Warning: That old painter I work with told me to stop using cheap masking tape on 2-tone jobs after I had $120 worth of bleed-through ruin a hood last Friday

He pulled me aside and showed me how the cheap stuff lifts at the edges over curved panels, and I can't believe I never noticed it before since I've been doing this for 3 years now, has anyone else had a shop pro call them out on a habit they thought was fine?

2 comments

2 Comments

james6614d ago

You ever known a guy who thought he was saving money by using the cheapest sandpaper on the market? My buddy did that for two years straight. He'd buy the bulk rolls from the hardware store, thought he was being smart. One day his boss took a look at his finish work and pointed out all these tiny scratches that were showing up through the clear coat. Turns out the cheap stuff breaks down way faster and leaves grit everywhere. He had to wet sand and buff a whole job by hand. Cost him a full Saturday plus a good chunk of his pride. He still buys the good stuff now.

maxm504d ago

Did you catch that article last month in Fine Woodworking about sandpaper quality? They tested like 15 different brands and the cheap stuff basically crumbled after 20 passes. The premium aluminum oxide stuff held up for 80+ passes. So your buddy's story checks out completely. The economics are pretty clear when you break it down per square foot of usable sanding. Have you tried any of the mesh sandpaper that's been getting popular lately?