FLEXIBLE ABRASIVE PRODUCT AND METHOD OF MAKING AND USING THESAME

The present invention provides a flexible abrasive product comprised of an open cell foam backing (12), a foraminous barrier coating (13) and a shaped foraminous abrasive coating (33). The flexible abrasive article (31) of the invention is made by applying a curable barrier coating over an open cell fo am backing, curing the curable barrier coating to provide a foraminous barrier coating (32) having openings therethrough corresponding to openings in the open cell foam, applying a coating composition comprising a curable binder a nd abrasive particles over the foraminous barrier coating (32), imparting a textured surface to the coating composition with a production tool (11) whic h has a textured surface which is the inverse of the textured surface of the abrasive coating and to which production tool (11) textured surface any coating composition coated over an opening of the first major surface may adhere, at least partially curing the binder, and separating the production tool (11) from the textured surface to provide the shaped foraminous abrasiv e coating.