al heeley Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 I'm having trouble buffing out the swirl marks on my strat project, the finest wet'n'dry paper I can find is 600 grit, then I'm switching to a scotchbrite pad before buffing with T-Cut. Still the swilr marks are staying. (This is an automotive aerosol paint app.) I cannot find any finer grade paper anywhere. I'd be happy with a couple of sheets of 2000 grit to finish the job off. Does anyone have any contacts for UK-based suppliers of really fine grit wet'n'dry? Do I really have to buy this from the U.S.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Any decent automotive supplier will carry WND upto 2000 grit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted April 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Does Halfords qualify as a decent automotive supplier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 They should do. I can't remember if they had fine abrasives last time I was there, but I know my local auto-bits shops have fine W'N'Dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Halfords had it when I last went, but it was quite a while ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynamesucks Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 halfords go up to 1500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted April 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Thx, got some 1500 from my local Halfords! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col_Death Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Good to hear Halfords do do some high grits... I found an online shop (in my little trails on the web, doing some background research for when I start making guitars), www.axminster.co.uk They do up to 2500grit... Im in possession of some Micro-Mesh... think I've got 12000grit and 18000grit (I think). Dunno where I found it though, crazy grit numbers, probably only good for polishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Does Halfords qualify as a decent automotive supplier? Yup. Halfords carry 2000grt. I know i work at a halfords store. Its not the best quality but you can do far far worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted April 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Yup. Halfords carry 2000grt. Not round my way they don't. But 1500 is fine enough for this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 What store is it (ie town name)? is it a large store or just a normal sized one? the store i work in is fairly small, i just got a few packets of 2000 sent on the stock truck. Ask one of the guys in the parts dept, they should be able to help you out if you end up needing the 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 I stop at 1500, sometimes 1200, and final scratch-remove with Abralon. Works nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1576 Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I polished a bass yesterday in my workshop after taking it to 1200 grit wet n dry. There' s an automotive supplier called Bancrofts where you can get fine paper in the UK. I also have the Micromesh kit but after 3200 grit you might as well be wiping your lacquer with wet newspaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 (edited) I just sand out the orange peel (granted I'm getting almost none after switching over to my SATA) with 2000 grit and than use my micro mesh kit to go up to 12000 and polish from there. I like starting with the finer grit because it doesn't leave any scratchs that will show after the final polish. As long as your clear went on nice it shouldnt't take very longt to sand out with the higher grit. Edited April 23, 2006 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted April 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 micro-mesh seems really hard to get hold of over on the right hand side of the atlantic. I tracked down one modelling (not the female scarcely-clad type) place that offered it, only they didn't have any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Craft supplies carry a micro-mesh finishing kit with grades from 1500 to 12000 with a rubber sanding block and an emery board to do your nails with And you can always throw some into an order with stew-mac from the states. Really though its overkill on lacquers, it gets to a certain stage and buffing compounds do a much better job. I use the micromesh mainly for polishing fretboards before i fret and the frets once they are installed, makes em all dead slinky. Wetsand a fretboard with danish oil going through all the grades, buff off the excess and stand back in awe!! I regularly get my finer grades of paper from halfords. I usually get a mixed pack that goes from 240-1200 if i remember correctly, that will probably get me through 2 guitars worth of sanding if you are economical with it and go through the grades properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick k Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Just found your site and noticed a few references to MICROMESH polishing abrasives. My company, RD Taylor, based in Glasgow Scotland, stock Micromesh products including the KR70 Kits, rolls of all gradse of Micromesh from coarse 100MX right up to 12000 grit - extremely smooth but still classed as an abrasive. If anyone wants more help etc with Micromesh, please feel free to contact me. For a full insight to Micromesh, try visiting their web site micro-surface.com. Dick K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 I like to polish up with Rustin's Finish Restorer before swirl removal. That stuff really does rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapata_M Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) I know it is a loooooooot late and I don't know if it'll be useful but have you guys gone to websites such www.axminster.co.uk and www.screwfix.co.uk? Axminster stock up to 2500 grit. I didn't try to hard on screwfix (don't realy buy much stuff of them!) Hope I helped!! Edited March 14, 2008 by Zapata_M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Most Wal-Mart stores have 2000 grit, so in the UK, Asda might as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Most Wal-Mart stores have 2000 grit, so in the UK, Asda might as well. Asda is not equivalent to Walmart it just a crap tesco! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Ah, I see. I was just making an assumption, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 perfectly natural! but the only tool you are likely to find in asda will be serving you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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