Sandpaper is made by gluing a mixture of abrasive chemicals onto a sheet of paper or cloth. This disadvantage makes it a bad idea to use steel wool on water-based finishes as there is almost no escape from having to deal with rust problems. While you may think that this isn’t much of an issue as you can refrain from getting it wet, the problem is mainly caused by small pieces of steel wool that get stuck in the wood during the sanding process. On the other hand, the main disadvantage of steel wool is the fact that it can rust. This flexibility allows you to easily use steel wool in areas where you would have trouble reaching with sandpaper. While you can only find sandpaper in the form of flat sheets, you can compress, expand, and mold steel wool to any shape you want. The main benefit that comes with using steel wool is its flexibility.

Steel wool, as the name suggests, is made from low-carbon steel. That being said, there are certain unique qualities that steel wool can offer, but due to it not being as popular as sandpaper, these qualities are often overlooked or not known.Īs making the right choice between the two comes down to knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both, it’s time to take a deeper look into what these abrasives can and can’t offer. On the other hand, using steel wool for sanding isn’t something that you hear a lot, mostly because sandpaper gets the job done in almost all cases. With plenty of grits to choose from, there is a proper sandpaper choice for all sanding jobs. Sandpaper is a material that we are all familiar with as it’s the first thing that comes to mind when we think about sanding. Can I Use Steel Wool to Sand Polyurethane?.What Grit Sandpaper Is Equal to Steel Wool?.Can Steel Wool Be Used in Place of Sandpaper?.Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of both of these abrasives is the key to making the right decision, so, without further ado, let’s get down to the details of how they separate from each other and how you can choose the right one for your project. While sandpaper is a flat sheet produced by combining certain abrasive minerals, steel wool is a flexible product made of low-carbon steel.Įven though they work in the same way for sanding as they both remove parts of the wood by cutting into its surface, there are cases where one is more suitable than the other due to the different qualities they bring. Steel wool and sandpaper are two entirely different abrasives with different qualities. So, how do steel wool and sandpaper compare to one another? Steel wool, a lesser-known material, is also a fantastic option, and it can even outperform sandpaper in some situations. While sandpaper is the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about sanding, it’s not the only material you can use to sand wood. Sanding is a vital part of woodworking as it allows you to smoothen out any roughness that may appear due to the imperfections of the wood or due to the processes you apply to it as you build your project.Īs it’s possible to remove most flaws easily with sanding, it’s a crucial skill that every woodworker should learn at some point – and while sanding looks simple from the outside, there are a few intricacies that require expertise such as material and grit selection.

Sandpaper grit chart