What Is A Grit Size - Quick Answer

When it comes to choosing a grit size, it helps to have a mental image to guide you.  The following explanation is a "quick and dirty," non technical, simple and easy explanation.

First, know that our ANSI grit sizes will match sandpaper grits in a hardware store.  Coarser grits have larger particles while finer grits have smaller particles.

So a 60 grit sandpaper will have particles very similar to our 60 grit loose abrasive - regardless if it is a silicon carbide or aluminum oxide.  If you prefer to view a physical representation, go to a hardware store and take a close look at the particles on a variety of sandpapers.  You will see for example, that a 600 grit sandpaper has very fine particles imbedded in it, whereas an 8 sandpaper has coarse, larger particles.

Second, imagine you held a small 1" x 1" square piece of mesh (screen material) in the palm of your hand.  An 8 grit will pass through a screen with 8 holes in that 1" square mesh.  A finer 240 grit will pass through a screen with 240 smaller holes in the same 1" square mesh.   In other words, the finer the particle size, the more holes there must be on that 1" square mesh - in this case - 240 holes.  An 8 Grit will only have about 8 holes on that same mesh.

Bottom line:  An 8 grit is much coarser than a 360 grit.  Low number = coarser.  As grit size increases, it decreases in physical size, becoming finer and finer until we are dealing with polishing powders.

We sell sandblasting grits and powders online in a variety of different abrasive medias.