Tool for efficient deck sanding

I love New Jersey................

I drive the Cross Bronx exp....everyday......what are stink pots????

 

Hey Mongo, I grew up eight miles from Yankee Stadium in Yonkers. Have my shop on City Island, Bronx, NY, which is where they built the wooden 12 meter Americas Cup boats.

 

Bringing back memories, some good, some bad-

- BAD- driving the Cross Bronx from Long Island to Manhattan, down to the Intrepid where my office was (recruiting college students)

- GOOD- me and the old man climbing down under the street level of the City Island bridge and catching porgys all day w/ the occasional blackfish or flounder. Or my favorite boat, the original North Star (is she still there??) How about jack and Sal, where you could rent a skiff for $40.... I lived on Sedgwick Ave and 197th st.

 

Small World

Hey, Gunny: I did the Intrepid tour when she was stationed in NY..
City Island, Think I'll stop by and visit Eagle....
Hey, Eagle:
How are you situated for resin & roving sourcing. Ever buy From Mahogany in Mays Landing, NJ?

 

I have never bought from Mahogany. I usually buy from Composites One in Rhode Island as well as a company on Long Island. How are the prices there? Getting ready to make new molds for my 16 foot sailboat so I will be needing tooling gel and resin.

 

Eagle,
Prices are pretty good, you have to "needle" a little bit though. I bought some specialty resin, very low viscosity for vacuum infusion, a little pricey. I have thought about buying from "Composites One" (I think I have heard about them) in the past but got some good prices from Lockwoods boat works in Hazlet. Who is in Long Island???? I think I'll try them too. But, ya know, there is a place--get this-- in Ohio that had the best, actually great, prices. I'll have to look them up. Maybe we can take a drive and buy a couple of drums together. Get a good break on price.....
I'm really itching to layup a 37 ft'er.

 

Key West #1 47' Longliner favorite

Check out Juiceclarks boat,

 

Composites One has a number of locations throughout the country. They carry everything you will need for composite construction. I also use a company called Dynagrout in Deer Park, Long Island. Prices are higher, but they offer good service. Lets see a picture of the boat you want to build.

 

37' sunseaker tomahawk...

 

The 6" Porter&Cable Random Orbital Sanders mentioned earlier in this string are on sale at Lowe's (or at least they were last weekend) for only $59. I've had one for years and it is the handiest and toughest lil' machine in my workshop.

Thanks for referencing my project above. Material sources are so regional, I'm not sure I can be of any help outside FL. But if anyone is in the area, we have an incredibly helpful and comprehensive firm in Sarasota named Fiberglass Concepts that is supplying us for, on average, 60% off their catalog prices. Moreover, the owner of the company is a 35 year veteran of the biz and has stopped-by several times with helpful tidbits....that's worth a lot to any project!


Tony in Sw FL

 

A minor correction---- Lowes doesn't carry Porter Cable 6" sanders or sandpaper discs for that matter. Only 5". The 5" would discount to the price mentioned, but the 6" goes at least $110.00 and wouldn't discount that low.
I wasn't happy to discover their not carrying 6" discs.
They carry at least a dozen 5" RO sanders, but zero 6", which is a far more effective tool on most projects.

Alan

 

You're right! I guess that little bugger is a 5". Love it anyway....here's what the 6" looks like:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Porter-Cable-73...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

This is my 5". It's more of a "palm sander" design. That little dustbin sure fills with glass dust in a hurry...but catches most of it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Porter-Cable-34...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

 

Belt sanders: wow.

JuiceClark,
Big Guy, we have another option: The porter-Cable "variable speed", 4" x 24" belt sander--with the bag attachment that is connected to a Vacuum Cleaner.
This sander, in the hands of a "truly" inspired individual can work wonders in a very, very short amount of time. I have used just this tool on many occasions for leveling "solid-wood" table tops built from 6 quarter Rock Maple. Of course, there is a little trick you are going to want to use. Should I tell you???
OK, get yourself a 4' straight edge and a sharpie (black). Lay your staight-edge (ships Curve) or what ever profile tool you want to use, down and mark the high spots, i.e. the spots that "TOUCH" touch the bottom of the straight edge--don't mark the spots that don't touch the straight edge--then sand a "little". Rinse, repeat. Warning: don't get too aggressive with the grit, go with a 220 belt grit...develop your technique. In other words, it's all "touch".
This tool, priced at about $240 (USD), and about 3 belts later, will probably cut your sanding time by 70%.


Right you are, regionality with suppliers is a problem. If you are close to a big volume suppler, or a very depressed one, you can get good deals, if the salesman doesn't try to srew you over. Your guy (Fiberglass Concepts) might be a real option for both Eagle and I. The only problem is those darn haz-mat shipping costs....

 

Porter-Cable 4 x 24" Sander:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250238110390

 

Kaptin-Jer and everyone,

Thanks for the good discussion on random orbital sanders. I've got a big project going and I'm getting ready to do a lot of sanding (I have a few picts posted on another post - "what tools are needed to repair a large recored deck").

I'm trying to decide which 6" random orbital I want to buy. I think I'm going to get the Festool ETS 150/3 EQ at $275, or maybe the Makita BO6030 at $189. I like the idea of having a good dust collection system - I figured I'll hook a small shop vac I have to the sander.

Anyone have thoughts on these - do I have to buy paper made for the brand of sander? I do want good dust collection. How long does the paper last - any recommendations on how much of what grits to buy for my project? I probably have about 50 sq. ft. of deck to finish.