Is the 3M Cubitron the Best Sandpaper Ever?

Рет қаралды 12,105

2 жыл бұрын

The world needs one more review of 3M Cubitron Sandpaper, right? I actually come at this from a different direction. 3M's Cubitron Sanding Discs have taken the woodworking world by storm. I've used the Cubitron sandpaper sheets for years and loved them. But I've been slow to adopt the sanding discs preferring Festool Granat. I decided it was time to give the Cubitron II Mesh Discs a try. The results were mind-blowing...with one exception.
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Пікірлер: 26

@ThePEagle Жыл бұрын

What I do to line my paper up, and that has been very effective is that I bend it slightly so that two holes are in the bend. I line up these two to the sander's hole and make contact. I then release the sides of the disc and make sure it's sticking properly. Worked quite well for me. Reapplying them in case I wasn't lined up is also easier as there's only a "slim line" that's hooked up.

@techforkings7907 2 жыл бұрын

That Mesh pad is insane. Saves a lot of time.

@maplebirchstudio 2 жыл бұрын

Yes it does!

@Bob_Adkins Жыл бұрын

I hear you on the finish. The Cubitron Extract leaves a microscopic fuzz or "nap" which I guess is from cutting through the wood fibers at 90 degrees. Also, Cubitron cuts so fast that you only need 80, 180, and 320. The 120, 150, and 220 do nothing those 3 won't do. I'm going to try a roll of 320 with a 3"x16" hook-and-loop block sander, sanding with the grain. If it's as fast as I think, I won't miss my orbital for the final finish.

@kennethholmes9315 Жыл бұрын

I have also had finish issues with net sanding disc. But not just 3M, I have used several brands. Dust is an issue with me as well. I have been in production wood working for 30 years plus and I still hate dust. Have a good one :)

@EOTE_TX 3 ай бұрын

Now that you've done a review of Cubitron II, would you consider doing a review based on grit type i.e. garnet, flint, aluminum oxide, zirconia, ceramic alumina, ceramic zirconia, and silicone carbide. Having been a fan of 3M Cubitron II, I was appalled that the price has more than doubled in 2 years since I started buying and using it so I started looking for something as durable or more durable. I've so far settled on silicone carbide imported from China because I do a lot of sanding of various oak and elm species and because the longevity is significant. A hard wood like Post Oak or Winged Elm can be very time consuming with the wrong sandpapers. Cost is significant as well as Cubitron II costs about 85 cents per disc (5" 8 hole) but I've found silicone carbide sourced through Amazon to be only about 19 cents per disc and the longevity is better than the Cubitron II. Thanks!

@lanekokoruda7076 Жыл бұрын

Do you get any push and pull when using the 3m sand paper compared to festool a sandpaper? I notice when I switch to the 3m sandpaper with the mesh pad it moves around more.

@maplebirchstudio Жыл бұрын

I haven’t noticed and more push/pull vs using Festool sandpaper (primarily use granat). I’ve used the 3m mesh paper on the Rotex, ETS-EC 150/3, and ETS-EC 150/5 and I didn’t notice any difference from when I’ve used granat paper on these sanders. I’ve used the soft, extra soft, and hard sanding pads with both Festool paper and 3m as well.

@waleseggmundo 10 ай бұрын

I’ve had this to be fair. Seems to lead the sander sometimes

@waleseggmundo 10 ай бұрын

One other thing I’ve found with the Cubitron is if you so much as show them the edge of something, you can kiss that disc goodbye. And I’m not even talking about the side of a board or trying to chamfer something, I mean even if you go over the lip of something it’s going to crease and eventually tear. I’ve never had one stay in one piece long enough to see if the cutting action does last longer than other papers.

@thomasseibold4055 Жыл бұрын

Good comparison, Mayor Pete!

@maplebirchstudio Жыл бұрын

😂 “Hoos-your” doppelgänger?

@Obshowersyndicate Жыл бұрын

How does it sand drywall

@maplebirchstudio Жыл бұрын

Haven’t use it on drywall. My guess is you might be somewhat disappointed with the dust collection on drywall. On wood, I find standard sanding discs to perform better dust collection-wise.

@agoogleuser7784 Жыл бұрын

As far as your complaint on finish, why not just step up your grits across the board? Just like you proved with the 80 vs. 40. For example if your regularly finish sand with 220 in Festol then try 320 or 400 in 3m. I suspect that the “better finish” you are getting out of the Festol discs is a result of them using a softer abrasive grain that breaks down over the use and results in what would look like a higher grit finish.

@maplebirchstudio Жыл бұрын

I had considered this, but since I already have a result I like, I decided no point in trying to find a solution to make the Cubitron work in my case. Using higher grits might accomplish this and might be someone’s preferred approach. More power to them.

@fugixi Жыл бұрын

I read a blog post on Festools website regarding their Granat Net, for which they recommend to go one higher grit compared to regular Granat papers, so it seems a step up in grit across the board would work. And this test from Maple Birch sure shows time savings even when using higher grits with a less powerful sander. Good stuff!

@MikeyFFA500 Жыл бұрын

Why not use the same grit on the same sander???

@maplebirchstudio Жыл бұрын

One sander is designed to be an aggressive removal sander while the other is a lighter finishing sander. So the point was to compare very aggressive non-Cubitron sandpaper on an aggressive removal sander to moderately aggressive Cubitron paper on a lighter finishing sander.