Red Devil 0316 Steel Wool, 3 Coarse,

A coarse pad that earns its keep

A weekend of surface prep can make or break a finish. I reached for the Red Devil coarse steel wool with a short list of unglamorous chores: strip a tired oak handrail, knock rust off a set of garden tools, and revive the face of a soot-stained brick hearth. After several sessions, I came away impressed by how quickly these pads cut through gunk when used thoughtfully—and equally aware of the limits you should respect with a grade this aggressive.

What you’re buying

This is a pack of 16 gray, grade 3 coarse wool pads. Each pad is dense, easy to fold or tear to size, and consistent across the pack. Grade 3 is on the heavy end of the steel-wool scale, designed for removal rather than finesse. Think paint, varnish, lacquer, and rust—not polishing.

Paint and finish removal on wood

I started on the oak handrail, which had a gummy varnish and a few layers of touch-up paint at the spindles. Dry, the pads bite immediately. They cut through flaking paint on edges and profiles far better than sandpaper, which tends to skate and clog. With a methylene chloride–free stripper brushed on first, the pads shine: they scrub softened finish out of crevices and around turnings without the chatter you get from a wire brush.

A few observations:

• On hardwoods like oak and maple, the scratch pattern is uniform but visible. Plan to follow with a finer abrasive (120–150 grit paper or a finer steel wool) before you stain or clear coat.
• On softwoods (pine, fir), it’s easy to overdo it. Work with the grain, keep pressure light, and let the chemical stripper do most of the heavy lifting. Coarse steel wool can burnish earlywood and dig into latewood if you lean on it.
• Profiles and moldings are where these pads earn their keep. You can fold or twist a corner to reach a cove or bead that a sanding block simply can’t touch.

I used two and a half pads to fully strip and clean a 10-foot handrail with 18 spindles. They load up with finish residue as you go, but if you rinse them in mineral spirits and wring them out, you can squeeze more life from each piece.

Rust on metal and garden tools

For rust removal, I pair the pads with a lubricant—WD-40, mineral oil, or even a bit of light machine oil. On shovels, pruners, and a vintage plane body, the combination cut rust quickly without gouging the underlying metal. The coarse grade scours pitting better than synthetic scouring pads, and it contours around curved edges without removing too much material.

A few cautions:

• Avoid using coarse wool on polished surfaces like chrome or brushed stainless that you care about cosmetically. It will scratch. For those, step down to a finer grade or use a nonwoven abrasive.
• After scrubbing, wipe down with a rag and solvent to remove iron fines. Leaving residue behind can encourage flash rust, especially in humid shops.

I also tried the pads on small rust stains on a porcelain utility sink and glazed tile. Light pressure with a lubricant lifted the stains, but this is a “test in an inconspicuous spot first” situation. Glossy glazes can haze if you press too hard.

Masonry and stone cleaning

On the brick hearth, I used the pads dry with a shop vac running nearby to pick up dust. The wool scrubs soot and grime from the textured face quickly, and the fibers conform to irregular surfaces in a way brushes don’t. For exterior stone pavers with mineral deposits, a dilute cleaner plus gentle scrubbing brightened the surface well. I would not use these pads on polished stone (marble, granite) or sealed decorative concrete; the coarse fibers can dull a finish.

Durability and shedding

Each pad is densely woven and holds together better than bargain wool I’ve used. They still shed—little steel whiskers are part of the deal—and they shed more when used dry on rough masonry. If you’re scrubbing indoors, lay down a drop cloth and vacuum as you go. A magnet wrapped in a paper towel is a handy way to capture stray fibers from floors and benchtops.

In terms of lifespan, one pad handles a small to medium task: stripping a couple of chair legs, cleaning a set of pruners and a shovel, or scrubbing a couple of square feet of brick. Using a lubricant or solvent extends pad life and reduces loading. You can cut pads with shears to make small, task-specific wads and stretch the pack further.

Working comfort and technique

Ergonomically, steel wool is what it is: it conforms beautifully to surfaces, but you’re the motor. A few tips to make it go smoothly:

• Wear nitrile or leather gloves. Coarse fibers will work their way into skin, and finishes are messy.
• Wrap a pad around a sanding block to keep faces flat on large, planar surfaces like tabletops and stair treads.
• For moldings, twist a point into the pad to reach details and refresh the point as it loads up.
• Keep separate pads for wood and metal to avoid contaminating wood with iron fines. Iron plus water plus tannins (especially in oak) equals black stains.
• Keep steel wool away from open flame and pilot lights. Fine steel fibers can ignite easily, especially when soaked with solvent.

Where it fits among other abrasives

Compared with sandpaper, the coarse pads excel in two areas: irregular surfaces and gunk. They don’t clog as fast on stripping jobs, and they reach shapes that paper can’t. Wire brushes remove heavy rust faster on thick steel, but they can leave deep scratches and are clumsy on curves. Nonwoven synthetic pads are great for wet work and won’t leave iron behind, but they generally cut slower than grade 3 steel wool.

If you’re finishing furniture, think of these pads as a first step. They’re for tearing off the old finish or scouring away rust—then you transition to sandpaper or finer wool to refine the surface. They’re not a one-stop solution from strip to final coat.

Value

A 16-pack is a sensible quantity for a home shop. I burned through three pads on the handrail, one on tools, and one on brick with several useful pieces left over. Consistency from pad to pad is good, which matters when you want predictable scratch patterns. Given how much time they save on profiles and the lifespan when used with lubricants, the value feels solid.

Drawbacks

• Too aggressive for delicate or polished surfaces; they will scratch glass, mirror, and fine metals.
• Shedding is part of the territory; cleanup takes forethought.
• Not ideal for wet work on tannin-rich woods like oak unless you’re meticulous about removing residue—iron staining is a risk.
• Because they cut quickly, it’s easy to overdo it on softwoods and leave a surface that requires extra sanding.

None of these are deal-breakers if you match the pad to the job and use basic precautions.

Who will appreciate these pads

• DIYers stripping paint or varnish from woodwork with lots of profiles
• Gardeners and mechanics maintaining hand tools and shop fixtures
• Homeowners refreshing brick or rough stone surfaces
• Anyone who needs a conformable abrasive for heavy cleanup before moving to finer prep

Recommendation

I recommend the Red Devil coarse steel wool for heavy-duty prep and cleanup where speed and conformity matter. It strips old finishes from detailed woodwork, erases rust from tools when paired with a lubricant, and scrubs soot and grime from rough masonry efficiently. The pads are durable for their grade, the pack size is practical, and the performance is consistent. Just treat them as the “muscle” stage of surface prep—follow with finer abrasives on any surface you plan to finish, test on delicate materials, and take a minute to manage the inevitable shedding. Used that way, these coarse pads deserve a spot in the shop.