Entry Level Festool

[Leon]

For those that have a limited budget.

;~)

[DerbyDad03]

I might as well be the first...

Why are they blue?

[Leon]

Because.

;~)

Oddly blue in the center and dark grey on the outside.

I got a few samples of the sponges at the Festool Road Show back in December.

These sponges have the Granat grit but the Granat paper for the electric sanders is light blue in color.

That said, the Granat paper lasts 5~10 times longer than regular sand paper and does not clog easily.

[krw]

Does it work as well without the vacuum? I thought it lasted longer in the sanders because the vacuum kept the paper clear.

[nailshooter41]

Finally!!

Something from Festool I can afford! I thought when I saw the subject line that Festool had introduced a line of pencil erasers.

Robert

[DerbyDad03]

I've been using the Diablo Sand-Net disks on my ROS and they seem to work really well. I've not had any of the ripping that some folks have mentioned and they don't clog at all.

I've even used them by hand to knock down brushstrokes and smooth primer. No clogging with paint like paper would because of the net construction.

Haven't tried any Granat paper yet. I'll do that.

[Leon]

Because they do not use the vac, I have not used them yet. I have not built anything that requires hand sanding lately.

As far as paper lasting longer because of the vac, that is true. The Rubin, which I used to use, lasted longer than 3M and PC branded paper with out a vac. But the Granat trumps the Rubin many times over in longevity with the vac.

[nailshooter41]

really well.

on't clog at all.

Leon gave me a piece of Granat and I put it on my Ridgid ROS. I was comple tely impresses with how well it lasted. After researching the paper a bit more I found that it wasn't really much more than some of the other papers I have been using and it was readily available on Amazon. Most likely when I get another large refinishing job I will bite on a pack of it.

I have had mixed results with the net style sandpaper, so I would be intere sted in seeing your thoughts comparing the two. I have been using the Diab lo line of paper as I can buy a 5 pack pretty much anywhere. It's really g ood paper until you get in the heavier grits. I noticed with the piece of G ranat that it seemed to sand more aggressively than the specified grit, but left no marks behind.

Robert

[Leon]

If, "net" style sand paper is like Abrinet Sanding screens..... I was not impress with their tear resistance. It was possible to immediately destroy a piece, or if very careful on a flat surface, it "could" last as long as regular paper. It did however work well as long as it did not tear up. Absolutely did not last as long as Granat.

[DerbyDad03]

ork really well.

y don't clog at all.

er. No clogging

mpletely impresses with how well it lasted. After researching the paper a bit more I found that it wasn't really much more than some of the other pap ers I have been using and it was readily available on Amazon. Most likely when I get another large refinishing job I will bite on a pack of it.

terested in seeing your thoughts comparing the two. I have been using the Diablo line of paper as I can buy a 5 pack pretty much anywhere. It's real ly good paper until you get in the heavier grits. I noticed with the piece of Granat that it seemed to sand more aggressively than the specified grit, but left no marks behind.

When I first asked about the Diablo paper a few months ago, you brought up tearing issue of the Abrinet Sanding screens. I can't say if the Diablo dis cs are same material/make-up/strength, etc. having never tried the Abrinet Sanding screens. I also don't know if I have ever encountered the type of situation that you say could "immediately destroy a piece".

What I can say is that I have never torn a Diablo sanding disc (except when I actually tried, by hand, as shown in the images below).

I've sanded large surfaces, like the side of a base cabinet. I've sanded smaller surfaces, like the rails and stiles of cabinet doors, I've folded a disc in half and used it to hand sand the curved surfaces of window trim and the edge of a panel where it meets a rail/stile. I've rinsed them with water, hung 'em to dry and used 'em again.

I just took one of the oldest discs I have and tried to tear it by hand. As shown here, it took half dozen tries before I found a spot where I could tear it. In most cases it just kind of bends out of shape. I tried hard enough that it roughed up the edges of my fingers.

Again, I'm not saying it's better than the Abrinet product because I've onl y tried the Diablo brand. I'd be willing to test it more if you'll give me a situation where the Abrinet product would have been destroyed.

[Leon]

The abranet tore when I used it like regular sand paper. I do not baby the product that I am sanding with. Not saying that you do and it is quite possible improvements have been made. When I tried a sample pack, 8+ years ago it came with an adapter foam part that made the disks compatible with any sander. I don't recall them being easy to tear by hand but they certainly did if I went over a point or if the product was not perfectly centered and was not protected by the sanders disk. The problem may have been the adapter part that would allow the product to come loose/ move and shift.

Slightly going off on a tangent, when I first started using dust control, Festool sanders and vac, it was difficult for me to judge when the paper was worn out. I no longer could look at the sawdust that accumulated on the work surface and on the paper. With out dust collection the amount of sawdust diminished as the paper wore out. That was my indicator go change paper. I could get about 4~7 minutes of use and the paper was done. With dust collection I learned to pause and feel the sharpness of the minerals. And I was getting 5~10 minutes before the paper would feel dull. Keep in mind that with the dust collection the reddish brown Festool Rubin paper that I was using would be worn out but still look clean and brand new UNLESS I sanded dried excess glue or an old finish. Then I could see the beading of the debris on the paper.

With the Festool Granat paper I can get. 15~30 minutes of sanding before the paper dulls. Add to that, sanding excess dried glue or an old or dried finish has no adverse effect on paper life. I used to buy Festool Rubin paper in 50 or 100 packs. I can still do that with Granat paper but when I first started using this paper I only bought a 10 pack. I did not want to buy a bunch and not like it. It took me the same amount of sanding to use up those 10 disks as the 50 of the Rubin papers. When that

10 pack of Granat was gone I only bought the 10 pack again.

For certain, great dust collection is key to extending paper life. YMMV.

[Brewster]

I'm a big fan of the Granat papers. Do the sanding pads come in a systainer?

I read that the grit is a hybrid of standard aluminum oxide and ceramic abrasives. Compared to my Norton 3x, they seem to be about a 5x.

-BR

[Leon]

Can't answer that with any knowledge but if the video is any indicator, yes. Seems odd that you would need or want a $70 systainer to hold sand paper but Festool does have a systainer for holding sanding disks.....

I would not doubt that at all.

[krw]

I'd prefer not to pay for any systainers but that's not the way the tools come. I understand systainers if you're working in the customer's kitchen. The sandpaper is in the stack with the tools. Otherwise, I think systainers are an excuse to sell sys-carts. ;-)

[Leon]

This is true but this paper lasts so long you probably would not need more that 2~3 pieces for a kitchen. Maybe.. ;~)