Black & Decker Sandpaper Assortment, 1/4-Inch Sheet, 6-Pack

Why I reached for this quarter-sheet assortment

I keep a small stack of quarter-sheet paper in my sander case, and this Black & Decker assortment has been in rotation for a few weeks across a mix of small jobs: breaking edges on plywood shelves, knocking down body filler on a fiberglass canoe patch, scuff-sanding painted trim, and smoothing a pine tabletop before finish. It’s a simple product—a 6-pack of aluminum-oxide sheets in 60, 100, and 220 grits—but how well it holds up, how it fits clamp-style sanders, and how evenly it cuts matters more than the spec sheet. Here’s how it did.

Abrasive quality and cut

Aluminum oxide is the right call for a general-purpose sheet. It’s tough, fractures as it wears to expose fresh cutting edges, and doesn’t glaze as fast as cheaper silicon carbide on wood. On wood and plastic, I saw consistent, predictable cutting:

• 60 grit: Aggressive enough for leveling pocket hole plug prouds and knocking down high spots in body filler. It leaves a clearly visible scratch pattern, which is what you want at that stage.
• 100 grit: A solid shaping grit for easing edges, flattening putty, and cleaning up machine marks without jumping straight to finish sanding.
• 220 grit: Good for final prep on bare wood and for scuffing between coats of paint or primer.

The sheets cut cleanly without random deep scratches—which tells me the grain grading is decent—and they didn’t shed grit prematurely. On hardwoods like maple, the 60 and 100 grits kept biting rather than skittering, and the 220 left a uniform sheen that was ready for waterborne topcoat.

Grit spacing and workflow

With only three grits (60, 100, 220), the progression is workable but sparse. 60 → 100 → 220 is a bigger jump than I prefer, especially on open-grain hardwoods or when chasing a near-finish surface. If I needed a super-refined finish, I found myself adding a 150 or 180 from another pack to bridge the gap. For small repairs, paint prep, or shop projects that will get a film finish, the stock grits were fine.

If you’re smoothing paint or primer, moving from 100 straight to 220 can leave a faint memory of the coarser scratch pattern unless you spend a little extra time at 220. Budget for that in your workflow.

Fit and compatibility with sheet sanders

These are quarter-sheet papers intended for clamp-style pad sanders—not hook-and-loop. On my older Black & Decker quarter-sheet sander and a newer Makita, the size was a straightforward fit. The listed dimensions won’t mean much in practice; what matters is how they wrap and clamp. They wrapped cleanly around the pad with enough tail to get a solid bite under the clamps.

A couple of notes from use:

• Clamp grip: On one sander with tired springs, I needed to re-seat the paper once during a session when it crept a millimeter under vibration. It’s not unique to this pack—clamp-style sanders do that sometimes—but I got a more reliable hold by giving myself a slightly longer wrap and making sure the leading edge was crisp and square.
• Dust extraction: If your sander uses a hole punch, use it. Aligning the holes made a noticeable difference in keeping the 220 grit from loading on paint and primer. The sheets don’t come pre-punched, so having the punch plate handy is worth it.
• Edges and corners: The paper stayed flat and didn’t curl at the corners under moderate heat, even after several minutes of continuous use on 60 grit.

Clogging and heat

Aluminum oxide is fairly forgiving, but any paper will load if you push it. On bare wood, these stayed open long enough that I could complete small tasks without swapping sheets. On soft pine, the 100 grit eventually showed some smearing from resin, which I cleared by “erasing” on a crepe block. On painted trim, the 220 grit loaded quickly if I lingered. Moving the sander more, feathering pressure, and letting the dust collection do its job extended the life noticeably.

I didn’t see heat-related glazing unless I tried to force the 60 grit to act like a belt sander. Keep the sander moving, don’t lean on it, and the paper will stay cool enough to remain effective.

Durability and tear resistance

The backing held together well through multiple clamp adjustments and folded edges. Tearing wasn’t an issue unless I snagged the paper on a protruding screw head while sanding a drawer carcass—an edge case that will rip most sheets. In normal use, the wear pattern was predictable: tips of the grains dull first, scratch pattern mellows, then the sheet transitions from cutting to burnishing. On wood, I got a few small surfaces per sheet per grit; on fiberglass filler, 60 grit wore faster, as expected.

If you’re tackling a big project—say, resurfacing a whole set of doors or flattening butcher block—you will chew through a 6-pack quickly. For small and medium tasks, I was satisfied with the lifespan.

Surface results

• Wood: Clean, even finish. The 220 left no random swirl marks on my quarter-sheet pad, and cross-grain scratches from the 60 were fully erased by 100 and an extra pass with 220.
• Fiberglass/epoxy: 60 grit leveled filler well without gouging. Followed by 100 and a wet sand (not with this paper), the surface was paint-ready.
• Plastic: Light passes with 220 avoided heat buildup and didn’t clog excessively. Good for deburring cut acrylic edges before flame polishing.
• Painted surfaces: 220 was ideal for scuff-sanding between coats. It does clog if you’re trying to sand through paint, which is more a job for coarser paper and better dust extraction.

Practical tips from the bench

• Step through grits: Don’t jump straight from 60 to 220 on a critical surface. A quick intermediate grit (if you have it) saves time overall. If not, add a couple more passes with 220 and wipe the surface between passes.
• Use the punch plate: Align holes to get the most from your sander’s dust collection. It keeps the scratch pattern consistent and lengthens sheet life.
• Keep pressure light: Let the abrasive do the work; extra pressure accelerates loading and heat.
• Reset the clamp: If you feel the sheet slip, stop and re-clamp with a clean, square leading edge. A tiny slip can turn into a folded corner in seconds.

What I’d change

• More grits in the pack: Swapping the 100 for 120, or adding a 150/180 option, would make the progression smoother.
• Larger count per grit: A 6-pack goes fast. Doubling the count or offering single-grit packs would help for focused tasks.
• Optional pre-punched holes: Even a generic hole pattern would be handy for users without a punch plate.

None of these are dealbreakers, but they would elevate the usability.

Value

This is a basic, budget-friendly consumable that performs as expected. You’re not getting ceramic grains or anti-loading stearate coatings, but you are getting a dependable aluminum-oxide sheet that fits most quarter-sheet sanders and produces predictable results on wood, fiberglass, plastic, and painted surfaces. For hobbyists, DIYers, and pros who need a small assortment on hand for punch-list tasks, it’s good value. For production-level work or aggressive material removal, you’ll want heavier-duty papers (or a different sander format entirely).

The bottom line

I used this Black & Decker quarter-sheet assortment across a handful of real tasks, and it did what I needed: it cut cleanly, fit my clamp-style sanders, and produced consistent finishes. The grit spread is basic but useful, the aluminum-oxide grains hold up respectably, and the paper doesn’t fight you at the clamps. The sheets do wear at a normal pace and will clog if you push them on paint, but with sensible technique they last long enough to complete small jobs without frustration.

Recommendation: I recommend this assortment for light to medium-duty sanding and general shop use, especially if you run a quarter-sheet sander and want a simple, reliable mix of grits. It’s an easy pack to keep in a toolbox for on-the-spot tasks. If your workload includes large-scale surface prep or you need finer grit steps, plan on buying additional papers or stepping up to a higher-performance abrasive line.