3M Scotch-Brite pads - Grit Chart - and 3M Polishing Papers

A

At1Rest

Joined
Apr 11, 2019
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You many already be aware of these products but I just discovered a fix for an annoyance and wanted to share.

I did have this one annoying blade that was a fingerprint magnet ... that is ... until I buffed it out with 3M Scotchbrite pads.
Took about 5 minutes. It's a softer satin now - but does show a scratch pattern if inspected more closely.
So see the ***Caution below.

I used Green then Light Grey then white.
I suspect the 3M Polishing Papers could bring it back up closer to a mirror finish but I haven't yet tried them. Maybe later today.

***Caution!
I'm not recommending this to anyone that's not sure what these pads can do ... so if you're not sure then please do a test on something that doesn't matter to you.

So, disclaimer out of the way ...
I love these Scotchbrite pads.

For one reason, In my opinion, the Light Grey and white are the only logical substitute for #0000 Steel wool.
Tiny metal droppings be gone forever!
All of my steel wool has been in the garage since I discovered Scotchbrite pads about 10 yrs. ago.

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Grit Chart:
From:

SCOTCHBRITE GRIT CHART (courtesy of Charlest)
3M Scotch Brite Nylon Pads:
7445 - White pad, called Light Duty Cleansing - (1000) 1200-1500 grit
7448 - Light Grey, called Ultra Fine Hand - (600-800) 800 grit.

6448 - Green (?), called Light Duty Hand Pad - (600) 600 grit

7447 - Maroon pad, called General Purpose Hand - (320-400) 320 grit

6444 - Brown pad, called Extra Duty Hand - (280-320) 240 grit
7446 - Dark Grey pad, called Blending Pad (180-220) 150 grit
7440 - Tan pad, called Heavy Duty Hand Pad - (120-150) 60(?)

Green Scotch Brite is available EVERYWHERE. It's 600 grit.
Blue Scotch-Brite is considered to be about 1000 grit.

(The value inside the parentheses is directly from 3M.)
3M Chart

An other "Official" 3M pamphlet but it doesn't list the Green and Blue

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And then there are the 3M polishing papers which are an other really cool product.
I happen to have them in 400, 800, 1200, 4000 grit which were the grits recommend to me for polishing stainless steel guitar frets.
I discovered these after getting into stainless steel frets for my guitars, a few yrs. ago, and wanting to polish the frets to a finer soft mirror like finish.
They get to feeling like glass. Greasy and slippery - nicer for bending notes.

3M Flexible Polishing Papers - StewMac

Strong micro-grit finishing papers, so flexible you can use them like cloth, wet or dry!
www.stewmac.com www.stewmac.com

SO, I may go a bit higher with the scratch pattern on that blade. later today using the polishing papers,
but for now I'm happy with it.
 
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Yes. I can understand what you're saying about getting an accurate reading on the grit equivalents.
I gave up trying to find that info. also, and just go by the chart I posted above, because it's 'generally' close enough for me, and also close enough to other papers I've used to not bother me.

The ones I'm most sure of from observing the scratch patterns are:
7445 - White pad, called Light Duty Cleansing - (1000) 1200-1500 grit
7448 - Light Grey, called Ultra Fine Hand - (600-800) 800 grit.
6448 - Green, called Light Duty Hand Pad - (600) 600 grit
7447 - Maroon pad, called General Purpose Hand - (320-400) 320 grit

I also have the blue but that one seems to melt when used with the Dremel, (see below) and deposits blue dye on the work piece so I no linger use the blue.

I've used the light grey and white the most, mainly when scuffing between coats of wipe-on poly finish on guitar bodies, hand scuffing.

I didn't order the rougher grits, Maroon and Green, until I inherited some older knives that needed rust cleaned off the blades.
I cut them into 1" x 1" squares mounted them to mandrels and used them with a Dremel tool.
They worked fairly well for that and left a decent finish on the metal.
 
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