WarmGlass.com

How much use do you get out of them before needing to replace?

Thanks,
Paul

I recently got my first set, and haven't found them to be very useful at all. Way too much work for not much results.

Not got the 3 m ones ( UK )

But mine woek fast then smoothes out

Kinda moves down 2 a finer grit stayes like that 4 years depending on use

Say U used em all day guess U get a few hours out of em in the cource phaze

Its not all bad the cource start is very scratchy

I am only keen on the rougher grits not the polishing ones

One thing with the pads they r very clean

Brian

i got mine from HIS glass/bob stephan . good price. i use the grits up to 600 alot to remove burrs and dress edges for fire polish. i have had them for a year and they are still going strong. he now sells a set with hook and loop backing and a holder. not attached to a sponge. that is what i will get next. you can wrap them around your finger if needed. he is a good person to do business with. rosanna http://www.hisglassworks.com

I bought a 400 grit pad and use it to remove the sharp edge after cutting. Considering that it is not very rough, it does a pretty good job. I haven't worn one out yet.

I use the 400's daily, and one pad lasts me about a year. They'd be worth it at triple the price.

I use them almost daily in my work. I use only the 3M brand as the seem to last considerably longer than the others. I have some pads that are 3 yrs old. I use from 60 to 800. I have cut some into special shapes for special purposes. I use the 3" square more than the thicker rectangular ones..................steve

I have a set of pads from HIS Glass. I do not use them very often for my own work...but I do carry them to the classes I teach. Their portability is an asset. It is a good way to teach grits/mesh as well as have for the students to use.
jim

Thanks all for the very helpful replies.

For those interested, here's the best online price I've been able to find:

http://www.granquartz.com/hand.htm

3" x 3" range from 22.15 for the coarsest to $9.95 for the finest grits (3" x 3")

- Paul

In addition to hand pads, I bought a set of 4" Tellum
velcro disks for an angular grinder. They range from 60 to 8000 grit.

Sometimes I use them as handpads, too. They are more
flexible than the sponge.
-lauri

what size grit do I need to start coldworing edges.....still say....would love a class in coldworing

doctac wrote:what size grit do I need to start coldworing edges.....still say....would love a class in coldworing

Starting to cold work edges and finishing are a long way apart. Hand pads are best for jobs that are impractical for a WBS. The WBS can do the job in a small fraction of time compared to a hand pad.

Grinding is essentially the same regardless of tool. 80 - 120 for fast cutting. 220 , 400, cork, felt, for a polish. If you plan to fire polish, you can stop sooner. I need 400 for float glass. I think 220 will do for Systems 90 or 96.

I try to avoid cold working by designing techniques that don't need it. I hate wearing a respirator so minimizing the need to wear it works for me. On the other hand, artists like Steve and Marty can distinguish themselves by adding cold working processes that lift their look beyond the ordinary.

doctac wrote:what size grit do I need to start coldworing edges.....still say....would love a class in coldworing

At BECon in August, there was an optional workshop on coldworking at the Lepisto's studio in Portland. I don't know if this is something they teach regularly, but I did learn some tricks in it. You might want to contact them and see if they will be teaching it again.

Geri