P60 sandpaper
269 µm grain
P60 (FEPA) · about 60 grit (CAMI) · 0.269 mm average particle
What P60 is for
Heavy shaping and taking off old finish. Still coarse enough to see the scratch pattern from across a room.
The two scales
| FEPA (European) | P60 |
| CAMI (American) | about 60 |
| Average grain | 269 µm |
| Scales agree here? | Yes, near enough to substitute |
Nearby grits
| FEPA | CAMI | Grain | Typically |
|---|---|---|---|
| P40 | 36 | 425 µm | Stripping paint and levelling rough timber |
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
Is P60 the same as 60 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 P60?
An average grain of 269 µm — 0.269 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 P60 used for?
Heavy shaping and taking off old finish. Still coarse enough to see the scratch pattern from across a room.
What comes before and after P60?
Coming up from coarse, P40 (425 µm) and then this; the next step finer is P80 at 201 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.