3M Sandpaper, Sanding Blocks & Pads

When you need to smooth a surface then look at the RS range of sandpaper, sanding blocks, and sanding pads. Our assortment of grades, grain materials and sheet sizes will allow you to fully prep any surface or material, from general sanding to creating an ultra smooth finish. We have three main abrasive materials for you to choose from, including aluminium oxide, silicon carbide and synthetic fibres, all from leading brands such as 3M, Flexovit, RS PRO and Norton.

Sandpaper and Sandpaper Rolls

Sandpaper (sometimes referred to as glasspaper) is a type of thick paper with abrasive materials on one or both sides. Although it is called sandpaper, the abrasive material is typically aluminium oxide or silicon carbide. Abrasive cloths have a similar construction, but the base material is cloth rather than paper. Abrasive cloths are sometimes referred to as emery cloths and use emery as the abrasive.

Sandpaper rolls for use on wood, metals, composites, paint and woodturning applications. It is abrasive grit on flexible backing sheets used to smooth many types of material. The backing sheets may be covered with different materials such as glass, aluminium oxide, silicon carbide, garnet or other specialist grit. Each type of grit has different characteristics which make each most suitable for specific applications, an understanding of the types of grit is essential so that the right type is chosen for a particular job. The cloth is used where a high degree of flexibility is required.

Sanding Blocks

Sanding blocks are used for hand-sanding wood and cleaning or polishing metals. An alternative to sandpaper, they are reusable, washable and comfortable to hold. Because of their flexibility, they're ideal for sanding in tight spaces, over complex contours and on areas that may require the special attention that can only be achieved manually.

Types of sanding blocks

Sanding blocks are made from a variety of abrasive materials, including aluminium oxide and diamond. Depending on the material you are sanding, different grades with varying grit levels can be selected. This lets you apply firmer or gentler levels of abrasion as required. Similarly to another kind of sandpaper, sanding blocks are used for sanding or finishing a wide range of natural and synthetic materials. These include plastics, wood, gold, silver, platinum, copper, brass, iron, steel, ceramics, aluminium, bronze and pewter.