If you do happen to run across FEPA measurements in-store, it’s best to simply ask the store advisor if you’re unsure instead of ending up with the incorrect sandpaper for your application. These measurements don’t really translate 1:1 so below you’ll find a small conversion table showing you the CAMI to FEPA measurements. While you should be able to identify sandpaper sizes listed on this scale pretty easily, watch out for the “P” before their grit numbers if you’re unsure. While most retailers will follow the US CAMI scale, if you’re buying your sandpaper online you might come across a different measurement system known as the Federation of the European Producers of Abrasives (FEPA). This measurement is used to determine the size and/or thickness of particularly small substances, and is even used to determine the thickness of paint when spraying commercial airliners and space crafts! The actual measurement that is used to establish the grit of a given piece of sandpaper is called “microns”. Many countries have adopted this manner of distinguishing one sandpaper grit from another, which is why we now refer to sandpaper from 120 grit to 200 grit almost universally. In the United States, the Coated Abrasive Manufacturers Institute (CAMI) determines the grit of sandpaper based on the gradation scale. The higher the grit the smoother the sandpaper and vice versa. The degree of roughness is what is referred to as grit, with low grit such as 120 grit sandpaper being very rough, and higher grit sandpaper such as 160 grit being smoother. During production, they are sifted and sorted by size, after which they are joined to stiff paper backing using an adhesive, which is how we get the sandpaper we all know and love.īecause the granules are sorted by size and adhered to their respective paper backings, you are left with very rough feeling sandpaper and very smooth feeling sandpaper. Sandpaper actually consists of little, tiny granules. While you might be inclined to believe that sandpaper somehow incorporates sand into its makeup, it does not. Let’s have a look at the different sandpaper grits you could come across on your woodworking journey and what they’re used for. While they might all look the same, there are many different “grits” of sandpaper, all of which are used for different applications and to achieve a certain degree of smoothness. If you’ve ever been to a hardware store then you’ve probably seen reels and reels of sandpaper. Understanding Different Grits of Sandpaper You can also send your workpiece lightly between coats of paint, varnish, and resin. For one, cleaning the surface of your workpiece thoroughly and applying primer can greatly improve the quality of your finish. If you’d like a near-perfect finish, there are other steps you can take in addition to sanding to ensure that your surface is ready for paint or treatment too. Using sandpaper isn’t the only option when you need to resurface wood board though, as things like power sanders and liquid sandpaper exist too. Sanding is a simple solution to what could turn into a major problem, which is why almost every woodworking and/or wood crafting tutorial out there will list sanding as the preparation process. Other surfaces require sanding for practically the same reason, but wood in particular almost always needs to be sanded to ensure that the finish you apply afterward is well received and evenly distributed among the wood’s internal fibers. How do you remove this layer? By sanding it! This is essentially all sanding your surface does aside from making your workpiece smooth and flush. Due to this external “shell”, applying things like paint, wood treatment oils, and varnish can prove to be rather difficult without removing this layer first. Wooden surfaces naturally become conditioned through their exposure to the immediate environment in order to prevent things like water, insects, and mold from entering the wood’s pores. As a naturally occurring material, trees condition their wood to ensure that their trunks, nutrients, and even their roots, are protected. This is where understanding the properties of wood comes into play. Why, though? After all, sanding your workpiece simply roughs up the surface of the wood. Sanding the surface of your workpiece is a necessity across almost every woodworking discipline. Why Is It Important to Sand the Surface of Your Workpiece?
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