Metal Finishing Discs: Unitised, Felt & Surface Conditioning

Unitised Metal Finishing Discs

If you have not come across unitised metal finishing discs before then you are in for a treat.  The work amazingly well on an angle grinder.

Unitised abrasives are made up of an open nonwoven structure which is impregnated with abrasive and resin.  The different products are created by having different grades of abrasive grit and different densities of disc.  A lower density creates a softer action.  A higher density creates a more aggressive and coarser finish.

If you do any high finish metal finishing work then have an SAG 5 disc in your toolbox is essential.  We call it our ‘get out of jail free’ disc because it can do so much with one disc.  We mount 3 different families of unitised onto angle grinders.  The MAG, SAG and FAG ranges.

MAG – The most aggressive unitised product family.  MAG discs uses a premium white aluminium oxide abrasive grain.  Designed for deburring and satin finishing.  MAG discs leave a more defined grain finish than the equivalent SAG disc.

• MAG 5.  The ideal disc for the stainless steel fabricator working with satin finishes.  The MAG 6 will remove light scratches and leave a soft, brushed satin finish.
• MAG 6.  Ideal when weld removal is required but you need to control the surface finish.  MAG 6 discs will remove stainless steel tig welds and leave a fine satin finish.  We particularly recommend the 7″ / 180mm MAG 6 disc on high cycle grinders for descaling and pre-polishing mill scale stainless steel.

SAG –   SAG discs uses a finer silicon carbide abrasive grain which leaves a bright very fine finish every time.  Long lasting and fine finishing unitised discs.  Removes scratches and applies a pre-polished finish.  Available in 3 different densities for use on the angle grinder.  The SAG is the finest finishing of the 3 angle grinder family of discs.

• SAG 5.  Use the SAG 5 for light deburring, scratch removal and pre-polishing.  The SAG 5 is particularly good on aluminium and stainless steel.
• SAG 6.  The slightly more aggressive disc makes the SAG 6 good for tig weld removal on aluminium and non-ferrous metals
• SAG 7.  The hardest of the SAG unitised discs.  The SAG grade 7 will remove stainless steel tig welds.  We particularly recommend it for seem blending of box section stainless steel.

FAG – The softest of the unitised family.  FAG discs uses a similar aluminium oxide abrasive grain to the MAG discs however they tend to be lighter in density and use a more open fleece construction.  For weld discolouration and paint/coating removal.

Note:  we do not recommend the FAG discs where there are lots of edges.  as you will see too high a disc wear rate.

All discs are available in 115mm or 125mm and we recommend them to be used on variable speed angle grinders such as the Finipower.

Want to know more about the unitised abrasives range of products?  Why not read this blog:  What are Unitised Abrasives?

Or go to the Cibo website where they introduce the Rebel One Unitised family.

Felt Polishing Discs

Felt is a traditional polishing media which is made using different densities of material.  Make it too dense and they clog up.  Make them too weak and they break down quickly particularly when working on an angle grinder.

We developed a felt flap disc many years ago but we were never happy with the durability of the felt flap discs.  This is why Cibo then developed the VAP felt doughnut disc.

With just the right density of felt the VAP felt disc outlasts felt flap discs many times over and ensures a perfect polished finish every time.

Surface Conditioning Flap Discs

Another Cibo innovation.

Surface conditioning flap discs were first developed by Cibo around 20 years ago in an effort to increase the performance capability of conditioning discs.  They are now a staple of the tool box as a low cost way of general purpose polishing and sanding.

We recommend using a surface conditioning flap disc for general purpose polishing and finishing.

Cibo RCD – Rapid Combi Flap Discs

You could say the Cibo RCD is a metal finishing discs.  It is.  But it demands a section all of it’s own due to it’s amazing capacity to remove welds and put a super finish on the metal in one simple step.  To view the RCD discs go to CIBO RCD – ONE STEP WELD TO FINISH DISC!

Looking for More Aggressive Flap Discs?

This page is focused on Metal finishing discs including the Cibo Unitised range of flap discs to fit on an angle grinder.  If you are looking to see the full range of Cibo flap discs or the Cibo RCD Combi Discs then follow the relevant links to see the best flap disc for your job.