🚨 Infla*ion is real, so I asked Taylor Toolworks to offer an Infla*tion Relief Pricing Sale for us makers. They agreed and as of 10/21/22, they have put 3M Xtract back on sale. Here are direct (affiliate) links: 3M 710w Xtract: lddy.no/1czeg 3M 710w Xtract Sample Pack: lddy.no/150ju 3M 775L Hook & Loop: lddy.no/1daya 3M 775L Sticky Back: lddy.no/1dayc Please note that if you buy some, I'll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. But I personally buy and use both the 5" and 6" versions of Xtract 710w, 775L, and I recently bought some 310w from Amazon. I've been happy and enjoy sanding again.
@@wittworks this is crazy I thought I only knew the secret. It’s head and shoulders above anything I’ve tried. I made a hook and loop glove like black tail I’ll never go back.
Who wants to listen to the history of a sand paper company? Well it turns out when it is presented on point, entertaining, and enticing, count me in! Nice job.
Nicely done overview of the history. I've tried the Xtract, but I still prefer Cubitron 2 for one simple reason that often gets overlooked. Mesh papers "superior" dust extraction comes at a cost of the backing pads on sanders. The hooks tend to loose their gripping power because of the sheer amount of dust traveling through the mesh. I went through 2 backing pads using Xtract last year. Since switching back to Cubitron 2, my backing pad still holds. Just something to consider
Great presentation and actually pretty interesting history. Just bought the 3M Xtract 5" Sander and an assortment of Cubitron II sandpaper, can't wait to see the difference from my old box store sander. Great job!
Thanks for the exposition dump lol. I knew cubitron was originally for metalworking, but I didn't know that Mike Taylor was the one to popularize it for woodworking. I've been using the Xtract product for about 6 months as a hobbyist woodworker and I've been pretty impressed. Working in an apartment makes me really appreciate how much dust my anemic shopvac can still manage to suck up with these things. Good video.
Thank you! Yes, he has to buy in industrial quantities and then pays people to break them up into smaller packs because 3M still won't package them in quantities the WE need.
Another great video. Recently helped someone clean out an attic and it had her great grandfather's woodworking tools. Including some 3m sandpaper from the early 1900's. It was mostly very flaky and brittle. But you could still read some of the writing on the box
great video and very informative. i just ordered some from Taylor's a few weeks ago and used it for the first time this past weekend. i won't use anything else now...amazing stuff
Thank you for sharing this. I just ordered this to check it out. I have a 5” Festool Sander and just use the Festool sandpaper. On my older 6” Porter Cable sander I used Mirka. So I thought this would be something good to try.
Great video bud! Its really amazing to see a video of yours because of the research you do, I love it! Gotta grab some 3m sandpaper real quick 😁 have a great weekend bud!
Genius video! Thanks for the brief history and science lesson. I had bought both papers on the advice of JKM, but didn’t really understand the difference. Now, I do. The more solid disk has a higher concentration of the triangles so I’ll use it in lower grits for the rougher removal. And use it on my handheld block where dust extraction is not a factor. But, I’ll use the Xtract discs in higher grits and to take advantage of better dust removal. Unless I totally didn’t understand…😅
You got it! I’m making hand blocks from walnut scraps right now for the full disc 775l. Hopefully the video will be out next week showing tips and tricks for that specific paper.
Thank you! It was nice to learn about the different types. My wife makes resin tumblers that I sand before she does her magic. I was using the "D" word (think satan) net disc but was having trouble sanding the concaved/lipped bottom. It was fraying the net. Now I know that 3M makes a stiff backed velcro disc. You just saved me time and money on that. I am looking to get a new (snob tool) sander and was concerned about dust collection as I have a lot of 5 hole 5 inch discs. So hello 3M Xtract and so long 5 hole and "D" net sanding. Thanks Drew! I love your work and content.
@@wittworks I would not waste the money on the nets, unless they are on a really good sale. If you have enough of the 3M's there is no need to take a step backwards. IMHO
Really well done. Who knew I would learn so much about my favorite sandpaper. What a game changer. I now have a stack of Diablo sand paper that I'll never use. LOL. And thank you TayTools! And your hook at the end worked :) Subbed.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing your research into the sexy subject of sanding! I have shedloads of basic sanding discs that I use with my excellent Bosch sander. They are cheap, but certainly don't last very long. I did look at the mesh discs, but with hundreds of traditional discs, decided to wait. Having watched your video, I think I will give the 3M product a spin. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! That Bosch sander seems to be great. Think I should compare it with my Festool? You might try the sample pack of Xtract. I think it’s under $10 and you get 12 discs and various grits. That’s what I did. Beware. It’s a gateway….
@@wittworks Yes, the Bosch GEX 125-150 is an excellent sander, with anti vibration handle and superb dust collection. Costing nearly as much as the tracksaw, it had a lot to live up to, but I had a particularly tedious and time consuming sanding task - days, not hours - and I just couldn't face the old cheapo, instrument of torture any longer. Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm over the pond here in Scotland, so I think the postage would kill me - especially now that the Pound is on its way to parity with the Peso!
I have 3 things against the Cubitorn II sanding discs...#1) the cost of the discs has more than doubled in 2 years...#2) the discs edges bend and tear very quickly rendering the disc useless in short order. This happens most of the time when edge sanding. I don't have this problem with traditional hook and loop discs...#3) while the Cubitron discs work well, compared to silicone carbide they are no match...I can get 2 to 5 times more sanding done in the same time with a silicone carbide disc. For quick material removal a coarser grit of 40 or 60 is often necessary and Cubitron only comes in 80 grit or higher. I can get silicone carbide discs in grits from 36 to 8000 and the cost of the discs are about 19 cents versus cubitron at 85 cents each. Hmmm, longer life, significantly less cost, less disc degradation have all been factors on choosing not to use cubitron discs anymore.
Do you need an interface pad with the 3m net abrasives to protect the sanding pad of your sander? Seems like I remember needing one for the Mirka abrasives back in the day. Thanks for the video, great info.
Super-interesting video, I love hearing about innovation history. I just recently became aware of Xtract from one of the test videos on it; I need to split my order so both of you will share my few sets of affiliate revenue :-) I hadn’t realized it started out as a metal abrasive; that’s good to know because I also do metalworking. Thanks as always for the great info and interesting presentation!
Thanks Dave! Feel free to give 100% of the order to the other creator 😬 I was surprised about the metal history too. I didn’t mention it, but the name of 3M is Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. I always think of sticky notes. But mining and abrasives is their foundation. Check out their metal stuff! My dad works as a buyer in the aerospace and tool manufacturing and the stuff they use is insane. Sometimes I’ll get paper and discs that are supposed to be thrown away. They blow everything I have from the store out of the water.
@@wittworks I'm pretty sure there are a lot of innovations that we use every day, that are derived from 3M development... reflective technology, pressure sensitive adhesives (Scotch tape!), and more.
OK so I tried Xtract a while back and it left the pad on my Festool ETS-EC 150 a complete mess every time I changed the paper. For anyone that uses Xtract on the regular - is this a problem? What about the hook and loop cubitron II... does the dust collection work well enough given the hole pattern is different than granat paper?
That’s a common issue. I ended up having to get a pad that goes in between. Very few talk about it. It helps protect the pad on the sander and helps with adhesion of paper. I’ve thought about doing a quick PSA video on it since I had a problem.
fascinating topic that looks like you spent a lot of time researching. if i could suggest anything here, it would be to adopt adam ragusea's approach and cite your sources (sites, patents, papers, press releases, etc) where appropriate. (i.e. where did you learn about this micro replication process?) this would help you avoid sounding like you're reading a PR script and give the woodworking nerds the goods on where to deep-dive into the weeds. cheers!
Thanks. Good idea. I can post the links. I did on some. Most of it came from 4 different phone conversations and interviews. I had the patent numbers in the original script, but I got some advice from people to leave them out because there were a lot of parents and it was hard to mail down which one was which.
Would you recommend Xtract for hand sanding? 3M also has a Cubitron II line geared towards hand sanding (called Pro Grade Precision). I wonder if the Xtract would clog less and be more flexible thanks to the mesh.
Gee I'd love to waste more of my time, but I got wood to glue up. Cubitron paper is now also available in strips (50' x 2.5", plus), so it can be used on drum sanders. Works like a charm.
I’m shopping for a drum sander and would love to try it! Which drum do you have? I’ve been looking at the supermax…but man they’ve increased prices by hundreds
You got it completely backwards. No one is going to invest time and money into innovation if anyone can then use it. Patents also push competitors to come up with something better since they cannot use the patented innovation.
One of the problems I experience with the Xtract discs is that sanding dust collects in the center of the disk since the 8 hole backer plate on my sander can't get suction to the center area of the disk. Do you have any advice for that problem? Thanks.
Super interesting video. It's nice to see something new added to the discussion on this paper. I love this paper, and have been using it for a few months, but I think the claims are a bit overblown. The "nearly dust free" really only applies with a vacuum added, and how many average woodworkers run a vacuum to their sander? It sure leaves less, but for most people, whose sander just uses the internal motor speed to create airflow into a bag, you still need to blow/wipe down the wood between grits. It also doesn't last some extraordinary amount of time imo. I also think their grits are a little rougher than other brands, like diablo. The feel from a 220 pad of Xtract-mesh vs 220 Diablo non-mesh is rougher to the touch. I've found myself regularly going to 320 with the 3M mesh to get the feel of the 220 from Diablo. Interestingly, 3Ms paper leaves an equally smooth feel to the Diablo discs when I hand sand, for whatever reason. What it does, undoubtedly do, is remove material faster than anything else. Setting aside some of the, imo, overblown claims, it is still the best paper on the market, purely due to the price tag/disc being so competitive. I will never buy a different brand, as it is the best I've used, but I don't think it is the miracle that some influencers sell it as. Just my experience.
Thanks Miles! I should have specifically said “with an extractor” but I assumed that was obvious - given the name. But I think you’re right in many wouldn’t think to do that. But I think anyone using a net disc intentionally is doing it for those reasons. Adding something different to the conversation was my number one goal! So thank you for noticing that. I think a lot of hype/excitement is due to for so long it *seems* that most of the sandpaper is the same. My opinion is that what 3m did was a game changer. I’d suspect it will be in Hd and Lowes sometime soon as it becomes more popular. It’s not perfect, but I actually enjoy sanding now.
Great video! I love this stuff, but there is a weirdness to the Cubitron II Extract that I don't get. I feel like I need to use higher grits for final finishing. 80 is about as low as I need to go instead of 60, and I need 320 instead of 220 for finishing. Is this because f the sharpness? It leaves dust stuck hard to the wood surface. Brushing off the dust and hitting it with a tack rag no longer works! I have to brush, brush, brush, wipe with a dust rage, blow it off, then the tack rag. Why does it stickj? (no vacuum attached to my sander, but my sander's bag collects lots of dust).
@@wittworks I just tried it with a powerful Shop Vac, same problem, dust sticks to surface and is hard to brush off. It's not terrible, just extra work. There seems to be no grit, just dust sticking to the wood in a way I have never seen.
My experience shows that the abrasive falls off my 3" disk while sanding bowls on the lathe. Up to the failure it is excellent performing, I'll have to stick to Mirka.
Hey 3M, if u watchin add around 6mm thick circle offset of the edges. Prevent tearing down on those angled sandings. You can ship the gold to my address
The one problem I have had with the net sand papers is that the fine dust that gets through abrades the hooks of the hook and loop on my sanders pad. Causing me to replace those pads very quickly. I haven't seen anyone talk about this problem yet.
@@wittworks An additional peice of equipment to use the expensive discs? If I were just doing fine woodworking I wouldn't be complaining. Since I use my Sanders for all kinds of sanding, and materials, I'm less inclined to want another wear item. I also got to thinking about the supposes benefit of these nets vs holes. The sanding pad only has holes. The discs with holes line up. The net just allows dust to go anywhere, and yet still has to get sucked up through the holes, or around the edge of the pad. I'm not seeing a big increase in dust collection in the net style.
@@wittworks my pads are about $21 ea. And last about 1 to 2 years of hard use. Sanding everything from old paint to drywall patches. (Drywall dust kills pads as fast as old paint in my experience). I'll check out the pad savers. But my point about the dust being sucked up through the 8 holes and the sides still seems to make the net sanding papers usefulness reduced.
I have the Xtract sandpaper for my Festool 5" sander. However, the xtract doesn't want to stick to the pad. I don't have any problems with other sandpapers the 775 seems to stick better. Is there something I am missing with the xtract?
I had the same experience. Actually doing a short video on that this coming week. Not sure why it's the case, but the $5 "padsaver" was the fix for me. Got me better adhesion and also protects the hook and loop on the expensive backer pad.
I just don't get it. Everyone said the extract was this awesome long lasting, efficient and dust controlling magic. From my experience I'm getting 2 out of 3 on a good day. They cut like crazy when fresh, they're great about dust when used with a vacuum but I chew through them faster than a snickers bar. Maybe its the rough reclaimed wood I work with but if I get much more than 10ft² out of a pad.
When you're tired of chewing through those purple pads in a few minutes you should try the Diablo Sandnet! Your wallet will be happy & you can thank me later.
Whenever you're extracting air or dust with air, look at where your replacement air is coming from. On great orbital sanders, cold air is supplied to the centre as well as sucked in from the edges. A massive vacuum without flow does not shift dust. Moving air carries dust. as far as I know, Mirka, Festool and Metabo sell eccentric sanders with a cold air supply in the middle of the pad. I've not seen others.
“Compensated in sandpaper”. Right. Yes. I made a video that cost me time and money to make, and gave lots of value to a brand, and helped people with information, in exchange for $10 in sandpaper. Unrelated: do you work for free?
Holy advertising, Batman! I don't mind learning about a new tool or tech, but I didn't need the whole PR thing straight from 3M about the history of the company, etc.
Not exactly. I don’t know anyone at 3M and I doubt anyone on the payroll there has any clue who I am. I got all that from research and interviewing a friend unaffiliated with the company. Advertising implies dollars came my way specifically to amplify their intended message. I am actually worried 3M might ask me to take it down. 3M has a policy against social media marketing and 'influencers'. I found their story fascinating, and as a story teller, I wanted to tell it because I found it interesting, and wish they would tell these things in ways people like me can understand. I'm sorry it came across as an ad. But maybe I should google a marketing email with a 3M domain name and send them an invoice. 🥴
Great video, a lot of great information, but PLEASE drop the "Peace" with your hands like two guns crossed at the end of the video, you're not from the ghetto, and you're not black, all it does is make you look ignorant and ruin a Great video.
Rumor has it they deprive the male triangles of stimulation and right at the last second before adhesion they bring in a female triangle Works every time 😉
3m abrasives are so overpriced, maybe it's because I do metal working and stainless steel finishing, but their abrasives are way too expensive for the performance. For my money, Norton is the best, festool's granat line is good too. I use a burnisher and the flap drums (4" length x 4" diameter with a quad keyway or 5/8-11 threading) and 3M wants close to $100 each, whether traditional abrasive paper or non-woven nylon abrasive, it's insane
I hope they start selling the sanding belts in europe, can't find them for now. When I see how well the discs work I can't help but imagine how awesome it would be on an oscillating belt sander.
@@wittworks I hope so. I go look for them from time to time since I discovered the 775L discs, no luck so far. When you use a piece of rubber to clean it the cubitron II lasts so long it's crazy. A belt like that would kick so much ass.
@@wittworks So far I can't find it anywhere in Europe (amazon or anywhere else), only american or canadian websites. I could order but between shipping and taxes on imports it would be insanely expensive. Just have to wait and hope they eventually start distributing them in Europe :(
It’s really surprising. I *think* Europe has stricter dust control standards and laws, so it would only make sense that an offering like Xtract would be offered in Europe. Maybe it’s too early.
When using the Cubitron II on something like a Dewalt orbital sander, do you need to use one of those protective pads or will just work fine with usual H&L?
🚨 Infla*ion is real, so I asked Taylor Toolworks to offer an Infla*tion Relief Pricing Sale for us makers. They agreed and as of 10/21/22, they have put 3M Xtract back on sale. Here are direct (affiliate) links:
3M 710w Xtract: lddy.no/1czeg
3M 710w Xtract Sample Pack: lddy.no/150ju
3M 775L Hook & Loop: lddy.no/1daya
3M 775L Sticky Back: lddy.no/1dayc
Please note that if you buy some, I'll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. But I personally buy and use both the 5" and 6" versions of Xtract 710w, 775L, and I recently bought some 310w from Amazon. I've been happy and enjoy sanding again.
Taylor is one of my favorites sources of tools and supplies
I think it's cheaper on Amazon once you include shipping.
Out of curiosity, why'd you censor that word?
Just to be funny. Because everyone I know is talking about inflation like it’s a bad word
@@wittworks this is crazy I thought I only knew the secret. It’s head and shoulders above anything I’ve tried. I made a hook and loop glove like black tail I’ll never go back.
Who wants to listen to the history of a sand paper company? Well it turns out when it is presented on point, entertaining, and enticing, count me in! Nice job.
Funny! Thank you! I found it fascinating and wondered why people don’t talk more about it. Glad you liked it.
I feel like I know way too much about sandpaper and the abrasive R&D group at 3M 😂
This is true. Cubitron II NFTs coming your way.
3m is so over priced, Norton Abrasives is where it's at. When it comes to ceramic alumina abrasives, their Blaze line is second to none
ur done 😩😩😩
Nicely done overview of the history. I've tried the Xtract, but I still prefer Cubitron 2 for one simple reason that often gets overlooked. Mesh papers "superior" dust extraction comes at a cost of the backing pads on sanders. The hooks tend to loose their gripping power because of the sheer amount of dust traveling through the mesh. I went through 2 backing pads using Xtract last year. Since switching back to Cubitron 2, my backing pad still holds. Just something to consider
Thank you! Yes. You said it better than I did at the end. The film backed 775l are tough.
The same happened to me until I bought the Mirka abranet gripped face pad. It even saves my sander from using the synthetic wool pads.
@@chrissetter my Festool sanders have issues with mesh discs. At $40+ for a Festool backing pad, it's gets pricey to run those types of discs.
Mesh sanding discs open weave permits the loops on the backing pad to pass through and get abraded away
Try an interface pad.
Great presentation and actually pretty interesting history. Just bought the 3M Xtract 5" Sander and an assortment of Cubitron II sandpaper, can't wait to see the difference from my old box store sander. Great job!
Thanks! Very cool! Make sure you use a "padsaver" to protect your backing pad: th-cam.com/video/0HNOHRxzby0/w-d-xo.html
Great video. I really like the history and the explanation of the “siblings” of the abrasives. Looking forward to the jig video.
Thank you! Working on it now!
Cubitron is triangles? WTF
Thanks for the exposition dump lol. I knew cubitron was originally for metalworking, but I didn't know that Mike Taylor was the one to popularize it for woodworking. I've been using the Xtract product for about 6 months as a hobbyist woodworker and I've been pretty impressed. Working in an apartment makes me really appreciate how much dust my anemic shopvac can still manage to suck up with these things. Good video.
Thank you! Yes, he has to buy in industrial quantities and then pays people to break them up into smaller packs because 3M still won't package them in quantities the WE need.
Awesome info and expertly presented as always! Great job!
Thank you Outlaw!
Another great video. Recently helped someone clean out an attic and it had her great grandfather's woodworking tools. Including some 3m sandpaper from the early 1900's. It was mostly very flaky and brittle. But you could still read some of the writing on the box
Thank you! That’s a cool story!
great video and very informative. i just ordered some from Taylor's a few weeks ago and used it for the first time this past weekend. i won't use anything else now...amazing stuff
Thank you! Glad you got some! I won't use anything else.
Found some money in my couch and bought a box of these. Thanks WW!
Ha! Make sure you use a padsaver
@@wittworks ahh, better dig for more change. 😉
They’re $5 so you should be good!
Thank you for sharing this. I just ordered this to check it out. I have a 5” Festool Sander and just use the Festool sandpaper. On my older 6” Porter Cable sander I used Mirka. So I thought this would be something good to try.
Great video bud! Its really amazing to see a video of yours because of the research you do, I love it! Gotta grab some 3m sandpaper real quick 😁 have a great weekend bud!
Thank you! Appreciate it.
Genius video! Thanks for the brief history and science lesson. I had bought both papers on the advice of JKM, but didn’t really understand the difference. Now, I do. The more solid disk has a higher concentration of the triangles so I’ll use it in lower grits for the rougher removal. And use it on my handheld block where dust extraction is not a factor. But, I’ll use the Xtract discs in higher grits and to take advantage of better dust removal. Unless I totally didn’t understand…😅
You got it! I’m making hand blocks from walnut scraps right now for the full disc 775l. Hopefully the video will be out next week showing tips and tricks for that specific paper.
Great info, being mainly a woodturner anymore, I appreciate. Fun to get a history lesson also!
Can't wait to try some of this when I get my Festool sander! Great info, thanks for the research!
You’re welcome. It works on other sanders too. Thinking about getting a cheap Hf sander to test it on
@@wittworks Seems to work fine on my Bosch and Portal Cable sanders. I don’t agree with dust free. Sanding makes dust.
Which one are you looking to get?
Do you have a good extractor hooked up to it? I don’t see any dust when I use it with my Festool sander and extractor.
I use it with my Dewalt sander and it's fantastic.
TH-cam really recommend me a video about a fking sandpaper, wnd you know what, i enjoyed it.
the Al Gore Rythym is a strange thing, huh? Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting.
That pattern is the same as some swiffer pads I’ve seen on commercials or in stores.
This video was so fascinating and well made, you're awesome!
Thank you
Such good information presented in an engaging way! Awesome video! 👌
Thank you
Thank you! It was nice to learn about the different types. My wife makes resin tumblers that I sand before she does her magic. I was using the "D" word (think satan) net disc but was having trouble sanding the concaved/lipped bottom. It was fraying the net. Now I know that 3M makes a stiff backed velcro disc. You just saved me time and money on that. I am looking to get a new (snob tool) sander and was concerned about dust collection as I have a lot of 5 hole 5 inch discs. So hello 3M Xtract and so long 5 hole and "D" net sanding. Thanks Drew! I love your work and content.
Thank you David! Can I call you David? I haven’t tried the Diablo nets but almost bought them. The 775l is REALLY thick backed. Very impressed.
@@wittworks I would not waste the money on the nets, unless they are on a really good sale. If you have enough of the 3M's there is no need to take a step backwards. IMHO
@@davidmeyer9204 agreed.
I just got the ec 150/3 yesterday. Haven’t fired it up yet.
Why cant you type out Diablo?
Johnathan katz moses was the reason Taylor tools was selling out. Don't think it was as popular among woodworking prior to him.
JKM heard about it from Taylor and got his sample test from taytools. Woodworkers hadn’t heard about it until Kat told the world.
@@wittworks yup. That's another way of saying it.
Awesome video Drew, I will need to pick up some of this “sandpaper”
Thank you bro. Stop watching YT and get back to that commission! 😉
@@wittworks needed to know what sandpaper I needed to finish. *procrastination*
@@johnjss TOUCHE! YOU GOT ME.
super thorough. Thanks for the hard work!
Thank you
I now have a source who has a source who has a source
🤪 sounds like ESPN journalism
Phenomenal research - thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really well done. Who knew I would learn so much about my favorite sandpaper. What a game changer. I now have a stack of Diablo sand paper that I'll never use. LOL. And thank you TayTools! And your hook at the end worked :) Subbed.
Oh thanks! Maybe we can both our Diablo discs to some of the trolls who comment?
@@wittworks lol. So long as they pay the $1,000 shipping and handling!
Yes. $5 for shipping. $9995 for handling their attitude.
Same. I have 10 of the 50 disc SandNet packs that will start collecting dust after moving over to 3M.
Thank you Jay. I’ll start collecting troll addresses.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing your research into the sexy subject of sanding! I have shedloads of basic sanding discs that I use with my excellent Bosch sander. They are cheap, but certainly don't last very long. I did look at the mesh discs, but with hundreds of traditional discs, decided to wait. Having watched your video, I think I will give the 3M product a spin. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! That Bosch sander seems to be great. Think I should compare it with my Festool? You might try the sample pack of Xtract. I think it’s under $10 and you get 12 discs and various grits. That’s what I did. Beware. It’s a gateway….
@@wittworks Yes, the Bosch GEX 125-150 is an excellent sander, with anti vibration handle and superb dust collection.
Costing nearly as much as the tracksaw, it had a lot to live up to, but I had a particularly tedious and time consuming sanding task - days, not hours - and I just couldn't face the old cheapo, instrument of torture any longer.
Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm over the pond here in Scotland, so I think the postage would kill me - especially now that the Pound is on its way to parity with the Peso!
I’ll check it out.
I think the dollar and pound and peso maybe all in the same category soon. 😮
I have 3 things against the Cubitorn II sanding discs...#1) the cost of the discs has more than doubled in 2 years...#2) the discs edges bend and tear very quickly rendering the disc useless in short order. This happens most of the time when edge sanding. I don't have this problem with traditional hook and loop discs...#3) while the Cubitron discs work well, compared to silicone carbide they are no match...I can get 2 to 5 times more sanding done in the same time with a silicone carbide disc. For quick material removal a coarser grit of 40 or 60 is often necessary and Cubitron only comes in 80 grit or higher. I can get silicone carbide discs in grits from 36 to 8000 and the cost of the discs are about 19 cents versus cubitron at 85 cents each. Hmmm, longer life, significantly less cost, less disc degradation have all been factors on choosing not to use cubitron discs anymore.
I've generally preferred the Diablo Mesh sand papers
It would be nice if 3M colour coded the grits.
great idea. I found the labels on the back to be much better than the ones I've used from diablo.
Do you need an interface pad with the 3m net abrasives to protect the sanding pad of your sander? Seems like I remember needing one for the Mirka abrasives back in the day. Thanks for the video, great info.
Yes I use a pad like that. I think they’re around $9 or so.
Absolutely. They don’t call them padsavers just for the heck of it.
🫡
Super-interesting video, I love hearing about innovation history. I just recently became aware of Xtract from one of the test videos on it; I need to split my order so both of you will share my few sets of affiliate revenue :-)
I hadn’t realized it started out as a metal abrasive; that’s good to know because I also do metalworking. Thanks as always for the great info and interesting presentation!
Thanks Dave! Feel free to give 100% of the order to the other creator 😬
I was surprised about the metal history too. I didn’t mention it, but the name of 3M is Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. I always think of sticky notes. But mining and abrasives is their foundation.
Check out their metal stuff! My dad works as a buyer in the aerospace and tool manufacturing and the stuff they use is insane. Sometimes I’ll get paper and discs that are supposed to be thrown away. They blow everything I have from the store out of the water.
@@wittworks I'm pretty sure there are a lot of innovations that we use every day, that are derived from 3M development... reflective technology, pressure sensitive adhesives (Scotch tape!), and more.
I wish they made a 775w with the full outer edge coated to help it last longer
OK so I tried Xtract a while back and it left the pad on my Festool ETS-EC 150 a complete mess every time I changed the paper. For anyone that uses Xtract on the regular - is this a problem? What about the hook and loop cubitron II... does the dust collection work well enough given the hole pattern is different than granat paper?
That’s a common issue. I ended up having to get a pad that goes in between. Very few talk about it. It helps protect the pad on the sander and helps with adhesion of paper. I’ve thought about doing a quick PSA video on it since I had a problem.
@@wittworks yes please, oh and I prefer "Dave"
Maybe you could talk about pad savers and backing pads for us less professional types..thanks. Nice history on this video
the problem with the "best" sandpaper (& how to fix it cheap)
th-cam.com/video/0HNOHRxzby0/w-d-xo.html
Love your vids. Subscribed!
Thanks! 😍
I like it but went back to cubitron 2, the extract physically falls apart, especially on the edges, quicker than the C2
Yes that’s the down side. The con to the net backing. I found the filmed back to be tough.
I found the same thing happened to me. I wasn’t too impressed so I thought maybe I was doing something wrong.
Same
8:00 I have been in that argument loop when trying to say carwash vacuums suck when they don't suck. They Blow. Lol
Ha
@WittWorks thanks for sharing! I will share this in a woodworking group I belong to...nice Matrix reference...lol
When I talk to people about sand paper they just stare at me like I’m insane.
fascinating topic that looks like you spent a lot of time researching. if i could suggest anything here, it would be to adopt adam ragusea's approach and cite your sources (sites, patents, papers, press releases, etc) where appropriate. (i.e. where did you learn about this micro replication process?) this would help you avoid sounding like you're reading a PR script and give the woodworking nerds the goods on where to deep-dive into the weeds. cheers!
Thanks. Good idea. I can post the links. I did on some. Most of it came from 4 different phone conversations and interviews. I had the patent numbers in the original script, but I got some advice from people to leave them out because there were a lot of parents and it was hard to mail down which one was which.
Would you recommend Xtract for hand sanding? 3M also has a Cubitron II line geared towards hand sanding (called Pro Grade Precision). I wonder if the Xtract would clog less and be more flexible thanks to the mesh.
92 huge mistake, should've been the triangulon.
Didn't know 3m was a sandpaper company. I thought they were an adhesive company.
Technically they were a mining company. The adhesive was a “mistake”. A trillion dollar mistake.
adhesvie abrasive potato potato
What do you recommend for paint removal?
So I assume it will work with my festool sanders okay?
yes, but watch this: th-cam.com/video/0HNOHRxzby0/w-d-xo.html
Its super popular only in "influencer" circles, wonder why? :))
Gee I'd love to waste more of my time, but I got wood to glue up. Cubitron paper is now also available in strips (50' x 2.5", plus), so it can be used on drum sanders. Works like a charm.
I’m shopping for a drum sander and would love to try it! Which drum do you have? I’ve been looking at the supermax…but man they’ve increased prices by hundreds
@@wittworks I have a Sand Flee, which is an open bed (lower drum only) sander. I really like it. I've had it for about 12 years.
It's why I like but also dislike patents they slow future progress down.
Good point.
Lack of patents though also discourage investment in innovation.
I read that as 'parents' and was like, yea pretty much. Lol
😬
You got it completely backwards. No one is going to invest time and money into innovation if anyone can then use it. Patents also push competitors to come up with something better since they cannot use the patented innovation.
Don't worry, I noticed you spelled it "affillaite" instead of "affiliate."
Fat thumbs.
Nice paper colour toooo
great content thanks
I don’t know if only happens to me but i haven’t seen anyone talking that it leave the purple abrasive thing on the surface like it comes off the net
I haven’t had that happen to me. I’ll keep an eye on it. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll ask the 3M source if they’re aware of it.
@@itachi975x I saw that video. I think he missed the point of the abrasive being self sharpening.
but that could cause more swirl marks
Well, I guess I'm that guy who paused the video to look for Easter eggs. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised with myself.
Yay! Finally.
One of the problems I experience with the Xtract discs is that sanding dust collects in the center of the disk since the 8 hole backer plate on my sander can't get suction to the center area of the disk. Do you have any advice for that problem? Thanks.
I haven’t had that experience with my Festool sanders. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Super interesting video. It's nice to see something new added to the discussion on this paper.
I love this paper, and have been using it for a few months, but I think the claims are a bit overblown.
The "nearly dust free" really only applies with a vacuum added, and how many average woodworkers run a vacuum to their sander? It sure leaves less, but for most people, whose sander just uses the internal motor speed to create airflow into a bag, you still need to blow/wipe down the wood between grits. It also doesn't last some extraordinary amount of time imo.
I also think their grits are a little rougher than other brands, like diablo. The feel from a 220 pad of Xtract-mesh vs 220 Diablo non-mesh is rougher to the touch. I've found myself regularly going to 320 with the 3M mesh to get the feel of the 220 from Diablo. Interestingly, 3Ms paper leaves an equally smooth feel to the Diablo discs when I hand sand, for whatever reason.
What it does, undoubtedly do, is remove material faster than anything else.
Setting aside some of the, imo, overblown claims, it is still the best paper on the market, purely due to the price tag/disc being so competitive.
I will never buy a different brand, as it is the best I've used, but I don't think it is the miracle that some influencers sell it as. Just my experience.
Thanks Miles! I should have specifically said “with an extractor” but I assumed that was obvious - given the name. But I think you’re right in many wouldn’t think to do that. But I think anyone using a net disc intentionally is doing it for those reasons.
Adding something different to the conversation was my number one goal! So thank you for noticing that.
I think a lot of hype/excitement is due to for so long it *seems* that most of the sandpaper is the same. My opinion is that what 3m did was a game changer. I’d suspect it will be in Hd and Lowes sometime soon as it becomes more popular. It’s not perfect, but I actually enjoy sanding now.
Great video! I love this stuff, but there is a weirdness to the Cubitron II Extract that I don't get. I feel like I need to use higher grits for final finishing. 80 is about as low as I need to go instead of 60, and I need 320 instead of 220 for finishing. Is this because f the sharpness? It leaves dust stuck hard to the wood surface. Brushing off the dust and hitting it with a tack rag no longer works! I have to brush, brush, brush, wipe with a dust rage, blow it off, then the tack rag. Why does it stickj? (no vacuum attached to my sander, but my sander's bag collects lots of dust).
Interesting. My guess would be that the grit that is “self sharpening” is being left on buried into the grains because you don’t have an extractor.
@@wittworks I just tried it with a powerful Shop Vac, same problem, dust sticks to surface and is hard to brush off. It's not terrible, just extra work. There seems to be no grit, just dust sticking to the wood in a way I have never seen.
Prior to 1902 there was shark skin and horsetail
Yes. I was speaking commercially like we know it
My experience shows that the abrasive falls off my 3" disk while sanding bowls on the lathe. Up to the failure it is excellent performing, I'll have to stick to Mirka.
Thank you for sharing!
Try using a 3m sander instead of the festool status tool that never thought of ergonomics. Ever
Hey 3M, if u watchin add around 6mm thick circle offset of the edges. Prevent tearing down on those angled sandings. You can ship the gold to my address
that is the downside...edges break down fast.
Actually like Festools better. 3M works well but seems to clog and wear out faster.
Oooh so close, could’ve been cubitron squared
😎
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing… 3M
Yep.
Sawdust free sandpaper? I assume it uses antimatter to desintegrate the wood particles...
The one problem I have had with the net sand papers is that the fine dust that gets through abrades the hooks of the hook and loop on my sanders pad. Causing me to replace those pads very quickly. I haven't seen anyone talk about this problem yet.
Do you have a pad saver?
@@wittworks An additional peice of equipment to use the expensive discs? If I were just doing fine woodworking I wouldn't be complaining. Since I use my Sanders for all kinds of sanding, and materials, I'm less inclined to want another wear item.
I also got to thinking about the supposes benefit of these nets vs holes. The sanding pad only has holes. The discs with holes line up. The net just allows dust to go anywhere, and yet still has to get sucked up through the holes, or around the edge of the pad. I'm not seeing a big increase in dust collection in the net style.
The pad savers are around $6 and save your $40 backing pad (because the hook and loop are more exposed). Trade offs with everything.
@@wittworks my pads are about $21 ea. And last about 1 to 2 years of hard use. Sanding everything from old paint to drywall patches. (Drywall dust kills pads as fast as old paint in my experience). I'll check out the pad savers. But my point about the dust being sucked up through the 8 holes and the sides still seems to make the net sanding papers usefulness reduced.
Comparison to Diablo's mesh sanding disk?
I almost bought some to compare…
How do they compare to Diablo Sand Net ?
I have the Xtract sandpaper for my Festool 5" sander. However, the xtract doesn't want to stick to the pad. I don't have any problems with other sandpapers the 775 seems to stick better. Is there something I am missing with the xtract?
I had the same experience. Actually doing a short video on that this coming week. Not sure why it's the case, but the $5 "padsaver" was the fix for me. Got me better adhesion and also protects the hook and loop on the expensive backer pad.
@@wittworks Thanks for the information. Is there a specific padsaver you recommend? Where do you get yours?
I have both 3m (taytools) and Festool (Amazon). I like the Festool one best. amzn.to/3WyWWwa
@@wittworks Thanks! I am definitely going to give it a try.
Why no 60-grit?
Trianglatron
Right?!
Geez … will the algorithms never do this to me again….. please , I’m asking this time
Ihate to break it to you...but you commenting tells the Al Gore Rhythm that you like it....
...BUT THEN THE DEMO VIDEO NEVER CAME.
I just don't get it. Everyone said the extract was this awesome long lasting, efficient and dust controlling magic. From my experience I'm getting 2 out of 3 on a good day. They cut like crazy when fresh, they're great about dust when used with a vacuum but I chew through them faster than a snickers bar. Maybe its the rough reclaimed wood I work with but if I get much more than 10ft² out of a pad.
yeah, it's the wood. U jsut get them dirty and clogged
Great
EFF PATENTS is solely the biggest takeaway..
60 and 40 grit not available
Lowest I have is 80
They stole the idea from MIRKA.
They make net sanding discs for autobody.
I've been using them for at least 15 years now.
When you're tired of chewing through those purple pads in a few minutes you should try the Diablo Sandnet! Your wallet will be happy & you can thank me later.
I have some. Nah. I’m good with purple.
Whenever you're extracting air or dust with air, look at where your replacement air is coming from. On great orbital sanders, cold air is supplied to the centre as well as sucked in from the edges.
A massive vacuum without flow does not shift dust. Moving air carries dust. as far as I know, Mirka, Festool and Metabo sell eccentric sanders with a cold air supply in the middle of the pad. I've not seen others.
These 3m disks arnt long lasting compared to the paper ones they rub off very easy and then your left just sanding down with your Velcro 😢
Really, influencer? That is funny.
Why did I listen to this infomercial?
Because you’re awesome.
@@wittworks 😂
🙃
"sawldust"
@04:58 he basically admits he was compensated in sandpaper. Good move
“Compensated in sandpaper”. Right. Yes. I made a video that cost me time and money to make, and gave lots of value to a brand, and helped people with information, in exchange for $10 in sandpaper.
Unrelated: do you work for free?
@@wittworks well said
Holy advertising, Batman! I don't mind learning about a new tool or tech, but I didn't need the whole PR thing straight from 3M about the history of the company, etc.
Not exactly. I don’t know anyone at 3M and I doubt anyone on the payroll there has any clue who I am. I got all that from research and interviewing a friend unaffiliated with the company. Advertising implies dollars came my way specifically to amplify their intended message. I am actually worried 3M might ask me to take it down. 3M has a policy against social media marketing and 'influencers'. I found their story fascinating, and as a story teller, I wanted to tell it because I found it interesting, and wish they would tell these things in ways people like me can understand. I'm sorry it came across as an ad. But maybe I should google a marketing email with a 3M domain name and send them an invoice. 🥴
I thought it was interesting...
Great video, a lot of great information, but PLEASE drop the "Peace" with your hands like two guns crossed at the end of the video, you're not from the ghetto, and you're not black, all it does is make you look ignorant and ruin a Great video.
How do you know I’m not from the ghetto?
@@wittworks if you are the goal is to rise out of it not emulate it
✌️
Rumor has it they deprive the male triangles of stimulation and right at the last second before adhesion they bring in a female triangle
Works every time 😉
3m abrasives are so overpriced, maybe it's because I do metal working and stainless steel finishing, but their abrasives are way too expensive for the performance. For my money, Norton is the best, festool's granat line is good too.
I use a burnisher and the flap drums (4" length x 4" diameter with a quad keyway or 5/8-11 threading) and 3M wants close to $100 each, whether traditional abrasive paper or non-woven nylon abrasive, it's insane
Lost me at “red pill”. 🙄
I dont even do woodworking....but this video was the shit. Awesome info. Now I wanna get into woodworking.
🤪
Just so you know sanding is absoloutely the worst and most time consuming process in most builds
I hope they start selling the sanding belts in europe, can't find them for now. When I see how well the discs work I can't help but imagine how awesome it would be on an oscillating belt sander.
I’m sure they will soon. They’re starting to expand their market on it.
@@wittworks I hope so. I go look for them from time to time since I discovered the 775L discs, no luck so far.
When you use a piece of rubber to clean it the cubitron II lasts so long it's crazy. A belt like that would kick so much ass.
Is it not on your version of Amazon?
@@wittworks So far I can't find it anywhere in Europe (amazon or anywhere else), only american or canadian websites. I could order but between shipping and taxes on imports it would be insanely expensive. Just have to wait and hope they eventually start distributing them in Europe :(
It’s really surprising. I *think* Europe has stricter dust control standards and laws, so it would only make sense that an offering like Xtract would be offered in Europe. Maybe it’s too early.
When using the Cubitron II on something like a Dewalt orbital sander, do you need to use one of those protective pads or will just work fine with usual H&L?
The regular with cloth back should work without one, but the mesh backed Xtract may or may not need a pad.
Just don't add pressure and you'll be good. Let the sander do the work.
Just ordered some. got an extra 10% off using TTOOLS10 so saved me a couple extra bucks on top of the sale price
cool! didn't know about that!