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10 products
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Steel wool · #0000
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #0000 Super Fine
Best for: Rubbing out a final finish and polishing
From Regular price$4.98
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Steel wool · #3
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #3 Coarse
Best for: Paint and varnish removal
From Regular price$3.55 -
Steel wool · #00
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #00 Very Fine
Best for: Cleaning metal and smoothing between coats
From Regular price$2.69 -
Steel wool · #0
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #0 Fine
Best for: Between coats of paint or varnish
Regular price$3.49 -
Steel wool · #2
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #2 Medium Coarse
Best for: Stripping softened finish and rust
From Regular price$4.38 -
Steel wool · #1
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #1 Medium
Best for: Household scrubbing and removing old finish
From Regular price$3.27 -
Bronze wool · Medium bronze
Homax Rhodes American Bronze Wool, Medium
Best for: Boat and outdoor work that must not rust
From Regular price$7.99 -
Steel wool · #000
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #000 Extra Fine
Best for: Light rubbing between finish coats
From Regular price$12.87 -
Bronze wool · Coarse bronze
Homax Rhodes American Bronze Wool, Coarse
Best for: Heavy cleaning on wet or marine surfaces
Regular price$8.99 -
Steel wool · #4
Homax Rhodes American Steel Wool, #4 Extra Coarse
Best for: The heaviest stripping and rust removal
From Regular price$12.39 - The whole guideEvery Homax product72 products from $1.82See them all
No product matches every filter you picked.
Which grade does the job in front of you need?
Homax sells its steel wool under the Rhodes American name, in grades from #0000, the finest, to #4, the coarsest. More zeros mean finer strands. Reach for #0000 to rub down shellac, lacquer or varnish before the last coat, or to buff a coat of wax. #00 polishes aluminum, brass and copper and takes a gloss finish down to semi-gloss. #0 is the between-coats grade, and #1 preps bare wood for a first coat and smooths raised grain. #2 cleans grout and copper joints, while #3 lifts paint, varnish, shellac and rust.
Bronze wool does the same kind of work without the rust. The medium and coarse Homax bronze pads resist rust, corrosion and shedding, the labels point them at marine use, and the medium grade is listed for water-based finishes. Both come three pads to a pack. Before you scrub painted trim in an older house, read the EPA advice on lead: it says not to clean painted surfaces with steel wool or other abrasive pads, and homes built before 1978 are the ones most likely to have lead paint.
| Grade | Name | Job named on the label |
|---|---|---|
| #0000 | Super fine | Smoothing shellac, lacquer and varnish before the top coat, buffing wax |
| #000 | Extra fine | Fine finishing work with gentle abrasion |
| #00 | Very fine | Polishing aluminum, brass and copper, cutting gloss to semi-gloss |
| #0 | Fine | Between coats, cleaning porcelain, tile and grout |
| #1 | Medium | Preparing wood for a first coat, deglossing paint |
| #2 | Medium coarse | Cleaning grout, copper pipes and joints |
| #3 | Coarse | Removing paint, varnish, shellac, lacquer and rust |
| #4 | Extra coarse | The coarsest steel grade on the shelf |
| Bronze, medium | Medium | Stripping, sanding and polishing wood and metal |
| Bronze, coarse | Coarse | Stripping and smoothing wood and metal, including stainless steel |
These 10 products are part of the Homax assortment, from $2.69 to $34.86 in our last catalog update.
Questions
About Homax steel wool and bronze wool
How do you read the numbers on Homax steel wool?
They are grades. The more zeros, the finer the strands: #0000 is super fine for the last smoothing before a top coat, while #3 is coarse for removing paint and #4 is the coarsest grade. The middle grades handle cleaning, deglossing and work between coats.
When do you reach for Homax bronze wool instead of steel?
When rust would cause trouble. The Rhodes American bronze pads resist rust, corrosion and shedding, and their labels point them at marine and industrial use. The medium grade is also listed for use with water-based finishes.
Can you clean old painted surfaces with Homax steel wool?
Not in a home that may have lead paint. The EPA says not to use steel wool or other abrasive pads when cleaning painted surfaces, and homes built before 1978 are the ones most likely to have lead paint. Test the paint or treat it as lead first.