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Sandpaper Grit Guide for Orbital Sanders

Grit numbers tell you how coarse or fine the abrasive particles are. Lower numbers = bigger particles = more aggressive cutting. Higher numbers = smaller particles = smoother finish. Here's what each range is actually used for.

Grit Ranges at a Glance

60–80

Coarse

Heavy material removal, paint stripping, leveling rough lumber

120–150

Medium

General-purpose sanding, removing scratches from coarse grits

220–320

Fine

Pre-finish prep, sanding between coats, furniture smoothing

400+

Ultra-Fine

Final finish, clear coat prep, polishing, wet sanding

Coarse Grits: 60–80

This is where you start when there's real work to do. Coarse grits are for:

Stripping old paint or finish
Removing heavy stock from rough-sawn lumber
Leveling uneven surfaces or joints
Shaping and rounding edges
Removing rust from metal surfaces

Watch out: Coarse grits leave deep scratches. Always plan to work through progressively finer grits afterward. Jumping from 60 straight to 220 will leave visible scratch marks under finish.

Shop 60–80 Grit Discs

Medium Grits: 120–150

The workhorse range. If you could only buy one grit, 120 would be it. Medium grits handle:

General-purpose sanding on most materials
Smoothing surfaces after coarse grit work
Preparing bare wood for stain or paint
Light rust removal on metal
Scuffing surfaces for adhesion

Pro tip: 120 grit is the most commonly used grit for woodworking. It's aggressive enough to remove material but fine enough to leave a surface that takes stain well. Most woodworkers keep more 120 grit on hand than any other.

Shop 120–150 Grit Discs

Fine Grits: 220–320

Fine grits are for finishing work. You're not removing material here — you're refining the surface:

Final sanding before applying finish (stain, poly, lacquer)
Sanding between coats of finish
Smoothing raised grain after water-based stain
Preparing primer for topcoat (auto body)
Light scuff sanding on previously finished surfaces

220 grit is the standard "pre-finish" grit for most woodworking projects. 320 is used when you want an extra-smooth surface, especially under high-gloss finishes.

Shop 220–320 Grit Discs

Ultra-Fine Grits: 400+

Ultra-fine grits are specialty territory. Most woodworkers rarely go above 320, but these grits are essential for:

Auto body clear coat sanding (800–1500 grit)
Polishing metal surfaces
Wet sanding between lacquer coats
Preparing surfaces for buffing
Removing orange peel from paint

Shop 400+ Grit Discs

Grit by Material

Material	Start Grit	Finish Grit	Notes
Softwood (pine, cedar)	120	180–220	Don't over-sand — softwoods can burnish and reject stain
Hardwood (oak, maple, walnut)	80–120	220–320	Harder woods can handle finer grits without burnishing
Plywood / MDF	150	220	Light touch — easy to sand through veneer
Metal (steel, aluminum)	60–80	220–400	Use aluminum oxide or zirconia discs
Auto body (primer)	320	600–800	Wet sanding recommended for finer grits
Auto body (clear coat)	800	1500–2000	Always wet sand; follow with compound and polish

The Golden Rule: Grit Progression

Never skip more than one grit level. The standard progression is:

Recommended progression: 80 → 120 → 150 → 220 → 320 (if needed). Each step removes the scratches from the previous grit. Skipping grits means the finer disc has to work harder and takes longer — and you may still see scratch marks under finish.