Hook & Loop Discs

Enhance Your Sanding Efficiency with Benchmark Abrasives Hook & Loop Sanding Discs

Hook & loop sanding discs, also known as Velcro sanding discs, are essential tools for achieving smooth and consistent finishes on metal and wood surfaces. These abrasives offer a quick and easy way to attach sandpaper to your sanding equipment, allowing for efficient material removal and surface preparation. 

What Are the Benefits of Hook & Loop Sanding Discs:

• VERSATILE APPLICATIONS – Hook & loop sanding discs are suitable for various applications, including carpentry, metalworking, automotive refinishing, and DIY projects.
• EASY ATTACHMENT AND REMOVAL – The hook & loop system enables quick and hassle-free changes of sanding discs, saving time and effort during projects.
• DURABLE AND LONG-LASTING – Made from high-quality materials, hook & loop sanding discs are designed for durability, ensuring consistent performance over extended use.
• OPTIMAL SANDING RESULTS – The secure attachment of the discs to the sanding equipment ensures smooth and uniform sanding results on different surfaces.
• REUSABLE – the reusability of hook & loop discs makes them a top choice for anyone making dust.  The hook & loop interface does not pick up the dust, dirt and grime like a PSA disc, making them easy to use over and over until you get full life out of your disc.

What to Consider When Choosing the Right Hook & Loop Sanding Disc

When selecting hook & loop sanding discs for your projects, consider the following factors:

• Grit Size.  Choose the appropriate grit size based on the material and the level of sanding required.  The lower the # the more aggressive your disc will be.  Test them out on a scrap piece of material if you are unsure which grit to start off with.
• Backing Material.  Opt for discs with a durable backing material to withstand the demands of sanding on metal and wood.  For more aggressive jobs go with cloth back or film.  If you require a wet/dry option for your job make sure to go with film backed products as they are usable wet and dry.
• Diameter and Hole Pattern.  Select the right disc diameter and hole pattern to fit your sanding equipment for efficient operation.  Disc diameter should match the backing pad size of your sanding machine.  Holed discs are great for use with sanding machines that come with a vacuum attachment, keeping your air and work space clean.  Choose the hole pattern that matches your tool or backing pad. (for example grab a 6” 6 hole disc  if you have a 6” DA sander with a 6 hole patterned backing pad).
• Compatibility.  Ensure compatibility between the sanding disc and your sanding tool for optimal performance.

Holes, holes and more holes:

Hook & Loop Discs come in a variety of hole patterns to choose from.  The hole pattern is really determined by your machine and backing pad.  Machines without vacuum attachments should be using backing pads and discs with NO holes.  The vacuum option is for use with shop vacs or other take-up systems intended to keep your shop and workspace are free of dust and particulates that can cause breathing issues over time.  We suggest using an N95 respirator and grinder hood even if you have a dust system installed in your workshop.

Choosing the Right Grit:

PSA discs come in various grit options, ranging from coarse to fine grits. Selecting the right grit for your sanding application is crucial for achieving the desired finish. Coarse grits are ideal for rapid material removal, while fine grits are best suited for finishing and polishing tasks.

• Coarse Grits: 40-60
• Medium/Coarse Grits: 80-100
• Medium Grits: 120-150
• Fine Grits: 180-220
• Very Fine Grits/Finishing: 240 and up 

Hook & Loop Disc Backing: Cloth vs Paper vs Film

Cloth: durable X-weight cloth provides a ridged backing that can take a beating.  The economical cost of the cloth backing married with their durability make these a great option for large platen sanding discs, floor sanding discs or any dry sanding application that requires a little more durability compared to paper.

Paper: “sandpaper” is the standard for sanding.  The paper backing holds the grain and resin mixture secularly to the face of the material, allowing for sanding of all types of applications.  Paper is not as durable as film or cloth but the price makes it ideal for most diy applications.

Film: Film is the most durable of the three options for PSA backing material.  Designed with waterproof film-backed backing material, these discs are designed to be used in both wet and dry applications.  They are tear resistant and can take a beating!

What’s better Hook & Loop Discs or PSA Discs?

On PSA Discs the sandpaper has an adhesive coating, a bit like a sticker that adheres to the pad. You can peel the label off the sandpaper, stick it onto the pad using it. This sort of sander pad tends to be less costly than hook and loop pads. It does have one major drawback, however. It's tough to change between sandpaper discs without making the disc useless. If you're taking off the disc, and even a little bit of dirt or sawdust gets on the adhesive coating, it'll not stick with the pad well. If your application doesn't require you to vary grits often, this is often an excellent format.

If you are working through a sanding process where you switch between grits often and don’t have dedicated sanding machines per grit, we suggest going with hook & loop discs.  The reusability of hook & loop discs makes them a superior product compared to PSA discs.

Tips for Using Hook & Loop Sanding Discs:

1. Clean Backing pads and discs ensure secure adhesion.  Make sure you clean the surface of your backing pads before attaching the sanding disc to remove any debris that could affect the sanding process.
2. Even pressure ensures uniform finishes.  Apply even pressure during sanding to achieve a uniform finish and prevent overloading the disc.  For finer grits grab an interface pad to keep your projects smooth.
3. Damaged discs should not be used.  Regularly inspect the sanding disc for wear and tear, replacing it when necessary to maintain efficiency.

Tips On Extending The Life of Your Discs.

Grab on of the Benchmark Abrasives belt butter tubes and apply to your sanding discs to prevent load up and friction, extending the life of your discs

Too much material build up on your disc?  Don’t throw it out!...grab one of our rubber abrasive belt cleaners.  Bring the belt cleaner to your running sanding disc to strip out the build up and restore your discs useful life!

Hook & Loop Discs Available at Benchmark Abrasives

Hook & Loop discs employ the Velcro® hook and loop technology to securely adhere the disc to a sanding machine via a hook and loop backing pad. Hook & Loop discs are great for sanding in environments where you remove and re-use your discs; unlike PSA discs where dust can ruin the adhesion ability of the disc when they are removed.  Rip it off, slap the next disc on and get back to work!  Less downtime = more moneymaking time!  Our discs come in a variety of hole options to cover just about every sander out there, with or without a vacuum attachment.

• Sizes: 5” and 6” (2” and 3” coming soon)
• Grits: 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000
• Hole Pattern options: No Hole, 5 Hole, 6, Hole, 8 Hole. 
• Grain Options: Zirconia, Ceramic, Stearate Coated Aluminum Oxide (for grinding on Aluminum)
• Tool Compatibility: Random Orbital Sander, Jitterbug Sanders, Disc Sanders, Disk Sanders,

***Backing Pads sold separately, available in all hole patterns.

Machine Brands that are compatible with Benchmark PSA Discs

• Black & Decker®
• Benchmark Abrasives
• Bosch®
• Ridgid®
• Ryobi®
• Festool®
• Skil®
• Porter Cable®
• Mirka®
• Festool®
• Cobalt®
• Dewalt®
• Milwaukee®
• Makita®
• Craftsman®
• Norton®