Woodworking Discs

Best Sanding Discs For Wood

Red Label Abrasives has been serving woodworkers for over 35 years. We offer a wide variety of industrial-grade sanding discs designed specifically for wood. Our discs can help you sand your wood workpieces to perfection. 

What Makes Aluminum Oxide Sanding Discs The Best For Wood? 

Aluminum oxide is considered the workhorse of abrasive grains. It works very well for wood sanding applications and it’s a very affordable grain. We recommend aluminum oxide for wood sanding, because it strikes the perfect balance between quality and price for wood workpieces. There are stronger premium abrasive grains built for sanding harder materials, but they’re more expensive and they generally aren’t needed for wood sanding. 

Adhesive Discs Or Hoop & Loop Discs? 

Sanding discs are generally offered in two different backing types: adhesive and hook and loop. Red Label Abrasives offers wood sanding discs in both of these backing types. Adhesive discs have a sticky adhesive backing, so that you can stick the disc to the sander. Hook and loop discs use a locking system (think velcro), so that discs can be applied to the backing pad of a sander and easily swapped as needed. 

Adhesive discs are less expensive, but they can’t be easily swapped. Once you remove the disc, it will lose its adhesive properties. Adhesive discs are best when you tend to sand on one grit and don’t swap grits often. 

Hook and loop discs are slightly more expensive, because of the more intricate backing. However, they can be easily changed out and re-used when needed. Hook and loop discs are ideal when working with applications where a series of different grits is needed. 

Your sander sander will be built for either adhesive discs or hook and loop discs, but not both. You can buy a converter pad that will allow you to use hook and loop discs or vice versa depending on the type of sander you have. 

Common Applications For Wood Sanding Discs

Orbital sanders have many different uses. They are commonly used for removing paint from wood and material from workpieces. The smaller size of orbital sanders allows them to sand edges and corners more easily than other larger sanding tools. When it comes to sanding wood, orbital sanders are often used for the following applications: 

• Cabinetry manufacturing: Cabinets are often designed with many built-in and interlocking components. Disc sanders can easily reach and sand these components. They are especially beneficial when it comes to smoothing out the joints on a cabinet. 
• Furniture production:  Random orbital sanders are heavily used in furniture production and refurbishment. The random motion of the sander doesn’t leave streaks in the wood and can provide a smooth surface ready for painting or staining. 
• Staircase assembly:Staircase assembly requires smooth surfaces delivered in a timely fashion. Orbital sanders work great for smoothing out staircase surfaces quickly.  
• Toy building: Disc sanders may not work great for very small and intricate toy pieces, but they are used for larger wooden toys like name puzzles, wooden cars, wooden trains, wooden rocking horses, and more.   
• Refinishing hardwood floors: Orbital sanders greatly speed up the process of refinishing hardwood floors. Disc sanders can be used to remove scratches and old finishes, so that you’re left with a smooth surface ready for a new finish. 

Of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list. There are many different wood applications that sanding discs can be used for. You can speak with one of our abrasive technicians if you need help determining which tools and abrasives would be best for your application. 

Why Buy Wood Sanding Discs From Red Label Abrasives?

Red Label has been a leader in abrasive manufacturing for the woodworking industry since 1982. We serve hundreds of woodshops and hobbyists around the country. Our family-owned American factory produces industrial-grade sanding discs and ships them to you factory direct. When you order from Red Label, you receive high quality abrasives at some of the most affordable prices on the web. 

We don’t just offer high quality products. We also offer unparalleled customer service and support. You’ll never have difficulty reaching a member of our team during office hours and we’re always happy to help answer questions about our products or your order. 

Questions? Ask An Abrasive Technician!