Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anybody tried the micromesh sanding discs, like here http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=62146&cat=1,42500. How did they work? Did they clog up in 5 seconds? Looking at these for final leveling nitro finish.

I found them very unsatisfying, even when used wet.

Just the opposite results for me. L oove them and use them on all my nitro sanding. I start with wet/dry paper and then move into the micro.

I use them and love them. I get mine off of amazon (free ship). I use mineral spirits with them. During and after use, I scrape them across the edge of a piece of wood to clear them.

My only complaint is that the size marking on the back fades very fast when mineral spirits are used. Keep a sharpie around for remarking.

Mike

I've used them but not on a RAS.

I use a foam rubber block & lubricate with soapy water - works very well IMO.

I think if you use them dry, they'll clog.

You may want to try the Mirka Abralon discs, which don't clog & last a long time. You can find them cheaper on Ebay than from the woodworking boutiques.

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

RAS? That's funny.

I don't think Abralon discs and Micromesh are the same kind of product.

Sorry Mike, I meant to say ROS. I just bought another Radial Arm Saw (RAS) & that was on my mind.

Micromesh & Abralon are both abrasives.

Abralon only comes on a soft foam pad, not sheets.

Besides Abralon not going to as fine as grit, how else are they not similar from a user's point of view - as opposed to the manufacturing/structure of each?

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Kevin, RAS was funny. I was not correcting you.

The finer grit is the whole point of micromesh. IIRC, micromesh starts at 800 and goes to 12000. Abralon goes from 180 to 4000. But from what I have read, the 4000 is more like 1500?? I guess if the 4000 was the same as Micromesh 4000, that would be high enough to go before heading to the buffer. I've read, however, that Abralon may be a bit coarser than what one would think. Probably not a bad idea to find some comaparison charts.

Mike

I think you're right Mike.

I misread the OP & thought he just wanted something for leveling between coats. I do have Abralon & Micromesh at home & will try to do some comparisons.

The Abralon 4000 may be fine enough if you have more than 2 buffing wheels & can start with a coarser compound.

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I have been trying to fine some comparison charts. Not too much luck so far. Seems the bowling ball folks are big fans of Abralon!

for what its worth, i have used both brands and find them to be quite similar function-wise.
i also dont think they are much different grit wise. thing is, their "coarseness" is measured in different units/different scale.
there are many "standard" measurement units - microns,JIS (common in japan),FEPA (europe) and ANSI & CAMI (US). and straightforward comparing them isnt useful.
in fact, MICROMESH 4,000 is more like "regular" 1500. to my eyes, micromesh's finest 12,000 produces very similar results to mirka's 4000, though i must add that i really do not find the need to go that high if i plan to do some buffing after wet sanding.

Udi.

Though I have no experience with Abralon, I find that statement hard to believe. I have used 12,000 and the finish is almost as good as buffed. In fact, I know of people who stop at this stage (other than using some kind of auto finish swirl remover and hand polishing)

Mike

I agree with Mike. I've used Micromesh 12,000 with soap & water & got to almost a mirror like finish.

Using Abralon 4000 dry & it was still satin or matte. Haven't tried it wet, may make a difference.

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

there are plenty of conversion charts. i have a very complete one somewhere but cant locate it at the moment.
here's one i found online http://www.sisweb.com/micromesh/conversion.htm doesnt go as high as 12000 but does support the 4000 = 1500 theory.

as for results - i would stop at abralon 4000 if all i need is a nice shine and not full on wet look gloss.
i use water and soap as a lubricant.

one thing comes to mind, hearing that you guys get different results, and that is, what kind of finish are you using it on?

EM 6000.

I won't argue the 4000=1500 part for Abralon. Seen that a bunch on the web. But 12000=4000 (ie 1500), no way. I believe u can go high on the glossimeter with micro mesh 12000

Mike

Btw, I use mineral spirits on EM 6000 which is water based. Tried water, w/o soap, and it locked up on me.

hey mike, its not 12000=4000=1500.
its micro mesh 4000 = abraon 1500 and micromesh 12000 = abralon 4000.

ive never used any of the target coatings, but the does leave me pondering the possibility that different type finishes "prefer" different type scracth patterns left after wet sanding.