Sanding with a Vacuum or Tarping and Sanding Without?

[mebccb]

Festool sander and dust extractor or vac. You won't believe it until you try it yourself. A person could almost get excited about sanding.

[sweetjohn]

Hi Yeti,
One more for Vacuum here! and yes the festool stuff is awesome! however you can get a cheap rigid shop vac at Home depot and a random orbital sander, both for about a hundred bucks. but you have to use the extra fine filters for the vac. or you will burn out the motor. and buy the best sandinf pads you can they last longer. Good luck

[Cadence]

Vacuum and a mask. Easier and cooler, don't think it is a tarp but a tent in effect. The yard is just covering their butt with the gov. and can't be faulted for that.

[Scrimshaw4]

I use a setup that drywall prep guys use. Great results and no clogged filters. It's basicaly a bucket of water, 3/4 filled, with a sealable lid. 1 Lightweight bilge hose, bucket to vacuum terminating in the bucket above the water line. Second is long length of bilge hose from sander to bucket terminating below the water line. Your sander needs to have vacuum holes and outlet port. You can also get a handheld manual sheet sander for the hard to reach places. Make sure the lid and hose connections thru the lid are airtight. You can either make the unit or get one at a good paint store. Regardless, always use a mask. Good luck

[hellosailor]

You might also want to consider one of the "peel a way" goos for the bottom paint. Even the orange strippers from Home Depot, which are more aggressive than you'd think. Tarp the boat (helps retain moisture) then soak and apply the strips. Come back as directed and A LOT of the bottom paint will come off, to be balled up & thrown away with no dust issues at all.


So, you'll still have some sanding to do. But way less of it, which can't hurt.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, sweetjohn.

[Windcaller]

I know this is not for everyone, I bought this as my hobby is restoring older sailboats and after the first two 30' and dealing with dust fiberglass and odor I bought this, its a bit expensive but it works well.. you put this in a sailboat and it circulates all the air or twice a min more air than the boat holds (if smaller boat) But for the every day boat repairman its spendy... near 1k.

I got tired of the hoses and they never suck it all up. With this thing you never see dust in the air.

Also i use this when I burn stuff cooking, puff backs or generally want to clean the air in the house.. clears out cooking odor, smoke, farts, gut belches, ect

lol
Seriously though if you have a project going to last a couple years or so.. and you have to do alot of sanding and painting inside.. its great.. put charcoal filter in it and you can also put a plastic bag type tube on it and vent it outside.. rids of dust and odor.

Windcaller

[Yeti]

Alright all you Festool aficionados, I'm in! After researching for a bit I've got a CT Mini, a DTS400, and a used RO 150E coming in the mail. I'll probably also make use of my old HF 5" ROS as well.

What abrasives can anyone suggest for the project?

I already have a "variety pack" of Abranet HD coming in for the RO150 and a whole bunch of stuff for the old 5" ROS.

Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Hard Pad, Super Soft pad, or stock pad for the RO150?

I'm all ears here.

[blewett_john]

Oneida Dust Deputy and shop vac are the way to go.

http://www.oneida-air.com/category.asp?Id={CC6B6F2A-E3D7-4F18-A53C-B5C357DFE131}

[Roy M]

Yeti, I've been using the Festool GRANATE paper, which I bought at TH&H in Kearny Mesa. It's costly, but it really holds up well, better than other options I've tried. You are going to be very happy with this decision.

[natew]

Vacuum... If sanding with just a tarp you will NEED absolutely a full body suit and a full respirator along with goggles and plenty of replacement filters. This stuff you are sanding off is toxic, especially the bottom. I had the fortunate change in mexico to watch a guy strip a bottom with just a respirator and a loose suit. You would think the respirator would be enough, he was sick for 4 days afterwards. This was in open air too! I cant imagine what it would have been like had it been trapped inside a tent! The skin and eyes absorb a lot more of those chemicals than you would ever think! Letting them fly around free if you have better options is just foolish.

[motaman9]

We used a yard that had a "pit" for soda ash pressure washing that worked great....took just the bottom paint off in about an hour and we were painted and back in the water in three days....


www.learntoliveaboard.com

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by motaman9

We used a yard that had a "pit" for soda ash pressure washing that worked great....took just the bottom paint off in about an hour and we were painted and back in the water in three days....


www.learntoliveaboard.com

Great! I wonder how many such yards are around? It sounds like a solution to a very nasty job.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Vacuum and a mask. Easier and cooler, don't think it is a tarp but a tent in effect. The yard is just covering their butt with the gov. and can't be faulted for that.

No.

It is more than CYA. Do you want to work in a yard where dust is in the air for you to breath? Do you want to paint or varnish in a yard where dust will land in your work?

It is common courtesy and a neat workman-like habit. Mess is seldom efficient.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by thinwater

No.

It is more than CYA. Do you want to work in a yard where dust is in the air for you to breath? Do you want to paint or varnish in a yard where dust will land in your work?

It is common courtesy and a neat workman-like habit. Mess is seldom efficient.

I've been in yards years ago when bottom paint was really toxic. Maybe that is why I'm crazy. Scraping it off the bottom.
Things can be taken to extremes.