Rotex Grit Help, Please....

darita

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Jan 23, 2007
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I just ordered an RO 150FEQ and I'm really confused as to the abrasives.  I'm used to 60, 80, 120, etc. grits.  How do I read the charts to order and what grit corresponds to what?  See...I am confused!
 
I'm not Darita - but thanks for the link Garry - interesting read.

Subsequently googled "different grit standards' - which (of course) brings up zillions of hits.
One quickly looked at might also be helpful, because of way info' presented:
http://www.mibnet.se/home-improvement/sandpaper-grit-size-comparison-between-european-and-us-standards.html

But…just curious Darita, as to what (so it seems to me) is behind your confusion.
Are you going to use Festool abrasives, or, looking to use ‘equivalents’ from another supplier?

Richard.

 
fuzzy logic said:
I'm not Darita - but thanks for the link Garry - interesting read.

Subsequently googled "different grit standards' - which (of course) brings up zillions of hits.
One quickly looked at might also be helpful, because of way info' presented:
http://www.mibnet.se/home-improvement/sandpaper-grit-size-comparison-between-european-and-us-standards.html

But…just curious Darita, as to what (so it seems to me) is behind your confusion.
Are you going to use Festool abrasives, or, looking to use ‘equivalents’ from another supplier?

Richard.
Richard,
I'm going to be using Festool abrasives, at least for now.  Are there equivalent abrasives?
 
I see that most of the grits I'll be using are pretty equal to what we use, only with a P in front of it.  I guess my confusion is with the Titan, Saphir, etc.  What are those?
 
darita said:
I see that most of the grits I'll be using are pretty equal to what we use, only with a P in front of it.  I guess my confusion is with the Titan, Saphir, etc.  What are those?

You might want to start here.

Tom
 
Thanks Tom.  That helps a lot.  Is this correct...

Saphir - for heavy duty for extreme conditions
Crystal - for rapid removal
Rubin - for bare wood
Brilliant2 - for paints and finishes (also for bare wood)
Titan2 - for solid surface, plastics, composites (also for paints and finishes)
*Vlies - for matte finishes
Platin2 - for gloss finishes
Felt & lambs wool - for polishing

From this list, can I start with Rubin for regular bare wood sanding?  Rubin or Rubin 2?
 
At the time of the referenced document, the typical sanding schedule for wood prep would be Rubin through 180 and then Brilliant 2 until fine enough. Brilliant 2 was also commonly used for scuffing between coats.

Though there is some controversy about it, Granat appears to cover all of it now, including auto body work up to P1500. Titan 2 was previously what was used for auto body work and it goes to 3000. I was just in a guy's shop yesterday that is restoring an old Hudson pickup and he goes to 3000 prior to polishing.

Tom
 
You should try searching the forum before starting so many threads.  All the answers to your questions are readily available here.  Here's an example, the Festool abrasive details thread, is sticky at the top of this section of the forum (and currently at the very top).
 
Brice Burrell said:
You should try searching the forum before starting so many threads.  All the answers to your questions are readily available here.  Here's an example, the Festool abrasive details thread, is sticky at the top of this section of the forum (and currently at the very top).
Brice, sorry for asking so many questions.  What can I say...guilty as charged. 
 
Darita:
Sounds like you're getting there.  [smile]

You wrote earlier '...can I start with Rubin for regular bare wood sanding?  Rubin or Rubin 2?'
Go for it - the list says Rubin for sanding bare wood - so is reasonable that you can use it for that purpose.
(Rubin2 is a upgraded version of the earlier Rubin.  Have read that maybe cuts better, and, is more durable.)

Might I suggest you just get, initially, a small range of Rubin (you mentioned some familiarity of 60, 80, 120 grits)
then just get stuck in - really stuck in - you will for sure soon get a feel for what you want to do.

If possible, use plenty of scrap wood to practise on - you'll very quickly find out how good the RO150 can be;
but can have a learning curve, as I'm sure you appreciate. 
Don't be afraid to mess up initially - it will all be useful experience.

Good luck
Richard.

 
  The link that Tom and Brice have given you provides a detailed explanation of Festool's abrasives, however, as Tom mentioned, Festool now offers the Granat series. Though similar to Brilliant, except in the lowest grits, it is supposed to last longer than Brilliant and be more suitable for bare wood. Some people say that Rubin/ Rubin 2, still is their preferred abrasive for bare wood. Some however are  now using Granat as their sole abrasive, but before Granat, the schedule for bare wood was as Tom mentioned, Rubin up to 180, then finish with Brilliant at 220, higher to scuff between coats.
Rubin has been replaced with Rubin 2, so you will find Rubin at a slightly lower price. As to which paper Rubin 2 vs Granat, provides a "better" finish on bare wood, I'm not sure, the little feedback I have heard gives the nod to Rubin 2, but as mentioned, that is from a very small group of customers. I think grit choice, sander and sanding technique are far more important in getting the best finish on wood (or anything else for that matter) than the choice between Rubin 2 and Granat.

Bob
 
Bob, thanks for the help.  You'd know, as a seller of all this stuff.  Seems like you can't go wrong with Rubin2 or Granat.  I don't have my RO150 FEQ yet, but when I do, you'll be hearing from me again. 
 
Darita

Granat all the way, in my opinion, best all around abrasive. I would recommend 80/100/120 for many general tasks.
 
I'm with Scott, we just use Granat. It works just fine on bare wood and I don't stock multiple papers.  We use 40 and 60 quite a bit.  The best part off the rotex is how fast it removes rough stock.  Definitely a learning curve though.
 
This came up on another forum recently actually, one important matter when starting out with a 150 is to not use it on surfaces that are smaller than the sander, such as faceframes, etc. Stay on larger surfaces until it is broken in and you really get to know it. Learn the "attitudes" of both modes, and be aware of how it is sensitive to grit selection in each mode. It has many personalities, which can be misunderstood at first.
 
TurnagainD said:
I'm with Scott, we just use Granat. It works just fine on bare wood and I don't stock multiple papers.  We use 40 and 60 quite a bit.  The best part off the rotex is how fast it removes rough stock.  Definitely a learning curve though.

Please, tell me more about the learning curve.  I thought a sander would be a sander.  How does it act differently and what do I have to learn?  All good info!
 
darita said:
Bob, thanks for the help.  You'd know, as a seller of all this stuff.  Seems like you can't go wrong with Rubin2 or Granat.  I don't have my RO150 FEQ yet, but when I do, you'll be hearing from me again. 

I do sell it, but have not done a direct comparison, just going by some feedback from customers and speaking with a couple of guys at Festool. Having said that, what I am often recommending to customers staring out, just for simplicity sake, get the Granat. It is "the jack of all trades" paper, without the "master of none" baggage.

Bob
 
darita said:
TurnagainD said:
I'm with Scott, we just use Granat. It works just fine on bare wood and I don't stock multiple papers.  We use 40 and 60 quite a bit.  The best part off the rotex is how fast it removes rough stock.  Definitely a learning curve though.

Please, tell me more about the learning curve.  I thought a sander would be a sander.  How does it act differently and what do I have to learn?  All good info!

It would be easy to write a book about this, but at the entry level, what you need to know is that sanding technique with Festool gear is entirely different from the orbitals and belt sanders we all grew up on. For instance, you do not need to tilt the sander up on edge to do removal, because the disc and abrasive are not heating up and clumping - you get to use the entire surface of the abrasive. And by doing so (keeping the tool flat on the surface) you get optimum dust extraction (the RO150 btw is right at the top of the heap in that category). And by doing that, getting the best possible extraction, you are not grinding any fine dust particulate into the grain of the wood, which in turn leads to better adhesion or penetration (depending on the finish type being used) and therefore a more crisp and better built finish system. Also, the sander and extractor are designed to work together, as a system. Which means you no longer are distracted by a duct taped misfit hose an an odd shaped exhaust port, so you can just focus on the surface being sanded. Lock the trigger and go. This part of the efficiency gain, and when teamed with the reality that there is far less cleanup at the end of a task, things tend to happen more quickly.

This is very "overviewish" - just a snapshot of what you are about to experience. But in just one paragraph, that is alot of what it means to me, as a daily user.
 
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