sandpaper requirements estimating

One cabinetmaker's scraper.

Use stripper, then finish-sand or scrape.

-- Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air? -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Like most consumables it can be difficult to determine how much of what you are going to need.

Given that however it sounds like you may need to do a bit of research into the different types of sand paper. I would suggest that if your paper is gumming up that you are probably using the wrong type paper for what you are trying to accomplish. I would assume that you are trying to remove the old finish which requires a different type paper to prevent loading up and or the guming up that you are witnessing.

Several months ago I was doing a lot of sanding to remove glue from drawer joints which alsp had protruding domino tenons that needed to be sanded flush. There was basically no way to scrape off the excess glue. I was having to change my paper for each drawer and I had about 12 drawers to sand. I changed paper after the second drawer and that third piece of paper very successfully completed the remaining 10 drawers with no more paper changes.

I changed paper after the second drawer and that third piece of paper very successfully completed the remaining 10 drawers with no more paper changes.

Male that, I changed the type of paper on the third drawer.

yes!

there was no visible finish on this, it had been stripped. some patches were clearly dry plain wood.

Had tried more than one kind, but it's good to hear some last longer than one drawer.

Consider also that a piece of sand paper in a sander can have a reasonable life expectancy of 5~10 minutes.

Still if you have paper that is guming up that typically is not caused by sanding dust alone unless you are working on a very oily wood.

Depends; there are lots of kinds of sandpaper for different uses. You're either doing it wrong or using the wrong paper. READ the USES on the ads & jackets.