Fret Leveling Sand Paper-Sourcing

Does anybody have any source for adhesive backed abrasive strips for fret leveling?

Stew Mac sell 15yds for $25 and its just too much cost for too much paper for what I want.

Thanks in advance.

You can use the 77 adhesive and butt end a couple pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 sandpaper together. I've yet to find the strips anywhere, so that's what I do.

I bought some from Rockler that I wasn't fond of. The paper backing and adhesive kept tearing away and sticking to my leveling bar and it was more of a pain than it was worth.

Now I use some thin white double sided tape (you can get similar stuff at woodcraft or rockler). It tends not to tear when I pull it off.

I use spray mount and this: http://www.grizzly.com/products/120-x-2-3-4-Sanding-Roll-A220-C/H4095

A light coat of spray mount on the leveling bar, and then I stick the sandpaper on. It comes off pretty easily with a 5-in-1 tool scraper.

As a bonus, that roll also fits perfectly on my stewmac radius sanding block, too. I'm gonna get a roll of 80 or 100 grit for hoggin' it off faster. Used a lotta elbow grease with that 220 when I sanded the fret slots back on a recent build.

I don't use sandpaper at all for leveling frets. I use the 6" Stew Mac file that I've had for about 12 years and that's it. I try to do as little leveling as possible, spending more time with the board itself and seating the frets evenly. I mark the tops of the frets with a wide Sharpie and if it takes more than 3-4 strokes to knock the Sharpie off all the frets, I'm not happy.

I just use standard sized sheets, cut it in strips to width, and just butt up the end joints where needed. Spray the sanding block with adhesive, and apply the paper from the middle out. When time to change, glue cleans up with lacquer thinner.

similar to others, I use spray adhesive.
I use a length of 1" wide "Abrasive Roll" sandpaper from good ol' HF cut to the length of the level I use as a sanding block for fret leveling. It comes in an assortment of grits which is convenient as I can use higher/lower grit depending whether the frets need a little or a lot of material removed.

Harbor freight sandpaper is reasonable CRAPPY and loads up fairly fast, but for this application I've found it performs well enough and the low price makes up for any lack of efficiency.
YMMV of course.

You can use the 77 adhesive and butt end a couple pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 sandpaper together. I've yet to find the strips anywhere, so that's what I do.

This is what I do as well. Works fine.

I use 3M Stickit in 320. It's adhesive backed. Would also use the Grizzly as shown above and 3M 77 but you really need to take it off after use and clean the leveling bar or it becomes a chore later when you have to putty-knife it off.

I use 3M Stickit in 320. It's adhesive backed.

I use this too and get the hook-up at the auto parts store for it.

For fret-levelling I use a very large white (ultrafine) Arkansas oilstone, the type for sharpening wide plane blades.
Levelling frets with a stone is a traditional method and funnily enough called "stoning the frets".

It perhaps requires a little more skill to use because it is dead flat and rigid but it leaves a nice polished line that just requires re-crowning, no messing about with the wire wool that sticks in your fingers and to the pickup magnets. You can also easily smash the nut with one, and the wood of the fretboard behind it, don't ask how I know this, remove the nut first.

I'm a bit of a hack, but I just leveled the frets on my Squier using a 12" fine mill cut file (teeth in one direction, not both). It worked perfectly. The trick is to make sure you clean the file with a steel brush every few strokes.

I was going to throw the neck out, but I brought it back from the dead. I did color all of the frets with sharpie to see what was being removed. Worked great. Files tend to be dead straight as well as they are machinist grade for draw filing surfaces. I then dressed and polished the frets up with a knife sharpening whetstone.

As good as a luthier? No, as I said, I'm a bit of a hack, but for a $99 guitar that I was going to trash, it worked out surprisingly well. It's actually not a bad little axe now!

Since your actual question was completely ignored, I offer this:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-2598-Stikit-Gold-Sandpaper-Dura-Block-Sand/dp/tech-data/B002OY3J9Y

That's something of a savings over the Stew-Mac price by buying 30 yard rolls. That would last me several lifetimes, however. Once I get the paper on my radiused (Stew-Mac) sanding blocks, I use it a long time before it needs replacing, even though it does wear and become somewhat less abrasive over time - I'm not in a hurry when leveling. I'd rather pay a little more to Stew-Mac and get two 15-yard rolls of two different grits.

Brian

PS

Wow, Summit Racing has 45-yards for $45. I wonder if it's the same stuff? This says "aluminum oxide" so maybe somewhat different? (3M makes so darn many different variants of everything, it's bewildering.)

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TRM-2590/

Klingsoor (woodworkingshop) is my brand for sandpaper and they have adhesive rolls in several grits including 320 and 400 which work well for fret leveling. Lately I use a large DMT diamond sharpening plate for fret leveling; it's expensive but if you invest in one for knife, chisel, and plane iron sharpening, then it's a great tool.