Abrasive top up time

[Twisted Trees]

It is that time again, I need to replenish my rolls of abrasive, I keep seeing ProNet on various woodturners YouTube streams, I like the fact it is colour coded, and it is cheaper than Abranet. 

Do any of you have experience of it? your opinions would be appreciated.

[Bill21]

Watching with interest as I’m an Abranet fan but not heard of ProNet before.

[fuzzyturns]

Hmm, that does look promising. I am about to approach refill time myself and I think I will give it a shot.

[Twisted Trees]

Couple of good recommendations via Facebook, so I have ordered some 120,180, & 240 also got a discount code from Facebook which saved me 10% bought direct from https://www.pronetabrasives.com/ will try to remember to post back once received and tried.
 

[bodrighywood]

Blimey, you guys must be loaded. Can't believe how much that stuff costs.

Pete

[Twisted Trees]

Blimey, you guys must be loaded. Can't believe how much that stuff costs.

Pete

10m roll will last me a year on 120, 2 years on 180 / 240, and the 400 is at least 5 years old, and only used about half a roll.  So big outlay at refresh time but not to expensive over time. 

I did a 25 piece production run on Monday, had run out of 120 grit about 6 months ago and bought cheep cloth backed replacement.

Using 50mm lengths of 75mm roll I killed 3 pieces of the cheep 120 grit, but was still using the same piece of 180 and 240, I know it isn't a fair comparison 120 taking out toolmarks while the other 2 are only taking out the 120 / 180 scratches, but sometimes cheep is the most expensive way of getting there.

[bodrighywood]

I agree that cheap stuff isn't worth it but couldn't see any rolls of abrasive on that site only precut discs and sections? I get mine, rhyno grit,  from Richard Findley. Cut my own discs etc. 

Pete

[Twisted Trees]

Direct link:-

https://www.pronetabrasives.com/products/75mm-wide-pronet-abrasivenet-roll-40-grit-320-grit?_pos=1&_sid=02b20b74f&_ss=r&variant=31751218987062

I bought 10m rolls for £19.99  - 10% discount I got from the Flaming Turner youtube livestream.

[bodrighywood]

That is cheaper, I admit. I pay 22.50 for a 10m roll.

Pete

[Bryan Milham]

Have you looked in the AWGB Website Corporate Members Links, several companies offer abrasives of all sorts.
They offer discounts for us, nice to support them as well

[Paul Hannaby]

The trouble with mesh abrasives is you buy more holes than you do abrasive. Great marketing idea though!

[Twisted Trees]

The trouble with mesh abrasives is you buy more holes than you do abrasive. Great marketing idea though!

True, but like cheese graters and mint aero, sometimes it is the holes that add the value

[Twisted Trees]

Well that was quick! arrived today by Hermes next day delivery. First impression is that it is quite thick, and cuts very well, maybe too well I think maybe I should have started at 150grit  not 120grit, too  early to say about how it lasts, literally sanded the handle for the carvers mallet I made myself this afternoon. Have a run of 30 spindles to do next week hopefully, still waiting on dimensions, if that comes in then I will have a realistic test on something I know the performance of Abranet on.

[fuzzyturns]

I got my delivery 2 days ago and put it to the test last night. The results are not great. I used them to sand a little beech vase, about 6" tall and 2" diameter. OK, this wood is hard and it's got knots. However, the first 50mm disc of 120grit lost it's teeth within seconds, the second held out a little longer. Sanding the outside with a rotary inertia sander, it took a lot longer to do the rough sanding with 120 than it ought to, and the 320grit disc separated from its backing within 10 seconds of usage.
And to top it all off, when I moved my banjo across the bed, it create scratch marks, so clearly the bonded abrasive had become unbonded and ended up on my lathe bed.

Sorry guys, I am not impressed. I will use it, but will probably not buy again.