3M Sand Blaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper - Alternatives?

[jrista]

I've been looking for a lower grit, flexible, durable sandpaper to help me sand small things, or anything with tight corners. I found some videos where someone was using a 3M sandpaper that seemed to work a lot like Zona paper, very flexible...but they had 150, 220, 320 grits (coarser than Zona goes, or for that matter 3M Tri-M-Ite).

I eventually discovered that they were using "3M Sand Blaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper" which as far as I can tell, has been discontinued. The sad thing is, this is exactly what I was looking for. It had some kind of silicon backing, was not just ultra flexible, but it was tear and puncture resistant, and effectively rebounded back to its original shape. So you could contort it to get into any corner or slot, without creating any grooves in said corner or slot, and it would sand perfectly.

I've searched and searched, and only found 100 grit available mostly on eBay or Amazon (suspect its from people's old stashes), which is too coarse for my tastes and needs.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows of anything similar, that might work in place of this stuff. I was particularly interested in 220 and 320 grits, but I can't find any of that in the 3M ultra flexible stuff anywhere.

 

[Samjemb]

Hi Jrista. I couldn't agree with you more about how frustrating it is that 3M discontinue their Sand Blaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper. I used it for several years until it was no longer available. Had I known that it was going to be taken off the market, I would have purchased a lifetime supply of it while I still had the opportunity. I have searched far and wide for something similar, to no avail.

Have you had any success in finding something equivalent or even half as good?

Thank you.

 

[jrista]

Sadly, I have not. There are a few random scattered 150 grit packages for sale, on Amazon, Ebay, and various other places. They are usually RADICALLY over-priced, like $50 for a three-sheet package and the like.

Other than that, I have not found any source that has all the grits. I really don't understand it...EVERYONE who ever used this stuff and talked about it said it was the best sandpaper they had ever used. There was no announcement and no explanation of why 3M discontinued it...it just happened silently and that was it. I really hope they bring it back some day, as it seems the flexible stretchy backing is the best way to get good sanding into the most challenging nooks and crannies...

 

[jttheclockman]

Sadly, I have not. There are a few random scattered 150 grit packages for sale, on Amazon, Ebay, and various other places. They are usually RADICALLY over-priced, like $50 for a three-sheet package and the like.

Other than that, I have not found any source that has all the grits. I really don't understand it...EVERYONE who ever used this stuff and talked about it said it was the best sandpaper they had ever used. There was no announcement and no explanation of why 3M discontinued it...it just happened silently and that was it. I really hope they bring it back some day, as it seems the flexible stretchy backing is the best way to get good sanding into the most challenging nooks and crannies...

Why don't you write the company and see if there are plans to bring back or an explanation as to why it was discontinued. Or call them. I just looked on Ebay and there is a ton of it there in all grit sizes and reasonable prices.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=3m sandblaster sandpaper&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-34002-13078-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=102&keyword=3m sandblaster sandpaper&crlp=_&MT_ID=&geo_id=&rlsatarget=kwd-76622390827684:loc-190&adpos=&device=c&mktype=&loc=96777&poi=&abcId=&cmpgn=395402147&sitelnk=&adgroupid=1225955671586145&network=o&matchtype=e&msclkid=97cee944d027170d1cfe8ce9a6330b2d

Amazon has it too.

 

[jrista]

Why don't you write the company and see if there are plans to bring back or an explanation as to why it was discontinued. Or call them. I just looked on Ebay and there is a ton of it there in all grit sizes and reasonable prices.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=3m sandblaster sandpaper&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-34002-13078-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=102&keyword=3m sandblaster sandpaper&crlp=_&MT_ID=&geo_id=&rlsatarget=kwd-76622390827684:loc-190&adpos=&device=c&mktype=&loc=96777&poi=&abcId=&cmpgn=395402147&sitelnk=&adgroupid=1225955671586145&network=o&matchtype=e&msclkid=97cee944d027170d1cfe8ce9a6330b2d

Amazon has it too.

So, there are not all grits. The yellow stuff is NOT the same thing. To be more specific, the product very, very explicitly is this:

3M SandBlaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper

I spent a week plus scouring every single web site I could find on the internet looking for anything finer than 150 grit of this stuff. I found ONE instance, a three sheet package of 220 grit for IIRC $56. The price...well, it priced me out. I went through ever page of Ebays results until the results were no longer sandpapers. I went through every listing Amazon had. I eventually found myself in the very obscure corners of the internet's storefront's where a lot of small little online stores or hardware or paint stores had their tiny online presence, and found listings all "Out of Stock" or "Discontinued." I. Searched. EV-E-RY-THING. I left no internet stone unturned... (I really, really wanted this stuff! )

This ONLY comes in a white and purple colored package. The sandpaper itself is a translucent milky white color with purple print. The paper is a silicon backed material, NOT an actual paper (the yellow stuff is a paper). You'll notice that the 3M SandBlaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper, the white and purple packages, are only in 100 and 150 grits there on ebay (I guess everyone who knew about this stuff back a couple years ago when it was discontinued, bought up all the other grits already...100 and 150 grit are pretty coarse too, so I can't see much use for them for the kind of sandpaper it is). Here is an example of the very specific kind of sandpaper I'm talking about:

3M SandBlaster Ultra Flexible Sandpaper 100 Grit 24 sheets 7" x 4.5" USA Made. | eBay

Fold and roll to follow contours and shapes. Flexible 3m sandpaper lasts longer and will grip.

www.ebay.com

In contrast to these, which are definitely not the same thing, and just your run of the mill sandPAPERS with various different coatings for different use cases:

3M SandBlaster® 180 Grit Fine Sandpaper with No Slip Grip Backing *NEW* | eBay

3M Sandblaster® Sanding Sheets 180 Fine grit (6 pcs) NEW . With the 3M Sandblaster® Sanding sheets you can sand with less effort and less hand fatigue. The backing has a premium mineral technology and the clog resistant coating has a long life.

www.ebay.com

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305360169100?hash=item4718e2688c:g:aL8AAOSwx2plY5b~
(This one is labeled Sandblaster Pro, but NOT "Ultra Flexible", its not the same thing, its a very hard, crispy paper that couldn't compare to what the ultra flex stuff could do.)

3M SandBlaster 11 in. L X 9 in. W 400 Grit Ceramic Sandpaper 4 pk | eBay

3M SandBlaster 11 in. W 400 Grit Ceramic Sandpaper 4 pk. Would deal with again ". "Item arrived quickly, no issues, will trade again for sure ". AboutPens N More. View All Categories.

www.ebay.com

For some reason 3M has overused and abused the term "SandBlaster" and who knows why. In any case, its the "Sandblaster Pro Ultra Flexible" that is made out of this very rubbery flexible silicon backing that gives it its very incredible and unique properties. This stuff practically never loses its grit (as its mostly embedded into the silicon), molds, folds and deforms in ways no other sandpaper ever could, and springs right back to its original shape when your done.

Truly baffled why they should have discontinued such an amazing, groundbreaking and competition crushing product...

 

[jttheclockman]

So, there are not all grits. The yellow stuff is NOT the same thing. To be more specific, the product very, very explicitly is this:

3M SandBlaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper

I spent a week plus scouring every single web site I could find on the internet looking for anything finer than 150 grit of this stuff. I found ONE instance, a three sheet package of 220 grit for IIRC $56. The price...well, it priced me out. I went through ever page of Ebays results until the results were no longer sandpapers. I went through every listing Amazon had. I eventually found myself in the very obscure corners of the internet's storefront's where a lot of small little online stores or hardware or paint stores had their tiny online presence, and found listings all "Out of Stock" or "Discontinued." I. Searched. EV-E-RY-THING. I left no internet stone unturned... (I really, really wanted this stuff! )

This ONLY comes in a white and purple colored package. The sandpaper itself is a translucent milky white color with purple print. The paper is a silicon backed material, NOT an actual paper (the yellow stuff is a paper). You'll notice that the 3M SandBlaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sandpaper, the white and purple packages, are only in 100 and 150 grits there on ebay (I guess everyone who knew about this stuff back a couple years ago when it was discontinued, bought up all the other grits already...100 and 150 grit are pretty coarse too, so I can't see much use for them for the kind of sandpaper it is). Here is an example of the very specific kind of sandpaper I'm talking about:

3M SandBlaster Ultra Flexible Sandpaper 100 Grit 24 sheets 7" x 4.5" USA Made. | eBay

Fold and roll to follow contours and shapes. Flexible 3m sandpaper lasts longer and will grip.

www.ebay.com

In contrast to these, which are definitely not the same thing, and just your run of the mill sandPAPERS with various different coatings for different use cases:

3M SandBlaster® 180 Grit Fine Sandpaper with No Slip Grip Backing *NEW* | eBay

3M Sandblaster® Sanding Sheets 180 Fine grit (6 pcs) NEW . With the 3M Sandblaster® Sanding sheets you can sand with less effort and less hand fatigue. The backing has a premium mineral technology and the clog resistant coating has a long life.

www.ebay.com

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305360169100?hash=item4718e2688c:g:aL8AAOSwx2plY5b~
(This one is labeled Sandblaster Pro, but NOT "Ultra Flexible", its not the same thing, its a very hard, crispy paper that couldn't compare to what the ultra flex stuff could do.)

3M SandBlaster 11 in. L X 9 in. W 400 Grit Ceramic Sandpaper 4 pk | eBay

3M SandBlaster 11 in. W 400 Grit Ceramic Sandpaper 4 pk. Would deal with again ". "Item arrived quickly, no issues, will trade again for sure ". AboutPens N More. View All Categories.

www.ebay.com

For some reason 3M has overused and abused the term "SandBlaster" and who knows why. In any case, its the "Sandblaster Pro Ultra Flexible" that is made out of this very rubbery flexible silicon backing that gives it its very incredible and unique properties. This stuff practically never loses its grit (as its mostly embedded into the silicon), molds, folds and deforms in ways no other sandpaper ever could, and springs right back to its original shape when your done.

Truly baffled why they should have discontinued such an amazing, groundbreaking and competition crushing product...

I can give you a very good reason. Not enough call for it. Never heard of it and never see a need for it. I do not see what your need would be. Maybe you can explain. If something does not sell well why carry it. Who is this paper designed for?

There is one that is 150 grit. 40 sheets $39 what is wrong with that?

 

[jrista]

I can give you a very good reason. Not enough call for it. Never heard of it and never see a need for it. I do not see what your need would be. Maybe you can explain. If something does not sell well why carry it. Who is this paper designed for?

There is one that is 150 grit. 40 sheets $39 what is wrong with that?

I've been turning a bunch of small items with lots of tight spaces. I've used a variety of sandpapers, but getting into those tight spaces has been a real challenge. OR at least, getting in them and getting a good result without introducing other problems from the sandpaper itself, which with actual papers tends to crease, crumple, and pick up hard and sharp edges that can easily introduce grooves, or wear down parts of the piece that I don't want to wear down. I found some videos of someone making many of the same kinds of things, and used this stuff exclusively, with fantastic results. The way this stuff just molds into pretty much any shape and reaches into any space is amazing.

That was back when I first posted this thread. The stuff was amazing, the results were amazing. It was exactly what I needed. I've not found anything else yet that gets into these kinds of tight spaces without being problematic in one way or another.

I don't need 150 grit, that would ruin the pieces, too coarse. I turn these things smooth enough to start that I don't really need anything coarser than 320 grit, I think, up through 600.

It doesn't much matter, anyway, as the stuff no longer exists.

 

[jttheclockman]

I've been turning a bunch of small items with lots of tight spaces. I've used a variety of sandpapers, but getting into those tight spaces has been a real challenge. OR at least, getting in them and getting a good result without introducing other problems from the sandpaper itself, which with actual papers tends to crease, crumple, and pick up hard and sharp edges that can easily introduce grooves, or wear down parts of the piece that I don't want to wear down. I found some videos of someone making many of the same kinds of things, and used this stuff exclusively, with fantastic results. The way this stuff just molds into pretty much any shape and reaches into any space is amazing.

That was back when I first posted this thread. The stuff was amazing, the results were amazing. It was exactly what I needed. I've not found anything else yet that gets into these kinds of tight spaces without being problematic in one way or another.

I don't need 150 grit, that would ruin the pieces, too coarse. I turn these things smooth enough to start that I don't really need anything coarser than 320 grit, I think, up through 600.

It doesn't much matter, anyway, as the stuff no longer exists.

Give them a call