Grit chart
Never more than double per step: each grit removes the scratches of the one before. The higher the number, the finer.
The film
The higher the number, the finer
From coarse to ultra-fine: never more than double per step.
1 · Look up
All grits
- P grade
- European standard (FEPA). The higher the number, the finer.
- Grit
- Approximate US value (CAMI). Same up to P220, lower above that.
- After
- Next grit, up to double the number at most.
| Grit | Grit (US) | Use | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoarseP40–P80Heavy stock removalAbrasives P40–P80 →Strip old paint, rust and rough unevenness, shape body filler. Leaves visible scratches – always work finer afterwards. | |||
| P40 | Stripping. Remove old paint and rust, heavy stock removal on wood. | → P60P80 | |
| P60 | Rough shaping. Weld seams, rough unevenness, rough-shaping body filler. | → P80P120 | |
| P80 | Heavy stock removal. Remove old coatings, level body filler, rough sanding on wood. | → P100P150 | |
| MediumP100–P180Shaping and levellingAbrasives P100–P180 →The standard for rough and intermediate sanding on wood, for feathering filler edges and for keying metal. Removes the scratches left by coarse grits. | |||
| P100 | Rough sanding. Remove saw marks on wood, the step up from P80. | → P120P180 | |
| P120 | Levelling. Level surfaces, shape body filler, key metal. | → P150P240 | |
| P150 | Intermediate sanding. Wood before fine sanding, feathering filler edges. | → P180P240 | |
| P180 | Feathering / filler. Level filled areas, feather edges into the old paint. | → P220P320 | |
| FineP220–P400Smoothing and preparingAbrasives P220–P400 →Intermediate sanding before oil, wax and varnish, smoothing primer surfacer and primer, paint preparation. The most-used group in any workshop. | |||
| P220 | Before oil and varnish. Wood before oil and varnish, first smoothing of primer. | → P240P400 | |
| P240Grit 220–240 | Fine sanding wood. Preparing for primer, fine sanding wood, smoothing metal. | → P320P400 | |
| P320Grit 280 | Fine sanding. Fine surfaces, sanding primer surfacer, final corrections. | → P400P600 | |
| P400Grit 320 | Primer / paint. Smoothing primer surfacer and primer, preparing for the top coat. | → P500P800 | |
| Very fineP500–P1000Keying paintAbrasives P500–P1000 →Matting top coat and clear coat, preparing plastics for painting, sanding between coats. | |||
| P500Grit 360 | Fine primer sanding. Fine sanding of primer surfacer, plastics before painting. | → P600P1000 | |
| P600Grit 400 | Paint preparation. Keying paint for a perfect finish before the top coat. | → P800P1200 | |
| P800Grit 500 | Keying paint. Matting top coat, sanding between clear coats. | → P1000P1500 | |
| P1000Grit 500–600 | Fine matting. Clear coat before recoating, fine sanding plastics. | → P1200P2000 | |
| Ultra-fineP1200–P3000Finish before polishingAbrasives P1200–P3000 →Removing dust nibs, runs and paint defects, usually wet. Then polish – the scratches are so fine that the polish takes them out. | |||
| P1200Grit 600 | Wet sanding. Start of finish sanding, usually wet. | → P1500P2000 | |
| P1500Grit 800 | Paint defects. Remove dust nibs and runs in the clear coat. | → P2000P3000 | |
| P2000Grit 1000 | Before polishing. Before polishing, wet, with light pressure. | → P2500P3000 | |
| P2500Grit 1000–1200 | Ultra-fine finish. Smooth out the finest scratches, cut polishing time. | → P3000 | |
| P3000 | Polish preparation. Right before polishing – hologram-free. | polish | |
2 · Plan
Grit sequence by material
The proven order for a whole project – from the first grit to the last.
| Car & paint12 stepsMatching products → | P80 |
|---|---|
| Wood5 stepsMatching products → | P80 |
| Metal7 stepsMatching products → | P60 |
| Plastic7 stepsMatching products → | P180 |
| Body filler4 stepsMatching products → | P80 |
| Primer3 stepsMatching products → | P320 |
| P40 · coarseultra-fine · P3000 |
KORNDEX · www.korndex.de/en/koernungstabelle · Calculate grit sequences and find products per grit: www.korndex.de/en/koernungsratgeber