Norton 3X Sandpaper

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WOOD magazine rating

Norton 3X Sandpaper cuts and cleans like crazy

5.0

out of 5

Brand:

Norton Abrasives

Model:

Price:

$14

Description

* Heat-treated aluminum oxide abrasive P-graded for longer life and faster cut rate than conventional aluminum oxide
* Flexible, fibre-reinforced backing for flexibility and tear resistance when folded
* Non-pigmented, waterbased stearate (anti-clog) coating, open coatresists clogging and loading
* No color dye in coating process
* 1/4 sheets are available with Stick & Sand adhesive backing
* 1/3 sheets are designed for “Clamp-On” style sanders

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WOOD magazine review

Norton 3X Sandpaper cuts and cleans like crazy

Reviewed by: WOOD Magazine

Review Summary

The manufacturer of Norton 3X sandpaper claims that it cuts three times faster and lasts three times longer than conventional sandpaper. Although I couldn’t verify the “three times” claims in my tests, this abrasive definitely cuts faster and cleans easier than other sandpapers I compared it to. Using the rig shown above, I tested 60-grit Norton 3X sheets side-by-side against another widely sold 60-grit sandpaper with 5 lbs of weight on each.

…

The workpiece is melamine-coated particleboard sprayed with primer, and after just a few back-and-forth cycles, I noticed white dust quickly piling up at the ends of the stroke on the Norton 3X, where the other paper had little. To make sure the papers didn’t load up with dust and affect their performance, I vacuumed the test surface and both abrasives after every 50 cycles. Here I noticed that the dust buildup released easily from the Norton 3X on the first pass with the vac, while the other brand took more agitation to clean. I repeated this test until I had sanded 500 cycles with each paper in four grits from 60 through 220. In every case, the Norton 3X abrasive cut through the primer (and in some cases, the white melamine to reveal the particleboard beneath) significantly faster than the competition. Norton 3X comes in nine different grits and is priced about the same as other sheet sandpaper, making it a whale of a bargain. —Tested by Dean Fiene

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