Choosing the Right Abrasive

Wet-and-Dry Paper

This is made up of silicone carbide particles glued to a waterproof backing. It can be used dry on wood, but is normally dipped in water and used on paintwork. Instead of flying into the atmosphere, the dust forms a slurry that you wipe off. Suitable for rubbing down potentially toxic substances like leaded paint, which you should avoid breathing in as dust.

Sandpaper

Used to rub down surfaces and provide a suitable surface (sometimes called key) for paint. It is sold as coarse, medium, and fine, or labelled with a grit number. As a guide: 40G is extra-coarse; 60G is coarse; 80-100G is medium; 120-180G is fine; and 220G+ is extra-fine. Use coarse for rougher surfaces, fine for a smoother finish.

Garnet Paper

Distinguishable by its reddish-brown colour, garnet paper comes in very fine grades. Good for finishing hardwoods.

Liquid Sandpaper

This is a brush-on solution that dissolves the surface of sound paintwork just enough to make it suitable for the new paint. Good for fiddly shapes such as banisters.

Flexible Sanders

These have abrasive particles glued to a foam block or sheet. These are not very durable but are good for rubbing down shaped surfaces.

Steel Wool

Like sandpaper, steel wool is available in coarse, medium, and fine grades, which are indicated by the number of Os. Grade 000, for example, is medium; grade 00000 is very fine. Good for stripping old finishes from turned wood (such as table legs rounded using a lathe), and for working wax finishes into the grain. Note, though, that the fine metal dust reacts with and stains some woods. It should never be used in damp conditions, as the metal particles rust.

Sanding Packages

The packages are a handy way to buy all the abrasives you need for a particular project - rubbing down metalwork, or preparing to stain and varnish, for example.