Tool for efficient deck sanding

I have purchased a Westsail 32 that needs the deck repainted.
So I need to sand the entire deck before applying primer. Can somebody suggest a good way to do this please? I have a DeWald 6" random orbital sander but it seems to ineffective...
Thanks for any help

 

thats what ya need is a 6" D.A. what grit are ya using? and for a 32 deck,,get ya check book out for sand paper

 

Going to use 100 grit.

The sander I have is a RA sander....is this the same as a DA sander?
Dual action/Random orbital....is this the same thing?

Thanks

 

nope,,,,i dont think they're the same,,,and if your complaining about the sander, instead of going through too much paper., then im sure they're not,,,you need the D.A.,,,im afraid your "R.A" will probably leave behind signs of its use about half way through your top coat
and 100 grit is awful agressive,,,is the deck in rough shape?, are you sanding old paint or gel?, and what are your plans for the "kind" of paint your using,,like,,,re gel it, or awl-grip,,or another kind?

 

The deck is in pretty rough shape....and there is some paint over the gelcoat in places that I need to get off. My plan is to awlgrip it...probably roll and tip as I don't have any spraying experience.
The gelcoat has hairline cracks that I'm hoping to be able to cover up with the primer...
I'm pretty inexperrienced as you can probably tell.
Is there a good electric DA sander on the market? I see lots of pnuematic ones but I dont have an air supply at the boat

 

dont count on your primer to fill the cracks,,8 times out of 10 it wont. you'll need to sand what you can out, then fill the rest. it sounds like extra work but trust me,, it'll save you time and LOTS of money. and are you sure the crack is only in the gel and not cracks starting under your gel in your glass?
but that said,,now that i'm trying to remember your slow spraying it,,,as long as the cracks are ONLY in your gel, then just a sanding will probably work.
and i dont know what to tell ya about a non air sander,, i call that "hand sanding" heh.

 

Jim - have you had any experience with this tool?

Porter-Cable 97366 6" Random Orbit VS Sander Kit

A lot of people seem to recommend it.

 

nope,,,never used one before,,,the only thing i got electric is a 4" grinder,and a 8" dewalt wildcat,,and a buffer. ive never even tried an electric sander for wood hehe sorry man but if any of the people that reccomend it has used one for prep'n for paint, i'd go with it.

 

Another question Jim -

If the cracks are bigger than hairline, would it be a good idea to open them up with a dremel or something like that and then fill with epoxy? Or just clean with acetone and fill with epoxy....?

 

do anything you can to "sand" the cracks,,,,so a dremil is perfect, just make sure you "open" the cracks so they have a good V shape,,,and this will be a good thread for you to read,,,,and if ya need roll and tippin , tips,,,im pretty sure kapt. will help ya too
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?p=184083#post184083

 

A very good 6" electric random orbital is the Rupes. Used them for years and they are simply beautiful tools.

 

GWB
Read through some of the other threads on this page (awl grip challenge for one) we have discussed prepping in detail and roll and tipping a few times. I owned the Porte cable for about 16 years until it finally wore out. It will do some of the top side sanding for you, but most will be by hand. I invested in a Festool 6". Should have done it 10 years ago.

 

Yep Festool also make great tools, they are worth every cent extra, not so much in the quality of the tool itself, but in the way that the tool actually does the work. I bought one of the electronic Festool grinders to sand down my swimming pool surface before resurfacing, the tool rep advised me to rest the tool whenever the little light on it comes on from overloading, either the light is blown, or the tool cannot be overloaded, as I sanded the pool with 16 grit paper (little rocks) and could never push enough to overload it, it simply maintains the set speed whatever pressure I could push, simply amazing.

It has since gone into the tool pool as one of the best sander/polishers on the market.

 

I can vouch for the Festool Rotex models which are electric geared DA's that convert to either true random orbit or buffer/grinder with a little lever on the side. It's a pricey tool, but the only one that I have seen that can compete with a good air powered sander like a geared DA.

The thing is regular DA's don't cut very straight what with their little 6" pads and true random orbit action. They are really mostly used for sanding something smooth that has already been faired or sanded 'straight'. If you need to remove a fair amount of stock, you really should consider a geared air DA or an electric one from Festo or Makita, as they've got into that market now too. The Makita costs about half of the Festo, since you can shop around at a discounter for it.

 

Jer - when you say most of the sanding will be done by hand, do you mean on the radiuses where the cabin meets the deck and places like that?
Thanks