What part of the boat are you working on? Working overhead, say on the bottom is a royal pain.
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Originally Posted by Sonosailor What ELECTRIC tools would you folks purchase to assist you, if you had none to start with? eg: palm sander, grinder, drill attachment, and appropriate power level; brand name, grit level, etc. |
Look for a 7" variable speed sander/polisher something like this....
Milwaukee - New - Heavy Duty 7/9 " Polisher
If you search e-bay you may find cheaper options. This one will probably pay for itself in your first repair.
Smaller palm/orbital sanders can be handy for feathering out the edges of the repair. Any brand will work. A selection of grits from 80 through 1200 will be needed for the various stages of the repair. The larger 7" polisher/sander will be your best when you get near the finishing stages you can switch to buffing/polishing bonnets.
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Originally Posted by Sonosailor I'm also interested in what you folks might use for a filler for fairing before gelcoat application, and if there are any power tools that work well for sanding down gelcoat for uniformity prior to the use of wetpaper. |
As far as I know most pre-made fairing compounds are epoxy based. As you're using other resins you'll probably have to make your own. A mixture of colloidal silica and micro-balloons will work. Mix to your desired consistancy which will depend on which surfaces you're working on. You can avoid a lot of sanding and fairing in your repair if you use a peel-ply and vacuum bag to even out the surface of the repaired area especially if working overhead.
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Originally Posted by Sonosailor I'll accept any other tricks of the trade, as well;e.g.: if you have a special low-cost sprayer, or an air-dry product that worked better than others. |
A HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) paint sprayer might be a good choice. I hear it puts the paint where you want it and not atomized into the atmosphere. Here's a low cost option.
HDC - Electric HVLP Paint Sprayer
Again, there are others if you do a few Google searches.
A long board sander might be useful. Depends on your preference for elbow grease or power tools. You can make your own as well from some thin ply and some drawer knobs.
Neiko USA - 17" AutoBody Hand Sander
Again you're going to need a variety of grits working down from probably 80 for rough work to over 1000 for final fairing before buffing/polishing.
Good luck.
Rick