what sandpaper and grits do you use for your rockets?

Love to hear the opinions and see who comes out on top as the "best"

Everything from 180 to 3000. It just depends on what I am doing.
The "best" is what is at the nearest hardware store.The finer grits I go to an auto body supplier.

60-1500. Don't use a lot of anything past 400, but I do use 'em...

Later!

--Coop

I'm undemanding, and lack the skills most folks here have. 220 and 400 take care of what I do, with Hobbylite filler.

What Coop said. Same range of grits.

As a sandpaper snob, I usually buy the name brand stuff (3M, Norton, Klingspor, and the occasional Gator for rough carpentry).

Knowing what grit to use is just as important has having quality paper. People who complain they hate sanding are often using too fine a grit and spending way too much time and effort when a coarser grit will get the job done much quicker. That's why it comes in different grits, innit?

Knowing when to wet sand and how to do it on a cardboard rocket is important, too. You hold the rocket so that any water runs away from the unpainted surface. Rinse the paper frequently and and shake most of the water off before you sand. Have a rag handy to wipe the excess moisture and paint slurry off the rocket. You're going to make a mess so just embrace it and dig in.

MG13 said:

I'm undemanding, and lack the skills most folks here have. 220 and 400 take care of what I do, with Hobbylite filler.

Click to expand...

+1... I've got probably 2 dozen different grits in the sandpaper box, but 220 and 400 take care of about 99% of the building and finishing work that I need to do...

220 is great for shaping balsa parts, like fin edges, nosecones, small detail parts on scalers, etc... 400 will finish them off nicely, but the 220 is great for removing material...

220 is also good for primer sanding... takes a lot of stuff off fairly quickly, and if you're sanding right (small circles and keeping the rocket moving at all times-- don't sand in one place... also, don't use pressure on the paper... just enough to keep it in contact with the surface-- let the paper do the work) it won't leave deep sanding scratches you have to try to get rid of later on...

400 wet/dry, with proper technique (damp sanding) will take primer down to a shine... works great. Paint goes REAL smooth over it when you get the 400 finish sanding done right!

Later! OL JR

220, 320,400 and 600 I do use above 600 but mostly for wet sanding

Depending on various factors, I may start at 60 or 80 grit (that's usually for a scratch build before I discovered peel ply). Next it's 220, 320, 400 (I stop here while priming and work through some of this several times). Once primed and painted, then it's 600, 1000, 1200. After doing color then color sanding with something like 600, I will clear coat the beast then move up to 1200 after which it's polishing compound and buffing. FYI, I will wet sand whenever possible. I love it! It extends the life of your paper and keeps nasty dust away.
-Ken

I took an immediate liking to my ex-wife's cheeze grits but never developed a taste for sandpaper.

3boydad said:

Love to hear the opinions and see who comes out on top as the "best"

Click to expand...

220 almost exlusively.

80, 120, and 220 are what I use most. Also some 320, 400 both wet/dry, occasionally some 220 wet/dry, as well.

When I get really nuts about paint (rare for me), I'll go to 600 and 1200 wet/dry.

One thing I am is very particular about brand -- generic store sandpaper is cheaper, and in the end you'll use a lot more of it. Gator Grit is crap. I use Klingspor almost exclusively, because it lasts. When you're constantly having to swap sandpaper, it wastes a lot of time, and ultimately, you spend more.

The kind of building you're doing, and how much work you put into a "perfect" finish will affect what you use.

-Kevin

#320-600 for most sanding to prep for paint. The rougher stuff to shape fins, and finer to sand color layers.

luke strawwalker said:

+1... I've got probably 2 dozen different grits in the sandpaper box, but 220 and 400 take care of about 99% of the building and finishing work that I need to do...
220 is great for shaping balsa parts, like fin edges, nosecones, small detail parts on scalers, etc... 400 will finish them off nicely, but the 220 is great for removing material...
220 is also good for primer sanding... takes a lot of stuff off fairly quickly, and if you're sanding right (small circles and keeping the rocket moving at all times-- don't sand in one place... also, don't use pressure on the paper... just enough to keep it in contact with the surface-- let the paper do the work) it won't leave deep sanding scratches you have to try to get rid of later on...
400 wet/dry, with proper technique (damp sanding) will take primer down to a shine... works great. Paint goes REAL smooth over it when you get the 400 finish sanding done right!
Later! OL JR

Click to expand...

Ditto! Everything you said!

I use one of those 7-grit fingernail buffers that has a course surface to a very fine polishing surface. They do a great job and since they are thick, they act as a sanding block. You can get them for a $1 at The Dollar Tree. I have no idea what number correspods to each of the seven surfaces.

hcmbanjo said:

Ditto! Everything you said!

Click to expand...

I've seen your builds, so I must be doing it right then...

Nice to be in good company...

OL JR

troj said:

I use Klingspor almost exclusively, because it lasts. When you're constantly having to swap sandpaper, it wastes a lot of time, and ultimately, you spend more.

Click to expand...

Back when I was building furniture for much of my free time, I bought a box of "roll ends" from Klingspor, 10 different rolls of sanding tape ranging from .75" up to about 2.5" wide. Grits ranging from 60 all the way up to 600. I think I paid less than $25 delivered, and I still have a ton of it.

I won't order sandpaper from anyone else.

G.D.

I'm impatient - so 150 gets a lot of work, then 220, then I think I usually skip to 500. I bought a big pack of each from Harbor Freight from ~100-1200 and put them in a case file like this: https://www.staples.com/Staples-Case-File/product_SS1056381 with the new labels for the various grits. It makes it east to find what I need, keeps the sheets flat, and I can grab it and take it anywhere I happen to be working (TV, office, shop, etc).

150 to shape, then follow that with 220, to clean up the surface. Prime, then 320-400 to get a glass-like surface, this may take two-three times. Then color-coat, if more sanding is needed, 600+, then rub it out to a glass sheen.

220,320,400 wet r dry. I moist sand everything once primed. I do use an 800 to 1000 grit sanding sponge to blend colors before a clearcoat. The more they wear out the better they are.

When I get ready to prime, I burn through 220 like there is no tomorrow. I use 80 to get a rough shape, 120-200 to get a final shape, 220 to get a smooth finish. I use wet 400, then 600 for sanding primer.

Alex

CaveDuck turned me on to the magic purple paper - it doesnt load up!

3m pro series (proline?) 150 grit . Now using it exclusively for filler primer.

For finish primer using wet sandable 320 grit .

Using 80-100 grit to rough up fiberglass , 400-600 wet sand for color coats .

Also changed belt and disc on HF sander to one grade finer .

Kenny

That purple 3M stuff is great.

I recently bought packs of all the grits and haven't looked back.

60-400. Mostly high power. I use a LOT of 60 on fiberglass, have a shop roll of wet or dry. Low power, 240-400 is enough. I also have 24 and 36 grit sanding drums. I'm a 'if it looks good on the pad, it's good enough' type of finisher.

I use 80 up to 1500 just depending on the finish I need. I use polishing compounds if I need to go beyond 1500 grit. I use a lot of paper and the prices at the box stores are ridiculous. I get my paper from https://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com/. They ship fast. The price is great and shipping cost is very reasonable. They do require a $30 minimum which for me is a minor issue considering the cost savings. I keep building rockets so the paper will get used!!! The paper is 1st rate.

60 and 80 on fiberglass. I start 150 on plywood and 220 on balsa and work toward 400 to get a better finish. I rarely go above 400 but then again I hate sanding.

depending on the material, I'll start at either 80 or 120 grit then work down to 400 grit with at least 2 shots of grey Rustoleum primer in between.
After that, another even shot of primer then a ScotchBrite pad.

troj said:

Gator Grit is crap. I use Klingspor almost exclusively, because it lasts.

Click to expand...

What don't you like about gator grit? And where do you get Klingspor?

dpower said:

What don't you like about gator grit?

Click to expand...

It's cheap sandpaper that wears out quickly and requires very frequent replacement. That means a lot of time wasted swapping out sandpaper, as well as using a lot more sheets.

And where do you get Klingspor?

Click to expand...

https://www.woodworkingshop.com/

I typically buy rolls, and tear off from those, as needed, to fit my sanders, or the size I need for hand sanding.

You can also buy Bargain Boxes which are made from leftovers from making belts, rolls, etc. I've never bought one, but they're supposed to be a very good deal.

-Kevin

troj said:

You can also buy Bargain Boxes which are made from leftovers from making belts, rolls, etc. I've never bought one, but they're supposed to be a very good deal.

-Kevin

Click to expand...

That's the box of roll ends that I bought, and I still have a ton of it hanging from a rod in my workshop ceiling.

G.D.

Anything beyond 220 can be a waste of time. I would be more concerned about which paint and primer you're using. A thick paint or primer, or even multiple coats of paint will make anything over 220 redundant. I don't like to waste time, especially with sanding too much. Balsa can be challenging, that's why I try to avoid using it. Pine is a much better alternative, doesn't dent or scratch as easy, is easy to shape, and not much heavier. But the take home message is this: Unless you're creating your "masterpiece" that you plan to keep in a hermetically sealed display case, 150 and 220 grit are just fine.