Shop Premium Sandpaper Sheets for Wood, Metal & Wet‑Dry Sanding Projects
Kick off every project with the right sandpaper sheets—from heavy‑duty paint stripping to mirror‑finish polishing. Empire Abrasives stocks aluminum‑oxide, silicon‑carbide and emery cloth sheets in grits 36 to 2 000, ready to ship the same day you order.
Whether you’re leveling a hardwood tabletop, feather‑edging auto‑body filler, or wet‑sanding clear coat, our abrasive sandpaper sheets deliver faster cut rates, longer life, and a cleaner finish. Use the filter bar above to sort by grit number and/or abrasive grain, or scroll down for our quick buyer’s guide and grit charts.
Choosing the Right Sandpaper
Not all sandpaper sheets cut the same. Match these three specs to your project and get pro‑level results on the first pass,
| Spec | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Grit number | Size of abrasive grains (36 = extra‑coarse, 2 000 = ultra‑fine). | Determines how aggressive or smooth the sanding will be |
| Abrasive grain | Aluminum‑Oxide (versatile), Silicon‑Carbide (harder, wet‑dry), Emery (cloth‑backed for metal). | Affects cut speed, durability, and what materials it works best on |
| Backing & bond | Paper vs. latex vs. cloth; resin bond handles heat better than glue. | Impacts flexibility, tear resistance, and whether it works better by hand or machine |
Find Your Sandpaper Grit
The number that you see associated with sandpapers’ grit depicts the size of the grains coating the paper. Besides the abrasive material, sand paper grit sizes are one of the most important features to consider when buying sandpaper.
A high number grit means a finer textured sandpaper with smaller abrasive particles, and a lower grit number is a rougher/coarser sandpaper with larger abrasive grains.
Simple Sandpaper Grit Chart
The finest sandpaper can be found in a 2,500 grit and the coarsest sandpaper goes down to a 12 grit. The extremes of these numbers are rarely used, but below is a sandpaper grit chart with some of the most used sizes and their common applications:
Wood Sanding Grit Chart
| Grit Size | Grit Rating | Commonly used for |
|---|---|---|
| 36 / 40 | Extra Coarse | Removing stubborn paint and varnish |
| 60 / 80 | Medium Coarse | Paint stripping and shaping wood |
| 100 / 120 | Fine | Sanding bare surfaces and removal of planing marks |
| 150 / 180 / 220 | Very Fine | Prepping wood for paint |
| 240 / 320 | Very Fine (Microgrit) | Furniture work and dulling glossy paint |
| 400 / 500 / 600 | Extra Fine | Smoothing painted surfaces |
| 800 / 1,000 / 1,200 / 1,500 / 2,000 | Super/Ultra Fine | Wet sanding |
Metal Sanding Grit Chart
| Grit Range | Common Applications | Example Projects |
|---|---|---|
| 36-40 (Extra Coarse) | Heavy-duty material removal, shaping thick metal | Removing heavy rust, shaping welded joints, shaping cast iron |
| 50-60 (Coarse) | Aggressive material removal, prepping for paint or welding | Removing paint, rust, sanding welds, prepping steel for welding |
| 80-120 (Medium) | Smoothing surfaces, removing imperfections, prepping for finer sanding | Smoothing uneven surfaces, prepping aluminum for paint, removing scratches from stainless steel |
| 150-220 (Fine) | Smoothing surfaces, prepping for polish or finer sanding | Finishing welds, prepping for clear coat, smoothing scratches before polishing |
| 320-400 (Very Fine) | Final sanding before finer grades, light scratch removal | Smoothing surfaces before polishing chrome, prepping soft metals for paint |
| 600-800 (Super Fine) | High-gloss polishing, removing minor imperfections | Polishing brass to a shine, removing sanding marks from silver |
| 1000-1200 (Ultra Fine) | Mirror finish polishing, removing polishing haze | Finishing jewelry, polishing soft metals to a flawless shine |
| 1500-2000 (Super Ultra Fine) | Flawless finishes, removing micro-scratches | Polishing delicate metals like gold, achieving a mirror finish on soft metals |
Different Sandpaper Abrasive Grains
Today you can find sandpaper in a wide variety of abrasive types which can be used for different types of surfaces and different kinds of jobs. Empire Abrasives carries three of the most useful types of sandpaper with 2 different abrasive grain options: silicon carbide and aluminum oxide.
Aluminum Oxide Sandpaper
Aluminum oxide grains are an incredible strong man-made material that measures about 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. That’s the same scale that rates diamonds as 10 for being the hardest. Aluminum oxide sandpaper is an incredibly versatile abrasive that can be used for hand sanding most materials from wood and plastic to drywall and ferrous/non-ferrous metals.
Silicon Carbide Sandpaper
The silicon carbide grains are an even harder grain than aluminum oxide, measuring about 9.5 on the Mohs scale. The hardness of silicon carbide makes it one of the preferred sandpapers for marble and glass sanding and polishing, though it can be used for metal and wood surfaces as well. Empire Abrasives carries two variations of this sandpaper:
- Non-loading silicon carbide sandpaper - With heavy use, this type of sandpaper is prone to heating up and/or loading (gumming up). Our non-loading sandpaper is made with a special zinc stearate coating that acts as a lubricant to prevent this from happening.
- Wet/Dry Silicon Carbide Sandpaper - This type of sandpaper gives you the option of wet or dry sanding thanks to it’s waterproof latex-backed paper. It is also available in some of the finest grit sandpapers available, going up to 2,000 grits.
Emery Cloth Sandpaper
Emery cloth sandpaper embeds natural emery grains to a cloth backing. The cloth backing is stronger and more durable than paper backing you’ll find in traditional sandpaper sheets. Emery abrasive grains are close to aluminum oxide in hardness, making it great for hand sanding, deburring, and smoothing out metal surfaces. It can be used to sand down most metals, but should not be used for sanding wood.