How to Choose Sandpaper
Sandpaper is used for a variety of purposes ranging from woodworking projects to replumbing a bathroom. It comes in a variety of different sizes and grits. The grit of sandpaper you use depends on your project and the type of finish you want it to have. A fine-grit sandpaper works well for buffing out small scratches and giving wood a "soft" even look, while a coarse-grit sandpaper is good for working out large indentations or smoothing out a surface that has large imperfections. When starting your project, it's important to pick the correct sandpaper for the job. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Determine what type of material you'll be sanding. Metal projects tend to need a finer grit paper than wood projects because the fine grit removes metal shavings more smoothly and easily. If you're working with wood, you can use a coarser grit paper and still retain a smooth finish.
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Determine how much stock you'll need to remove from the material you're sanding. If you need to remove a large amount of stock, pick a coarse-grit sandpaper, but if you're finishing a job and only need to buff out small scratches or remove a little stock, pick a fine-grit sandpaper.
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Think about the job you're working on. If you're going to be working with hard metal or in wet conditions, a fine-grit wet sandpaper is best, whereas if you're buffing out the finish of a wooden piece of furniture, you'll want a fine-grit dry sandpaper.
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Tips & Warnings
If in doubt, go for a finer grit sandpaper. You can always use a coarser grit paper later if you need to remove more stock. If you use too coarse of a sandpaper at first, you could put scratches in your project that are difficult to remove.
