If this is not possible, explore other options for securing the glass before starting the next step. Be sure to secure the glass surface you’re working on with a vise (without cracking it), and avoid touching sharp glass edges. You can use it to get excellent results when sanding or polishing scratches out of glass, but you have to know how to handle it.

Some people go straight to cutting off part of the glass to save time and energy, but there are some scenarios where sanding the glass will deliver a better finish overall.Sanding with sandpaper that is too fine will require a lot of sanding and effort to get to the desired results. This guide will walk you through the different categories and help you navigate the finer points of sandpaper grit. At the other end of the spectrum, very fine sandpaper removes a tiny amount of material, with the effect of smoothing the surface.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. In the past I have had problems getting hold of the finer grades and when I have the cost has been prohibitive. Fine; used to roughen surfaces for painting or as a first passthrough for later sanding with ultra-fine grits. Today, most sandpaper consists of cloth or paper backing material impregnated with abrasive particles such as aluminum oxide or silicon carbide.

That’s usually enough time to finish sanding off the edges but change to new bits if you need to spend more time on the process.

You need to choose the grit size of sandpaper depending on the particular job you are trying to accomplish. Before purchasing, know which level of grit you need or if you need multiple grades of sandpaper to complete your project. After sanding, polish the glass edge with 1000-2000-grit sandpaper and wipe the edge of the glass with a clean damp cloth. Some people keep the surface and sanding pad wet by working under running water (source: Glass Etching Secrets). Rather, the number scale refers to the number of holes per square inch in the screens that are used when sieving the abrasive grains during the sandpaper's manufacture.The concern here is that if you switch to a fine paper too soon, you'll spend a lot of time sanding to get the results you want. Coarse-grit sandpaper is not recommendedfor fine details or for edges and corners that you want to keep sharp. For example, in 60-grit sandpaper, the abrasive particles used in the paper were sieved through a screen that had 60 holes per square inch.