Fine sand & stone waste

[tabbypurr]

ISTR plastering sand being the finest at Wickes, unless someone knows better.

Is any of their stone waste hard enough to use as a basic abrasive?

NT

[Nick]

What are you wanting to abrade?

[tabbypurr]

I'll find out what it can abrade when I use it. For now, the harder the sto ne waste the better. Having once tried SiO2 die grinder tools I'm not expec ting anything great. The ability to abrade hardened tool steel would be gre at, but I don't expect SiO2 to do that.

NT

[JimK]

/What are you wanting to abrade?/q

Usual 'fear of ridicule', need to know, huh hush project I expect....

Jim K

[newshound]

+1

Calcium carbonate (limestone) Mohs 3, silica (usually present in sand), Mohs 7. Big difference.

Short answer, sand and stone waste will work as an abrasive. It will certainly abrade plastic. What else it will abrade depends on what it consists of.

[newshound]

The ability to abrade hardened tool steel would be great, but I don't expect SiO2 to do that.

Silicon carbide (carborundum) or diamond would be the usual things for that.

[tabbypurr]

I guess no-one knows. Unless I find granite waste I'll stick with sand. Cheers.

NT

[stuart noble]

I recently sieved some concreting sand (the Aldi metal sieve with 3 grades of fineness has come in useful) to get a fine sharp sand for render.