What is waterproof sandpaper? Application of waterproof sandpaper

What is waterproof sandpaper? 

Waterproof sandpaper is a special type of paper used to make paint surfaces smooth and beautiful. 

Wet the surface with water to remove dirt and rust, blur scratches, and improve adhesion. It also has a matte effect, making the finish more beautiful and practical.
 
There are various types of sandpaper, with particle sizes ranging from 120 to 3000 mesh. When choosing the appropriate sandpaper, it is important to consider the condition of the surface to be polished, grinding force, durability, strength, and ease of use. Using waterproof sandpaper can achieve excellent surface effects. The painted surface is beautiful and practical, and can be used for various purposes. 

Application of waterproof sandpaper 

Waterproof sandpaper is first used for metal polishing. It is usually used to decorate watch cases and metal products, and is very useful in situations where aesthetic finishes are needed. It is also used for vehicle paint polishing, scratch repair, stainless steel shell muffler polishing, etc. 

It is also used in the woodworking field. It plays an important role as an indispensable tool for wiping cloth and making musical instruments. In addition, it can also be used to sharpen the secondary repair machine and polish the painted surface before painting. 

It can also be used to remove dirt from resin products, as well as for rough polishing of metal substrates and eliminating unevenness on products. It is also suitable for mirror treatment and paint polishing of fuel tanks. 

In addition, waterproof sandpaper is sometimes used to remove hand stains on ceramics and polishing stains on stainless steel products. It is also useful for cleaning around sinks and toilets. 

The principle of waterproof sandpaper 

The difference between waterproof sandpaper and ordinary sandpaper is that it can be wetted with water for use. Waterproof sandpaper is made of special paper or cloth as the substrate, with abrasive particles evenly distributed at regular intervals. Abrasive particles are made of hard materials such as alumina, silicon carbide, diamond, etc., and polish the surface of the object by scraping it. 

Waterproof sandpaper uses adhesives with high water resistance such as resin or rubber, so it can be used even when wet. Adding water can remove dust and wear particles generated during the polishing process, ensuring that the polished surface remains in a new state. 

In addition, by using water, the heat generated during the polishing process can be cooled and surface damage caused by friction can be minimized to the greatest extent possible. That's why waterproof sandpaper can produce beautiful surface effects. 

In addition, many types of waterproof sandpaper have abrasive particles of different types and sizes, so the most suitable one can be selected according to the application and polishing material. Choosing the appropriate particle size can achieve efficient polishing work. 

Characteristics of waterproof sandpaper 

Waterproof sandpaper is a structure in which natural or artificial abrasives are uniformly bonded to the surface of the base paper using adhesive. Artificial abrasives such as silicon carbide and corundum have the advantage of producing uniform sandpaper. 

Black silicon carbide is hard and easy to scrape, making it one of the most widely used abrasives. The paper used for sandpaper includes Japanese paper, kraft paper, and latex treated paper. The strength of sandpaper is weak, but it has excellent flexibility and is suitable for polishing curved surfaces. 

Latex treated paper is commonly used as a standard type of waterproof sandpaper, and there are various materials to choose from, including metal, wood, resin, and stone. The adhesive used is phenolic resin, epoxy resin and other resins, which have excellent water resistance, heat resistance and strong bonding strength. 

If the polishing ability is high, that is, short-term polishing ability, the surface of the finished product will be rough. If the surface of the finished product is improved, the polishing ability will decrease. It is important to choose between polishing ability or finished surface roughness based on the intended use. 

Other information about waterproof sandpaper 

1. Counting of waterproof sandpaper 

The counting numbers are always written on the back of sandpaper or sandpaper. The number represents the size of the abrasive particles applied to sandpaper or sandpaper, and is the standard for roughness. 

In Japan, the size of the abrasive particles applied is determined by JIS R6010. In the current JIS standard, P is written before the number. The items marked with # are from the old JIS standards. 

For the size of abrasive particles, upper and lower limits of particle size are specified, known as "particle size". The smaller the quantity, the larger and rougher the abrasive particles, and the larger the quantity, the smaller the abrasive particles, suitable for precision machining. These are the elements that determine the surface smoothness of polished surfaces. 

There are rough, medium, and fine counts, but the names are not specified, nor is there a rule on what count to use to achieve smoothness or how to use it correctly. It depends on experience. 

2. Composition of waterproof sandpaper 

Sandpaper consists of three parts: paper, adhesive, and abrasive particles. 

Paper 

The materials include kraft paper, latex treated paper, Japanese paper, etc., and are marked with symbols AW, CW, DW, EW. AW is soft and suitable for curved surfaces, while EW is a hard paper substrate. It is suitable for applications such as connecting to sanding and polishing machines. 

Abrasive grain 

There are two types of abrasives: natural materials and artificial materials. Natural abrasives do not have uniform properties, shapes, etc. In recent years, many coated abrasives have been made from artificial abrasives. Represented by symbols G (garnet), silicon carbide (CC), fused alumina (AA, AW), etc. 

Some products use diamond abrasive grains, but these products are called diamond flakes and belong to a different category from so-called sandpaper. 

An adhesive 

Adhesives include natural adhesives (glue, adhesive, gelatin, etc.) and synthetic resin adhesives (phenolic resin, epoxy resin, etc.), which are different from each other. They are distinguished by the symbols G (glue), R (resin), and W (waterproof resin).