There are some things to consider when searching for the right abrasive for you. You might consider one abrasive over another because of the substrate you are sanding, but there are other factors that may be important to you.
These are a few things that you may look for when searching for the right abrasive for you:
1. They are long lasting
2. They allow you to work more efficiently
3. They help keep your work area clean
4. They don’t cost the earth
5. They exhibit excellent value
Some woodworkers have many complaints about the abrasives they use – there are some cheap and nasty products out there that let the user down tremendously. Some abrasives in the market do not last long at all. This is a waste of the user’s time, having to constantly change the abrasive too often.
One of our customers’ pet peeves is how some abrasives leave behind parts of the abrasive on the substrate. We hear it often.
I was talking to Bevan from Timber Dimensions recently and he mentioned “One particular thing I like about the Galaxy is that I don’t tend to find stray pieces of grit on the surface post sanding. That is one of the key things I look for when choosing an abrasive. Discarded grit tends to leave little tornadoes on the workpiece that require rework or stick out when I’m staining.”
As pointed out by Bevan, this is one of the things that cause a lot of time to be wasted on reworking and fixing up and cause the finished product to look less than professional.
Many woodworkers see their craft as an art form – they are perfectionists and using abrasives that don’t aid the process is a total let down.
As Bevan has also said, “Time is money. Good tools = good job”. We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.
Going back to the top things that you may look for in an abrasive, we can say that Mirka Galaxy, (Mirka's newest abrasive) has many of the features and properties that you may be looking for in an abrasive. Galaxy is simply a game changer in the sanding industry and can help you improve your work processes.
Here are some of the features that Galaxy encompasses:
1. They are long lasting
Mirka Galaxy is made with ceramic grains that are self-sharpening and regenerating, meaning that every time an edge of an abrasive grain breaks off, a new cutting edge is simply formed, making it possible for the Galaxy to continue cutting longer and longer. Mirka Galaxy also exhibits superb edge wear resistance providing a longer life for each abrasive.
Bevan was using Galaxy recently and he said “I did two 2.1 x .7 benchtops with one 120 grit and I reckon I’ll get another out of it. I do tend to change a little earlier than some might as time is money and I find generally; abrasives do cut a bit slower after 3 or 4 m2 of work”.
2. They allow you to work more efficiently
Mirka Galaxy is fast cutting, allowing you to work more efficiently and get the job done quicker. You won’t need to replace the abrasive as early as you would with other abrasives. Galaxy also has a clog resistant coating which improves dust repellence. As the dust doesn't stick onto the abrasive, it is more effectively removed from the working surface and extracted via the multifit hole configuration technology. The multifit technology means the abrasive can be placed on any machine without the need to specifically align it.
3. They help keep your work area clean
Galaxy is clog resistant meaning you won't waste time cleaning your abrasive, and the dust will be efficiently sucked away via the multihole configuration effortlessly, allowing you to keep your surface and work space clean.
4. They don’t cost the earth
Just purchased a few packs of the Mirka Galaxy sanding disc as I finally ran out of my 3m paper. The paper is great, stays sharp and holds up even when wet, for the price I didn't expect it to be this good and the range going all the way up to P2000 is very convenient.”
T. Swarune
5. They exhibit excellent value
Bevan from Timber Dimensions with his stool creations.
“I recommend the new Galaxy product.
Awesome life span on the Victorian Ash I mostly use.”
Bevan from Timber Dimensions
