Empire Abrasives Surface Conditioning Products
Empire Abrasives carries a wide variety of surface conditioning products, comparable to 3M Scotch-Brite™ belts, discs, pads, etc.
They provide a continuous and controlled finish with minimal material removal and are ideal for odd angle surfaces while saving a lot of time and effort that would otherwise be spent hand sanding.
Rather than aggressively grinding away metal, these attachments are geared towards blending metal surfaces and removing paint, rust, filler, etc. They are a useful tool to quickly condition a surface down to bare metal, leaving it with a clean, straight-lined brushed look. Unlike other abrasives, it isn’t harsh on the metal and avoids heating it up nearly as much.
What are Surface Conditioning Products Made Of?
Each different type of surface conditioning product (i.e.. belts, flap disc, flap wheel) have different constructions to fit different tools and purposes. That being said, the main feature all of these products have in common is the modern design consisting of an open web of nylon web that are resin-bonded with specific abrasive grains.
What are Surface Conditioning Products Used for?
Uses Include: Deburring and surface metal prep, gasket removal, coatings removal, cleaning weld splatter, removing heat discoloration, blending and finishing, rust removal, etc.
Common Applications:
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Knifemaking - 2”x72” surface conditioning belts and 4”x36” surface conditioning belts are a secret weapon for knifemakers and bladesmiths looking to quickly remove scratch marks and create an uniform finish across their knife blades
- Auto Body - quickly removing paint, rust, and bondo from a vehicle to prep the surface for painting. Our surface conditioning drums are a must have for car restoration or auto body collision repair workers looking to save time and energy surface prepping vehicles.
- Woodworkers - products like surface conditioning scuff pads can be a great alternative to steel wool as they are more durable and don’t shed like steel wool.
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Metal Fabrication - All of these surface conditioning tools deserve a place in a metal fabricator’s toolbox, from the 5” hook & loop pads for orbital sanders to the innovative angle grinder compatible flap disc for surface conditioning.
Surface Conditioning Colors
Surface conditioning belts, discs, and pads come in several different colors. Each color signifies how coarse the abrasive embedded in the nylon webbing.
Below is a guide for the color and coarseness of surface conditioning discs, belts, flap discs, quick change discs, hook and loop discs, and spiral bands:
- Grey - Ultra-fine grit (only available in sanding belts)
- Blue - Fine grit
- Red - Medium grit
- Tan - Coarse grit
The color and coarseness guide is a bit different for interleaf flap wheels, 4 ⅕” surface prep wheels, and scuff hand pads...
Interleaf Flap Wheel Colors
- Grey - Fine grit
- Red - Medium grit
- Green - Coarse grit
4 ½” Surface Preparation Wheel Colors
- Grey - Ultra-fine grit
- Maroon - Fine grit
Surface Preparation Scuff Pads
- White - Non-abrasive (used for polishing and cleaning)
- Grey - Ultra-fine grit (comparable to Scotch-Brite™ 7448 Pro Hand Pad)
- Maroon - Very-fine grit (comparable to Scotch-Brite™ 7447 Pro Hand Pad)
- Green - Industrial-fine grit
- Black - Medium grit
- Tan - Coarse grit (comparable to Scotch-Brite 7440™ Hand Pad)
*The ultra-fine grey scuff pads are embedded with silicon carbide abrasive grains. Maroon, green, black, and tan scuff pads are embedded with aluminum oxide abrasive grains.
Can Surface Conditioning Products be Used on Wood?
Some of them yes. In fact, different variations of these products are made to be used on various metal surfaces, fiberglass, plastic, and most wood surfaces. It is often used to remove paint quickly and often used when finishing a wood surface as an alternative to steel wool. Just be sure to check the product description pages for specific uses or feel free to call an Empire Abrasives representative if you have any questions.