micro mesh pads or sheets?

[beep119]

what do you guys/gals prefer...and why?
using the micro mesh pads or the sheets?
i have just used the pads, but am wondering if its worth buying the sheets. Just wondering if I should just stick to the pads or are the sheets better.
Thank you
Also, how long do you find the pads last, i am finding i am getting swirls left over after and i do have to redo.
Thank you again

 

[jttheclockman]

I use the pads for pens and use the sheets for larger work. Your MM will last as long as you take care of it and depends how often you use it. Everyone will be different. No set in stone timetable. Also if you wet sand it will last longer. If you are getting swirls relook at your methods.

 

[JimB]

I only use pads and I only use MM on small items. Make sure you keep the MM clean and wipe off your blank between pads or you will get sanding dust from previous grits and that can cause swirls and scratches in your material.

 

[beep119]

thanks, but how long do you find they will last? 6 months? 1 year? 2 years?
The ones i have are about 8 months old, just wondering when I should get another batch to have on hand.

 

[jttheclockman]

Hard to say. How often do you use them??? How many pens do you do??? Do you wet sand or dry sand??? How hard do you push them??? I can go a whole year and at times 2 years. Do not make many pens any more.

 

[beep119]

well, I've made about 100 pens in past 8 months, and I wet sand with them.

 

[JimB]

The set I have is about 6 years old but I have only used them on about 100 pens. There really isn't an answer to your question. There are too many variables. I do have an extra set but haven't used them yet.

 

[Edgar]

I use the sheets & cut them into strips about 1" wide & 3" long. I pretty much only use them for wet sanding on acrylic pens although I do sometimes dry sand wood blanks up to 3200 or 3600.

I started out with a set of the mesh pads, but after I wore those out, I tried the sheets and just like them better. For one thing, I sand & polish my blanks at high speed and I find that I get a better feel of the sanding with the sheets than I do with the pads.

 

[TonyL]

When I used MM/wet sanded, I preferred the pads to the sheets. This may be one of those personal preference things.

 

[MTViper]

I started with pads on everything, then got some sheets. I decided to use the sheets for acrylics and keep the pads for wood for no other reason than that I had both and wanted to avoid cross contamination. I've been doing that for 5 years now and it's working well.

I use them til I don't like the finish they give me. I dry sand only, but make sure I wipe the blank clean between grits and keep the pads/sheets clean as well. I've had some last me a couple of years and some I ruined within 6 months - my bad, not the pads/sheets.

 

[CREID]

Hard to say. How often do you use them??? How many pens do you do??? Do you wet sand or dry sand??? How hard do you push them??? I can go a whole year and at times 2 years. Do not make many pens any more.

Yea, what he said. :biggrin:

 

[CREID]

When I used MM/wet sanded, I preferred the pads to the sheets. This may be one of those personal preference things.

Everyone has one, like a, a, uh, bellybutton.

 

[farmer]

MM

I went to a liquid pollishing system ,
I have Micro mesh and a buffing system.

Personally ( I ) feel the liquid pollishing system does a better job then the MM or the buffing system.

I like my work to have the deep glass look to it.

 

[nativewooder]

Yes! Pads or sheets. Wet-sanding. That's what I read on the website and was also advised on the telephone from the site. 15 or 20 years ago.

 

[nativewooder]

It sounds like you are having problems with your sanding. If you go to Wood Central .com and scroll down to Russ's Corner and read and remember everything that Russ wrote about sanding that will eliminate your problems.