P100 sandpaper
162 µm grain
P100 (FEPA) · about 100 grit (CAMI) · 0.162 mm average particle
What P100 is for
General sanding on softwood, and the point at which the surface starts to look intentional rather than attacked.
The two scales
| FEPA (European) | P100 |
| CAMI (American) | about 100 |
| Average grain | 162 µm |
| Scales agree here? | Yes, near enough to substitute |
Nearby grits
| FEPA | CAMI | Grain | Typically |
|---|---|---|---|
| P60 | 60 | 269 µm | Heavy shaping and taking off old finish |
| P80 | 80 | 201 µm | The usual first grit on bare timber |
| P100 | 100 | 162 µm | General sanding on softwood, and the point at which the surface starts to look intentional rather than attacked |
| P120 | 120 | 125 µm | The workhorse grit for wood before finishing |
| P150 | 150 | 100 µm | Between the shaping grits and the finishing ones |
| P180 | 180 | 82 µm | The last grit where P and CAMI still mean nearly the same thing |
Frequently asked questions
Is P100 the same as 100 grit?
Close enough to treat as the same. Below about P180 the European and American scales agree; the divergence starts above it.
What grain size is P100?
An average grain of 162 µm — 0.162 mm. That figure is what the P number is defined by, which is why it is the reliable way to compare across scales.
What is P100 used for?
General sanding on softwood, and the point at which the surface starts to look intentional rather than attacked.
What comes before and after P100?
Coming up from coarse, P80 (201 µm) and then this; the next step finer is P120 at 125 µm. Skipping more than one step leaves scratches the finer paper cannot remove — the usual cause of a surface that looks fine dry and terrible once finish goes on.