150mm Mesh Sanding Discs

[aldav]

Looking to upgrade to mesh sanding discs and buying in bulk. Sick of the crappy paper ones that you still have to pay a fortune for if you need some in a hurry. Looking at Sianet for about $1.20 each, but have seen many offerings including Chinese unbranded ones. The price range is enormous.

Any suggestions? And if I got 6 grits from 80 to 400 would anyone be interested in taking, say, 30 or 60 mixed grits at the bulk price?

Cheers,
David

[NCArcher]

Have you seen these Dave?
Pretty good price, forum sponsor
Mesh Dust Free Premium Sanding Discs 125mm, 150mm - Veneer Inlay
I have a handful of Abranet disks and they are amazing. Work great and last many times longer than normal disks. Cost many times more than normal disks though.

[aldav]

Yep, had a look at those. The problem with buying something like that is that they're no-name Chinese jobs and you've really got no idea what you're getting. In my case, because I haven't used this type of disc before, even if I was happy with them when I got them I still wouldn't know how they compare to the established competition. It's like having a double disability.

[Chris Parks]

Dave, I picked up some Diablo mesh discs from Bunnies and they seem to work ok to me and the only other type I have used are Abranet which of course are good.

[homey]

Aldav,

I can only speak for Abranet. I have a Festool ETS150 and preciously used Festool abrasives. I changed to Abranet and would not go back. The Abranet last so much longer and keep very clean. For me, sanding media is relatively inexpensive and I wouldn’t risk stuffing up a project with inferior abrasives.

Brian

[mature one]

I'm with Brian with this I only use abranet and they are great you can buy bulk if you want.

[Lappa]

I bought a wide selection of 150 and 125mm off one of the forum sponsors. Cannot remember who it was as it was quite some time ago.
Now I don’t know if it is a compatibility problem but it’s the “staying on the pad” that’s my problem. Pads still have plenty of abrasive left but they start lifting off the pad/ not sticking way before the abrasive runs out.
The Bosch paper discs seem to “stick” better for longer.

I probably should try another mesh brand but I have a “shed load” of the others.

Its a Bosch GEX 150 ROS

[Kuffy]

I use the SIAnet from The Sandpaper Man. Works good enough, lasts long enough. It's not great for hand sanding but I use it anyway. Because of the mesh structure, it gets snagged on sharp corners easily enough and stretches or separates (the grid spacing becomes larger in the problem area. Best way I can think of describing it). It's great for sanding flat panels because there is very few wild grains which can be responsible for the pig tails that random orbital sanders can give if you are in a hurry. I only use 180grit and 240grit. 180grit is good enough to smooth out machining marks from the spiral thicknesser or router marks, and 240grit is just a good stopping point for sanding when I'm just gonna slap on some poly or shellac.

[derekcohen]

Sandpaper decisions need to be considered in context with the wood and finish.

When you are used to finishing with hand planes, you appreciate the clarity of the grain and figure that is revealed this way. I am always looking at the advantage one finish has over another, and never just finish a piece of furniture with whatever is to hand. It is horses for courses. The best surface created and the best finish for it.

When sanding, I would not dream of finishing at 240 grit. The sanders used are either a 20 year-old 150mm Festo (forerunner of the Festool 150) and a Mirka Ceros. 90% of the time I use Abranet, and go to 400 grit. Abranet must be used with a pad protector, otherwise you will wear away the hook-and-loop on the sander's pad. The down side of Abranet is that it can tear, so keep it away from sharp edges. The upside is that it is very long-lasting and, importantly, is supreme at dust collecting. There is nothing better. Because it removes the dust efficiently, this also promotes a better sanded surface (as there is no dust left to create swirl marks).

I primarily use sanding to even out a surface, and sanding is not my primary means of smoothing. Hand planes are. Where hand sanding is necessary, there are also Mirka hand sanders available for Abranet. The advantage of these is that they can be connected to a dust collector for dust-free sanding.



Sanded to 400 grit Abranet, finish is Evolution hot wax, and denibbed between coats with grey mesh (400 grit). This was for a coffee table, and needed to have a durable finish. The wood is fiddleback Jarrah ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

[homey]

Stunning finish there, Derek.

Brian

[qwertyu]

I have not tried this but found this in the past. I plan on trying it when I actually get a 150mm ROS.

Smirdex 750 Net Disc 150mm

its pretty affordable. There are a few autobody/panel beater supply shops which sell this brand

[Chris Parks]

Interesting, I have checked Bunnings online stocks and they show no 150mm Diablo mesh discs at all. I must have dreamed it all but I have got some here so can I blame it on old age? I did buy them over a month though so things change I guess. I wonder if they pulled them because they did not have the pad in the packet?

[yvan]

I have recently acquired a Mirka hand sander which is connected to the dust collector. It works very nicely. I also got Abranet pads in 4 different grits to fit
the sander. I have a slight "problem" though!! How do I know when I need to replace a worn pad ? The dust extraction is such that I can't see any dust to indicate that the pad is still sanding !!?!!? Apologies for such a dumb question ...

Cheers Yvan

[double.d]

I have recently acquired a Mirka hand sander which is connected to the dust collector. It works very nicely. I also got Abranet pads in 4 different grits to fit
the sander. I have a slight "problem" though!! How do I know when I need to replace a worn pad ? The dust extraction is such that I can't see any dust to indicate that the pad is still sanding !!?!!? Apologies for such a dumb question ...

Cheers Yvan

I have the same setup and find that the 100 and 120 grits wear really fast and then the higher you go with the grit the longer they will last.

If you want to know when to change just change one out and you will know immediately if the old one is done.

[Potts]

Has anyone tried the Irwin Mesh Discs now stocked in Bunnings, I have used the 150mm dia on my disc and belt sander. Can be washed, dried and re used. Not sure I got any more life than standard discs but I would buy them again.