# Abranet by Mirka



## Taz575 (Aug 20, 2012)

Anyone try this stuff out yet??? I tried some and I gotta say It is awesome!!!! It's made by Mirka, a Finnish company and is an open mesh cushioned abrasive. It goes from 80 grit to 600 grit, and you can find rolls of 800 grit at some places. I tried some recently on my laminates and it was incredible. A smooth 600 grit finish feels really nice in the hand, and with a hard rubber sanding block backer, it will keep the stainless pins flush with the handle material. I haven't gotten to try it on wood yet, but based on how it did on the laminates, I will be using it a LOT!! It doesn't clog at all, even when I was sanding a laminate I had made a few hours before prior to it being fully cured. Since it's mesh, you can just blow out anything that sticks in the web and keep going. 

I thought the Micro Mesh stuff was nice, but this stuff is so much nicer and it doesn't clog up and load up like the Micro Mesh does!! If you guys are looking for sandpaper for woods, especially the hard to sand stuff, you gotta check it out!!

I hadn't heard much about this stuff, so I just wanted to put up a post about it to help people learn about it! I have no affiliation with this product, but I was amazed at how nicely it works!


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## Dave Martell (Aug 21, 2012)

It's been on my to try list - thanks for the info


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## Eamon Burke (Aug 21, 2012)

I wish they had it in sheets and not narrow shop rolls. Or giant shop rolls. They seem to just make it in 4 1/2" rolls and 5"-6" discs.


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## Taz575 (Aug 21, 2012)

I was pretty blown away by it Dave! I usually am patient enough to wait a few days before I work a Laminate block after I mold it. I shaped it out 3-4 hours after I molded it, so it wasn't even fully cured yet, which generally clogs up belts, files and sandpaper very quickly. This stuff worked it like it was nothing. The mesh is sharp and bitey at first, but it quickly breaks down a little and gives a smoother finish. I used the same pieces to do 3 handles so far and it seems to have plenty of life left. I'm going to try it on wood hopefully tomorrow!


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## Taz575 (Aug 21, 2012)

They have 2 3/4" x 5", 8" or 16.5" sheets and 2 3/4"x 10 yd rolls, and 3 2/3"x25 yd rolls. It looks like Beaver Tools is the main place to get the sheets/rolls.


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## Twistington (Aug 21, 2012)

I have no experience with the Abranet, but it sounds like a nice product.

Another product that they sell is a sanding sponge(140x115x5mm) that leaves a very nice surface on both metal and wood, i'm using the p120, 220 and 400 and the finish is very smooth!


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## zitangy (Aug 21, 2012)

I tried one and do like it as it had an industrial cust extractor system ( optional). Dont like the idea of breathing the saw wood dusts. 

1. One switch to power up both the extractor and head.
2. Cable long enough for the workshop environment
3.You have to buy the pad saver.
4. Buy the backing for wet sanding if required.
5 . Variable speed. Alot better than the few palm and belted handheld sanders that i have 

*Negative:* NO manuals. Took me abt a day to figure out how to mount teh power pack on the industrial vacuum cleaner. I bought an extra head and still a have figure out how to change it.

*Overall view.*.
I sanded down a Boos butcher block ( large one), a cherry and walnut end grain cutting board and also an oval dining table . Had fun with it. Objective was to remove some light scratches and the top finishing and then re-oil and wax job. I suppose to sand smaller items like a Wa Handle , the item has to be secured. _*NOt too sure as to whether it will be a good solution for Wa handles *_as it will slow you down if you have to mount the handle each time for each side as the item is smaller than the the sanding head. Next sanding project will be sanding down an incoming a Walnut slab.

The Abranet goes get clogged up with the old finishing. I suppose wood dust - most of it will go thru. Taking off the Abranet adn giving it a few tabs does dislodge the "clumps of dusts .The work space does not get " hazy with wood dust. It thus met my primary objective: not breathing saw dust and have all my things covered with saw dusts. 

The strip version is for the manual hand held. It came with the set and I have not tried it. can be attached to the vacuum which you can connect to 2 equipment at the same time with the dual vacuum hit ( optional).

When I need to sand down the wooden floor of my bedroom, this will be a great tool to have. NO saw dusts in teh rooms. , and alot faster than doing it manually; which I had done many many years ago..

Mirka web site: http://www.mirka.com/en/top_menu/THE-MIRKA-WAY/

videos on you tube. 

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...0.0.346.978.2-1j2.3.0...0.0...1ac.TNdIKJOeo64


Hv fun and stay sharp...
D


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## zitangy (Aug 21, 2012)

I almost forgot.. getting a bit slow these days adn not as sharp...

the system sold as a set... 
http://www.mirkareseller.co.uk/acatalog/CEROS_Sanding_Systems__.html

easier for you to see the whole system.
D


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## Taz575 (Aug 21, 2012)

Yeah, I am just getting the sanding sheets/strips and using them for hand sanding wood or Laminate handles. I back it with hard rubber to give a little cushion and to keep the pins flush. Most people use it as you do as the full system with the dust collection hooked up, but it also works great for the hand sanding of the handles!!


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