper is cheaper than labor and they should change discs as soon as they notice it isn't cutting as fast as a new one.
Or they’re trying to *increase* their hours by sanding slowly.
@@spencerjoplin2885 no one wants to do more sanding than they have to 😂
@@AlexanderElse TRUTH!!!!
Teach them the principle of “Penny Wise, Pound Foolish” the English provided us. Had to train my employees about breakage at my wine distribution company - break a bottle then we need to sell 5 cases to make up the cost from the profit.
@@spencerjoplin2885 you are......delusional
Based on the title and thumbnail, I thought this was going to go over cool stuff to do with the discs AFTER changing them out, not just a deep dive into "you should use new and high quality sanding material"
You saved me ten minutes. Thank you.
Thanks, clicked on what you have kindly told me it was just clickbait 👍
Same here.
One of the things I've admired about your videos is the excellent writing in the "scripts". Very clear, no excess verbiage. Also good clean production values in the video. Thanks for the high quality information!
I work at a 3M plant that makes this stuff, tbh it’s nice to hear that people like it
Thanks for doing the work for the people. 🙏
It's sandpaper for people who hate sanding, which is nearly everyone.
Great ideas! I squirrel worn sandpaper away, too. In a pinch I use them as finer grit papers. I also do modelmaking and model trains. Sanding belts make great roadways!
Best way I found to save on sandpaper is use a hand plane or card scraper before sanding. It takes some practice but is faster, less small partical sawdust and much more pleasing to do.
I'm reminded of a time I needed to take a rough edge off, and grabbed a sheet of sandpaper that had been sitting in the shop for years. all the grit wiped right off.
After watching your video, I went on line and bought the CUBITRON sanding disc. These are amazing disc. I will never buy the disc from the big box stores again. Thank You so much for the advice.
Nice, informative video, as usual. Thank-you!
At some point, I recall seeing a video in which you mentioned something that could be done to preserve and protect the backing pad of an ROS sander. Pretty sure it was an add-on, another product of some sort, between the backing pad and sanding disk. Seems like the idea was to avoid damaging the backing pad and the cost of replacing it. Cannot remember the details, or find the video. Might have been in this one, but if so, I missed it. Please advise.
Again, thank-you for all you do to promote the craft, share information and educate all of us.
Always great info James!
Another thing to note for this video... don't lean your DA sander up in the edge to dig in... you'll add small scallops on the piece because the edge is round. Keep the sander flat!
Thanks James. Great advice. I switched to Curbitron discs 2 years ago. Wow, what a difference in performance, speed, and final product. Plus they last so much longer.
Maybe it's not most effective, but I tend to take worn out discs from the ROS and set them aside for the hand-sanding needed to break some edges, sand round-overs or get in tight spaces. They seem to have enough life left for that, and I toss those as soon as the next ROS disc is available.
Especially the center area usually is rather intact still. From there I cut 2" circles matching a sanding pad that goes into my cordless drill. Great for small stuff and only takes a few seconds.
The best (no kidding) woodworking advice I ever got is "Use sandpaper like someone else is paying for it."
I absolutely the 3M Cubitron sandpaper. Best sandpaper I've ever used in the last 60 yers.
That is probably the most useful information I have heard this year.I will certainly be seeking these 3M discs for future projects.Many thanks.
This may sound odd, but I keep unbelievably worn down discs of 320 and use them to burnish things. It creates a shiny surface that leaves that same shine of applying a finish. Add a finish on top and it just looks so smooth and shiny. It was a total accident discovery, and I only use it on small things and you do it with only quick bursts of the sander.
I just use 1200 grit, I'm one of those guys who has had to buy a replacement pad for my sander and do not recommend using old sand paper. First off, it will begin to tear and it will leave marks if you decide to press down harder. I don't know how many times in the past I had to resand a project and actually ended up hurting the thickness of the boards doing so. Just use the proper grits and get rid of that old stuff.
I use old sand paper to clean the oil off scroll saw blades before I use them.
I scroll quite a bit.....
I do the same for lathe work... but only if I'm planning a final finish around the 400-600 grit range. Anything above that, it just messes up previous sanding.
Scotchbrite pads work well for the same effect but without the squirely scratches. Follow that with a cheap car da car buffer armed with a wool pad and paste wax and you end up with eye candy when done.
@@toysoldier46552 I just use a good hand plane and don't fuss with sanding at all
After i see the edges torched i cut them down to pie-shaped size for the oscillator. Think i got that tip from you. -U10
Two comments. First, I started using Cubitron sanding disks about a year ago, and they are definitely a cut above (pun intended) any previous disks I have used. Second, I bought the new 3M orbital sander as recommended on the Stumpy Nubs channel last year and have found that it is without a doubt the best sanding tool I have ever used. I used to HATE sanding… but these two items have changed that. I just finished sanding a pair of hanging shelves I’ve been working on. I accomplished the job in less time and with less fuss (and far less sanding dust) than I would have thought possible.
This is the best information I've learned! Wow I've been pressing on the sander, being cheap trying to stretch paper. PS your shop is the nicest I've ever seen!!
I have a belt sander, two RO sanders and two finish (straight line) sanders. I’m gradually increasing my skill with using a smoothing plane and cabinet scrapers, and sanding much less now. If I sand at all, it’s usually just once with 220 grit or higher, and then just between coats of finish. Sanding is really the only part of a project that I don’t enjoy doing.
Thank you, James. I know that I've been guilty of doing just those errors. I'm very much hoping to get back in my shop. This has been a long cold winter and I'm more than ready to start building again.
You have to go to Gettysburg abrasive sandpaper outlet . Great prices and the gals who work there are alot of fun .
Completely right about the cubitron paper, it's amazing
I've learned the lesson to not try to be cheap multiple times. Between buying multiple versions of tools and finishes. I spent enough money trying to up my dowel game (landing on the DowelMax) that I could have just bought a Domino right off the bat. For some reason, I keep making these mistakes though. Definitely going to try out that 3M Xtract next time I need sandpaper though!
One thing to consider is scraping before sanding. Thanks for the great tips.
Another great video
Maybe I’m a bit weird I actually like sanding it means I’m in the home stretch. But do not want to waist time.
In process of moving my shop 700+ miles I was shocked at how much old sandpaper I’d squirrel away.
It’s been over 2 years sense I’ve been able to use it can hardly wait!! 🎉
1:39 - Perfect picture showing why hand sanding for the final pass is important.
While everyone is looking at the really dark pigtails - look around all that. The entire board is covered in pigtails too, just lighter.
In my opinion (from experience) not giving a hand sanding leaves the wood "muddy".
Also - using worn sandpaper is NOT the same as using a finer grit.
I am probably on the other end, I change my disc all the time, maybe before the need it. Hooking my orbital sander up to a shop vac did wonders for the quality of the sanding.
I have been unable to find a supplier of the 3M Cubitron disks here in New Zealand and it is really expensive to import them due to shipping costs. I am currently restoring a 110 year old home and all of the trim wood is Rimu (a local hardwood), which is beautiful when polished and oiled, but at that age it is almost petrified, harder than nails, which bend when not pre-drilled. Sanding it takes a lot of disks, especially when they are a cheaper variety. I do envy you guys in the US who have ready access to all the equipment I see in these videos.
If you use frequently the rubbery plastic sandpaper dressing to remove the dust, they last at least 20 times longer. This applies to discs belts orbital sanders and not forgetting sandpaper on a cork block. I’ve been doing this for decades as one came with my belt sander. Most sanding videos don’t include this simple money saver. I haven’t changed my edge sander belt for 6 months.
In the past I have used an old belt on my edge sander to flatten the sole of a plane, and to rehone a notched chisel.
Another secret is that you can get huge ones at truck stops and they cost nearly nothing. Apparently truckers use them on their brakes or something. It's literally the same stuff though.
Could you specify what that thing is a little more please? Ice never heard of that, but I'm super intrigued! Thx!
@@Babeldyret look up “abrasive cleaning stick”
I'm going to try those 3M pads. I've looked at the 3M sander & fell in love with how quite it is but my husband said I don't need a $500 sander 😔 so I'm stuck with my $90 DeWalt but its ok bc it's a really good sander for the money without being too cheap. I do need to get me those anti vibration gloves you showed on another video though those would really be nice to have for extended periods of sanding.
I appreciate your explanation but like the other guy said, I wanted to know what I could do with the used discs. I’m cheap! So I learned the hard way that cheap discs are actually more costly. But even though I swap out for fresh ones more frequently now, it pains me to just throw them away.
I'm just learning so advice is welcome. I feel like my sandpaper disks are wearing out in about 10 minutes. I ordered in bulk off of Amazon.
Just started using the mesh Cubitron disks last week… and holy crap. I was cleaning up some reclaimed wood and had previously been using Diablo disks, which are also pretty good imo. But the 3M disks would do in a single pass, what the Diablos took 3 to 4 passes to accomplish. It’s insane, you can damn near power carve with these things haha. 🤘🤘
And those babies go on and on and on and well you know.
I’m using the mesh cubitron as well and they are awesome but I wonder if the non mesh version would last longer? Like the one in the thumbnail
Try Festool Granat mesh. It makes Cubitron look like an entry level experiment.
@@dwalsh3469 really? 🤔
@@Painfulwhale360 yes. I bought a box of the cubitron to try it out. You can’t use it on a geared rotary sander (it does say so on the box) and the equivalent grit size in the granat mesh is way better, for me at least. Don’t get me wrong - it’s very good sandpaper. Granat mesh is better. Stronger and stays sharp much longer.
I never thought about the affect of humidity on sanding disks. I've got a bunch on a shelf above my workbench that are curled up.
I'm one of those guys who has a new replacement pad for his sander due to overusing sandpaper in the past. No it's not been put on yet, I'm waiting for the old one to fully give up before I replace it. Once the old one just shoots disks across the shop, well then I will replace it lol.
I just picked up a random piece of well treated pine on the side of the road in my neighborhood. I saw exactly the pattern you showed of pig tail scratches. And low and behold you put out a video covering just that the very same day. I thought maybe the board was used as a shelf that carried many candles, because it vaguely resembles the wavy bottom of many glass candle holders.
The sanding cleaner block was a revelation to me. Especially on the belt sander.
You persuaded me. I've been looking for justification to change paper more often.
I changed to the 3m stuff and it's phenomenal and it's not that expensive where I get it, I'm in the uk and a box of 50 was £18
My dad used to help me from time to time and he would try to stretch a sanding pad as long as possible. I told him one day, here is how I want you to think about it. If I was paying you what do you think would cost me more per hour, paying you trying to get every last bit out of a pad or the cost of the pad? Now I don't want you to sand one little thing and throw it, but once you stop seeing a decent amount of dust production throw it and grab another. The $1ish it costs me to change the pad is more cost effective than paying you to try and get an extra door or 2 out that pad.
Great information. Lots of varying views on how long to use sandpaper. For instance Lyle Jameson advocates only using sandpaper once. I think that is a bit extreme. Others say use a grit until it stops cutting well and then use it as the next finer grit. I don't buy that one either. I do think most of your suggestions are the way to go. 👍I don't absolutely agree with anybody. 🙂.S. Off subject question. the fence you are using on the table saw for a router looks interesting. Can you point to any information you have about it? Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
great tip about humidity. Cheers
Wonderful information and definately worth the few seconds and pennies to put a new piece of sandpaper on. Thank you for sharing. Stay warm, safe, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
You just got a new studio? No more planes to dust. Couldn't agree more with you about replacing sanding discs and the great 3m products. New Harvey sponsor? Looked at their site, products seem pretty good; made in the U.S.? Doubt it given the prices but Taiwan is fine.
Not going to lie….. I needed this reminder.
A new sport has been invented: shooting sandpaper disks across the shop. If you hit a target (like a beverage can) you are the champion.
Save the small bags of silica that come in some product packaging and re-purpose them in the containers that you are keeping your sandpaper in, change them periodically to maintain their effectiveness and/or recharge them by putting them on a tray and place them in a recently used oven.
You can also used the silica bags in your tool containers to keep the moisture from potentially causing 'rust' on metals and moisture out of electronics.
Couldn’t agree more. 35 years building cabinets and houses.
Thanks James, very good information about the sanding disc's . Thanks for sharing with us. Stay safe and keep up the good videos. Fred.
My company produces sandpaper and I approve of the videos message.
What about adding a couple of those small silica gel packs, that come with shoes and electronics, into the plastic bag or container? They should help keep the sand paper dry, too.
Thanks James. You’re the best.
I was really anticipating you "frisbee-ing" the worn out sanding disc. You have far more class and style than me!
I learned some things from this video. Although, I don't recall hearing what the pros do with their used up sand paper. Did I just miss it?
They change it out instead of overusing it.
@@StumpyNubs Get it now. I was waiting for something else.
Thanks for the tip Stumpy.
All good advice but do not forget that disks can be cleaned by rubbing a crepe block against them, cleans the disk for longer life. Been using them for 20 years, saved a fortune on all my sanding products.
Thanks for all the tips, James! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Related to sanding, but not the disks themselves. I constantly have static shocks from my sander. And it gets worse if you run the sander vertically instead of horizontally. I went as far to attach a wire to the metal plate that holds the cable inside the sander, through the metal in the dust hose, to the shop vac, and then even a metal connector from the shop vac side of the hose to a grounded outlet. STILL getting massive static shocks that even reset the sander.
I ended up removing my shoes and trying to sand that way, which did make it better. But, there is still A TON of static shock. Using the same 3M sander and a 16 gallon shop vac with the rockler dust-rite 3-12ft hose. Would love some ideas and strategies for this beyond spending many many more hundreds on a Festool or 3M true dust extractor.
That had never happened to me.
I use silica packets in storage boxes to keep humidity at bay.
I watch a lot of the woodworking stuff on several platforms, having been around for a long time, often I have to voice disagreement about the content, oddly I don't seem to get to comment on your stuff. So endeavoring to budge the algorithm in the favor of reliable information I said this.
My worn 3M Cubitron discs find a second life at my lathe, where small less worn sections can be used on small turning projects.
Just saw your vid on SCRAPERS, and that thing makes sanding obsolete, so you don't need to buy any sanding discs at all!
Just 3 or 4 scrapers, edged up at the beginning of a job, and No More Sanding! (right? or is it wright?, well you get the idea)
Great tips. I’m guilty, I almost always stretch my use too far. In addition to flat work I also turn wood. I really like the mesh Abranet discs but am now having a hard time finding them in 2” sizes with the scalloped edges and in all the grit sizes. It’s also hard to find them in bulk. The typical pack is 10 discs. I’ve spent tons of time looking for places that have what I need but haven’t found a “one stop shop” yet. If you have any information that can help, I sure would appreciate it. Thank you
I like to hang on to the larger silica packets that come with large electrics to reuse in my storage containers and such.
The nice ones come in a cloth bag.
Let's be real. Sanding is absolutely noone's favorite part of a project. It's probably most people's least favorite. However it's also a vital part of a quality project and thus unavoidable.
To me those are exactly the places worth spending the extra bucks to skip through as fast as possible while not sacrificing quality, to get back to the parts I do enjoy.
I keep all my discs and I'll throw them onto my sanding blocks, both homemade or not. Also I do stuff like add them to a shim for tight spaces, etc. I've learned my lesson with sanding, you can TELL. I'm doing a tabletop and I'll start on one corner, I will go with the grain back and forth and about 1/3 the way I switch discs. Do the middle 3rd, and the second 3rd. Also doing some overlap on previous. then at the end I do 1 new disc, but a faster pass over the whole thing. Then using some shop lights at each end I examine the surface and adjust. Also, if you use these 3m discs, you have to use a vacuum or dust collection. There is less surface area than say something like a gator or any of those big box stores so the dust collects. If you don't have dust collection, then you may want to use another type of disc, 3m makes 3 discs I like that have varying levels of mesh.
You may think that sounds crazy but it's WAY faster than going slower waiting for the sand paper to cut, doing more passes. The difference is night and day to me now, I just didn't see it then, but I dare you to try it. Basically, the table I'm working on is 8 foot by 45" wide (walnut). Think about it this way, let's say you drop 2000$ USD on 150 BF of black walnut. Do you think I'm going to get worked up using 3-5 1.25$ Discs vs trying to spend MORE time working 1-2 discs because I'm trying to stretch it out? N O P E.
i washed my cubitrons that were gummed up in the sink warm water and soap. let them dry and seemed to work fine again
My sandpaper is self-changing. Ill be sanding a long and Whoooosssh!! The shit flies across the shop My sanders never did this until I bought Duragrits carbide sanding disc and replaced the pads on my sander with their "Heavy duty" conversion kit. Now I have a carbide disc that wont cut anymore and sand discs flying all over the shop.
Why won't your carbide discs cut anymore? What did Duragrit say when you asked their advice? And the replacement Velcro is stronger than the cheap stuff they put on inexpensive sanders, so I can't imagine why it would not grip a paper disc unless it has been damaged.
@@StumpyNubs Not sure. I just doesnt feel like its cutting anything anymore. I contacted them about the pads not sticking and they said since the carbide disc was heavy its recommended not to let the sander spin free in the air....(which I dont do anyway) and to make sure the disc has contact with the wood before starting the sander. They sent me replacement hook and loop pads. I put them on and they seemed to work for a while and the woooosh! Another one gone. I use the Dewalt 5" ROS. Both of them are about 2 year old.
Pencil mark is a good gage on material removal and sand paper with a new paper depends on material and dimensions of work
Great video go Wings lol
This is a timely video. I have a life size fiberglass cow that the paint is peeling and I have to sand the entire thing.
Aye. I also tend to use a drawing blade whenever it makes sense to use it as an alternative. Less waste, less fine dust.
I seen my new favorite sandpaper my boy blue told me about n see gotta see what he says to do with em. And OVER USE sandpaper 😆 I do only retire to a new one when I gotta make stuff disappear lol
Thank you sir for sharing new tips. Question about Duragrit metal sanding discs. I bought 2 of them, 60 & 80 grid, used them with new velcro pad it came with on ridgid sander. Not sure why, but looks like those metal discs overheating easily on long projects and both my discs not flat anymore, they're warped. Is it me or its a nature of that product?
Thanks.
I haven't had that problem. I suggest you contact Duragrit about it.
Would putting some of those desiccant packs in the sandpaper storage help preserve them?
I have to find some new shoes. Sanded the heck out of them as Stumpy said, now I can't walk in them anymore. LoL
Dang! In my country in my prefered hardware store the 3M cubitron are just $0.65 a piece and they are really the cheapest and by far much better than the other availabre options.
I usually scrub gently any coarse 40--120 sandpaper with a soft brass wire brush after using it and it prolongs its life for at least thrice. For finer grit, once they are clogged for 1st time they're done, just swap it
You talk about the 2 different kinds of Cubitron, mesh and with holes, do you have a preference, the mesh seems to be cheaper, does it work as well ??
Precisely EXACTLY why I had them transpose is into 3 phase electricity, for the new forest 1300mm dual header panel sander.
I put my all my rotational vibratory sanders of the like into goodwill,
plus this thing sands ANYTHING!
I took almost an inch off my wife’s crock pot that’s 6 or 7 “subcontinental dark ones” too tall for her cupboard.
I took a whole cm off the DVR to get in the cabinet hole.
Lately I’ve been thinking on the heavier-set friend of my wife, she is always on about diet this and diet that and not being as small as she used to be... 😎
You need help
I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.
You know, to clean paper discs in a pinch a wire brush works great, but you can't go to town on it. Don't apply the brush with the sander on. Just keep the sander off, and brush with light light pressure and minimize using the brush as it is wire and can damage the paper quicker, but it works awesome if applied correctly especially with really gummy situations. I use sandnet from Diablo so I don't get the issue anymore. And the gummed up paper is shot so it's worth a try with the wire brush anyways.
I’ve done the same with a stiff nylon brush with good results.
I got one of those rubber sanding belt dressing tools they use on big wide belt surface sanders. Works on orbital sander discs just fine.
I use a file card, a small brush with wire bristles on one side and natural bristles on the other. A few raps with the wire bristles will give me a few more minutes with the cheap sandpaper I've been using. The file card also works wonders if used as intended on a file or rasp.
those uber cheap market ones hve the extra bonus feature - the velcro doesn't hold after some time, which helps with that replacement decision 😆🙃
Thanks, good insight, guilty as charged, we be changing our ways.
Bring back the old backdrop. I miss the old tool racks.
It's being rebuilt.
Always a great amount of info, James. Thanks for the info and insights.
My main issue with sanding is the paper keeps coming off the sander and leaves behind loose paper on the Velcro. I've even got a shop vac attached to the sander and pressed lightly because it might be overheating, didn't fix the problem and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. So the backs of the sandpaper gets ruined faster than the front and I've constantly had to change the grippy hooks because it's a hassle the use tweezers to remove the debris stuck on them all the time.
Quick tip for cleaning sandpaper without compressed air:
Use a painters brush (Or any big brush). It works really well!
As far as 3M sandpaper goes this stuff sands like nothing else, even on white oak the pad cut longer than every other brand I've tried. What really sucks about these sanding disc is the Velcro backing, even fresh pads don't stay attached when the sander is not in contact with the work piece. Having suction from a shop vac really helps and the discs without holes do hold a little better.
I don't have that problem on my Festool Rotex 150.
However, I have noticed that Festool branded sandpaper adheres (Velcro) much stronger than 3m Cubitron 2 sandpaper. But the 3M lasts twice as longer (or more) and far outperforms Festool sandpaper in speed and on some woods even gives better finish. It is surely incredible stuff and not expensive at all considering those facts.
I have not had that problem with the backing at all. You can even see in this video how well the backing gripped the sander on the old disc I peeled off. Maybe the problem is your sander's pad. I had a brand new Ridged that wouldn't hold discs well at all. Same with some of the other mid-range sanders out there. They seem to intentionally make the hooks hold loosely. I think it's to make it easier to change discs many times without wearing out the fuzzy backs.
I was having that issue but then I got a sanding pad protector and the mesh discs stick very well to that
Mesh disc will damage your standard pad without a pad protector.
Another great video with lots of helpful information thanks
Does that sand paper come in the stick kind for air sanders
Great information James, thanks for sharing.
to your right, on the other side of the fence on your saw what is that fence?
www.harveywoodworking.com/products/compass-router-table-system
What foam sanding pads do you use for your orbital sander and where do you get them? I have checked every hardware, auto, and wood shop in my area and nobody sells them in-store.
You say that the 3m cubitron lasts longer than anything you've ever used. For a while now, my back burner shopping list has included the
Duragrit carbide sanding discs
that you've featured before.
I'd love to learn more. I haven't found much chatter about those anywhere, and they seemed like a long lasting and quality product. (Like you said, doesn't pretty much everyone hate to go through sanding discs?)
What about those? Is there some nasty secret I don't know about? Is 80 grit (their highest) not an important first step for finish sanding?
One thing I've noticed is my battery operated sander makes it more difficult too. Tell when sandpaper is at the end of its life because of battery drain on the tool and how it causes the tool to move different. It makes it a bit more difficult to judge
Very good tips Stumpy. What is the orange glove you had on at 3:13 ? If that’s an anti vibration glove it’s what I’ve been wishing for. Links please.
amzn.to/3khy6Ti
@@StumpyNubs thank you sir
use them as pad beneath furniture to keep them from sliding in the floor
The 3M Cubitron IS the best bargain, due to it's prolonged life. If you have the spiral-hole pattern version (that was the first ones I got), you may find that the cotton backing turns to dust loooong before the grit wears out. I still have some of the original (spiral pattern) disks that I use in hand sanding. I can't get them to wear out. The new ("fractal" pattern) version is only about 50% grit- faced, and that seems to have adjusted the useful life so that front and back wear out about the same time. Check out the box instructions on the Cubitron. Mine says max ROS speed 12k, which is less than the max of my ROS.