Can I Use Regular Sandpaper with a Sander?

Sandpaper Types

• There are four main types of sandpaper: aluminum oxide, garnet, ceramic and silicon carbide. Aluminum oxide sandpaper can be used on wood, metal, paint, fiberglass and plastic. Garnet and ceramic sandpaper can only be used on wood. Garnet sandpaper is very soft and not recommended for heavy sanding projects, while ceramic sandpaper is hard and endures the heat of a belt sander well. Silicon carbide sandpaper is recommended for paint, fiberglass and plastic.

Sandpaper Grit Scale

• Sandpaper is categorized by its level of grit, or how many grains of sand fit into one square inch of sandpaper. Coarse sandpaper has grit from 40 to 60 and is used for heavy sanding and stripping. Medium sandpaper has grit from 80 to 120 and is used for smoothing a surface, as well as removing small imperfections. Fine sandpaper has grit from 150 to 180 and is used for making a final sanding pass before wood is finished. Very fine sandpaper has grit from 220 to 240 and is used for sanding between coats of sealer or stain. Superfine sandpaper has grit from 280 to 320 and is used for sanding finish in order to remove luster or surface blemishes.

Belt, Palm and Detail Sanders

• Belt sanders are the most common. Ideal for the start of an intensive sanding project, belt sanders work by spinning sandpaper looped around two wheels. Palm sanders, also called finish or pad sanders, are recommended for finishing flat surfaces or edges. They vibrate in a circular fashion and should be rotated with the same movement. Detail or contour sanders are small tools used for tight spaces and come with multiple attachments of different sizes and shapes.

Random Orbit Sanders

• Random orbit sanders have round pads with a predominantly circular motion and variable speed control, making them useful for all sorts of jobs. Random orbit sanders must be used with special sandpaper. Since random orbit sander pads contain small holes meant to suck up excess sawdust, the correct sandpaper has holes that line up correspondingly so the dust suction process is not blocked.