Real (and unreal) steel does the trick

Ordinary sandpaper clogs quickly with gummy finish when buffing between coats, leaving erratic scratches and increasing sanding time. Instead, use steel wool or a synthetic substitute to achieve results similar to sandpaper but without clogging. Just remember that #00 steel wool generally yields similar results to 360-grit sandpaper, #000 equates to 400 grit, and #0000 equates to 600 grit. Because synthetic steel-wool pads are typically labeled with ambiguous designations such as "ultra fine," "general purpose," and "heavy duty," drawing accurate comparisons to other abrasives is difficult. Try them on a test piece before using them on your workpiece.