SPONGE P1200-1500 GRIT (6 UNITS)

Sanding sponge P1200-1500 (6 pcs) - AK Interactive

A flexible sanding sponge from AK Interactive with a grit of P1200-1500, in a package of 6 pieces. The manufacturer describes it as a highly durable flexible abrasive that bends easily and can be cut with scissors or a knife, suitable for finish sanding and polishing a surface.

Where it sits in the sequence: this is a FINISHING step

The rule is that the higher the number, the finer the grit, and you sand step by step from coarser to finer. P1200-1500 is fine - it does not come first, but only after a coarser grit has made the shape. Its job is to remove the scratches left by coarser sanding and leave behind a surface that can be sprayed. A typical sequence: first a coarser P400 (sprue nubs, leveling filler, rough evening out), then a medium grit, then this P1200-1500. Anyone aiming at a high gloss - painted cars, a motorcycle fairing, the vault of a canopy - can go further still, to P2000 and P3000; AK makes those as well.

Skipping this step does not pay off: coarse scratches show through under the clear coat. Paint will not hide them - on the contrary, it emphasizes them. Under a glossy paint, and above all under a metallic, every single scratch is visible, because a glossy surface has no matte structure to hide them.

Use

• smoothing out the scratches left by a coarser abrasive,
• preparing the surface for paint, especially for glossy shades and metallics,
• refining sanded-down filler and the transitions at joints,
• smoothing a grainy clear coat and small pieces of dirt in the paint between coats.

Why a sponge and not sandpaper

• Flexible and yielding - it sits down on rounded and intricate shapes (a fuselage, an engine cowling, a fairing), where flat paper only sands the high points.
• It does not crease or crack when bent; the manufacturer describes it as highly durable and easy to bend.
• It sands evenly - the flexible layer spreads the pressure of your finger, so there is less risk of sanding through an engraved line.
• It can be trimmed with scissors or a knife into a strip for tight places.

Sanding dust

Dust from plastic, filler and clear coat is harmful to health and should not be inhaled. Fine sanding produces the most of it. The simplest protection is to sand with water: the dust is bound, nothing goes into the air, the abrasive clogs less and the surface comes out smoother. When sanding dry, use a respirator, ventilate the room and do not blow the dust away with your mouth.

Who the sanding sponge is for

For modelers who want a flawless surface under glossy paint, a clear coat or a metallic - cars, motorcycles, glossy aircraft, figures. It is a tool and a consumable, not a kit and not a paint.

Protect your airways and eyes while sanding. Keep out of the reach of children.