Festool’s new Granat Net abrasives are a gem. Regardless of what I threw at them, the Granat pads were more durable, cleaner, and clogged less than conventional sanding disks.

I’ve always been pleased with my sander and vacuum’s ability to leave a clean surface with regular sandpaper; the Festool abrasives, however, left a surface with barely a trace of dust. The difference was most pronounced at the higher grits, 220 and 320, where I expect more dust on the work surface with conventional paper. I also tried the abrasive’s ability to remove finish. Again, it showed an edge. On both varnish and shellac, the 100-grit paper removed the finish quickly and didn’t clog.

Overall, the product lasts longer than any sandpaper I’ve used. Occasionally, I will bump disks against the inside of cabinets, a piece of scrap, or something else that shouldn’t be on the bench while I’m working. This typically dents or folds the edges of conventional disks and can lead to problems. The Festool pads were unaffected by such bumps.

The mesh pattern means these disks will work with any sander. I recommend buying a protection pad ($10 for two) to avoid wearing out the pad on the sander, though.

—Adam Godet is a woodworker in Washington, D.C.

From Fine Woodworking #278