Sanding Mops - Which Mop for Which Purpose?

The Sanding Mop used to just be "The Sanding Mop" but over the years, it has evolved into several distinct versions of itself - The Regular Mop, The Fluffy Mop and The Double Mop.  Each Mop comes with different parts and is designed for a different purpose.  Each kit can be modified slightly, depending on what you would like to do.  I always like to tell people that it's like any new tool...you need to play with it a little bit to see how it will work best for you.

The Regular Mop

This mop tends to be a little more aggressive.  Stabilizers sit on the outside of the sheets, just like the bread on a sandwich.  They keep the sheets tight together allowing the edge of the mop to be more controlled and to make it slightly more aggressive.  This makes The Regular Mop perfect for routered edges.  The stabilizers can be removed in order to make it more flexible and a few spacers can be placed between the sheets for even more flexibility.  When assembled, The Regular mop is about 1" thick.

The Fluffy Mop

The Fluffy Mop comes with an extra long mandrel so that spacers can be placed between the sheets, causing the Mop to become "Fluffy".  A Fluffy Mop is most often used in 220 & 320g for deep profiles, assembled raised panel doors and in-between coat sanding.   When assembled, The Fluffy Mop is about 3-1/2" long.

The Double Mop

Essentially, The Double Mop is a Regular Mop that comes with double the amount sandpaper and a longer mandrel.  It's designed for larger pieces that require slightly more aggression.  When assembled, the Double Mop is approx. 3-1/2" long.





My personal  favourite style is a Regular Mop set-up without stabilizers.  I used one to prepare the old trim in our 130 year old farmhouse for painting.  It did a great job!  The Crazy Canadian Woodworker prefers his for "exfoliating".

What's your favourite style?