Vacuum sanding antfouling paint

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by WSMFP

Rigid makes an adapter kit that will mate the vac hose to a random orbital. I have one for my dewalt RA.

And use the rigid drywall dust bags.

I use an adapter kit too--a roll of duct tape.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Squanderbucks

Better check with your marina operator first. Many now require a lot of isolation techniques beyond vacuum sanding. EPA regulations are getting stricter and stricter. Where I am in south Florida it is required to put down barrier under the boat and skirt the entire hull all way around with plastic like visqueen. Then any people who you hire to do it have to wear OSHA suits and masks.

Gone are the days when we could get out there in our t shits, no masks and let the stuff fly without regard. I know you are wanting to do the right thing by asking about vacuum sanding but it may not be enough to pass muster any longer.

Shipyard facilities in the US are very primitive

Gravel hardtops and poor environmental protection

It’s a real eye opener

[Lancerbye]

The boatyards in this neck of the woods require full hull tarping to do any hull sanding. Wet sanding is allowed without making a tarp enclosure for your boat. This is not just for environment requirements. A slight breeze with a small amount of bottom coat dust escaping can really screw up your neighbor's nice white deck or hull paint job.

[JonathanX]

Hi, 8 years ago I use paint remover Circa 1850 on my Catalina and just work fine. There is on the can picture of boats and sail boats on it, so it is safe to be use on bottom GelCoat.

[rslifkin]

The yard I'm in requires the hull tented from the waterline down and the ground tarped for any bottom paint sanding. That plus vacuum sanding should capture pretty much all of the dust unless it's an extremely windy day or something.

[snippet]

I’ve used Festool sanders paired with a HEPA vacuum for years. Get a 6” Rotex sander and a “midi” vacuum. The sander is versatile and works faster than anything else I’ve used over 35 years of woodworking. The results are actually better because of the tool. The vacuum is much quieter than a ShopVac; you can talk with someone at normal voice levels when you are next to it, and the combination is virtually dustless. Your neighboring boat owners will thank you.
Festool makes great tools; although some are not worth the price (I’ve got some of those) the sander/vacuum combination are well worth the investment. Translated that means you can easily and quickly sell the pair afterward and get back a good chunk of your money. Quiet, fast, versatile, well-balanced, clean. Your body will thank you and you won’t be disappointed. (I am not a Festool dealer, I just appreciate good tools.)

[lk240]

Any chance you on north end of Seneca lake? I did this same job last spring

[olddog57]

Almost out of discussion.

If the price is your concern.
Are you physically fit person?

I am 67, averagely built, sometimes have back problems.
Last summer I removed manually old antifouling paint from my Fisher 34 - that's about 48 square m of surface!
Yes, it took me about 2 months, but I did not work more than 4h/day (mostly 3 hours/day), and I took a few days off this chore - because of my back

[slug]

Originally Posted by olddog57

Almost out of discussion.

If the price is your concern.
Are you physically fit person?

I am 67, averagely built, sometimes have back problems.
Last summer I removed manually old antifouling paint from my Fisher 34 - that's about 48 square m of surface!
Yes, it took me about 2 months, but I did not work more than 4h/day (mostly 3 hours/day), and I took a few days off this chore - because of my back

In Spain I have the bottom sandblasted

Not expensive compared to the labor and sandpaper needed to sand off the paint
A skilled blaster. does no damage the the hull substrate

[olddog57]

Originally Posted by slug

In Spain I have the bottom sandblasted

Not expensive compared to the labor and sandpaper needed to sand off the paint
A skilled blaster. does no damage the the hull substrate

I, too, am in Spain (Vigo, Punta Lagoa)
I used rasqueta, an expensive, but I needed only one. Plus sand discs of course - that was not very expensive. Labor - yes, but I saved about 2K Euro - comparing to soda blasting: sand blasting was out of consideration at all

[slug]

Originally Posted by olddog57

I, too, am in Spain (Vigo, Punta Lagoa)
I used rasqueta, an expensive, but I needed only one. Plus sand discs of course - that was not very expensive. Labor - yes, but I saved about 2K Euro - comparing to soda blasting: sand blasting was out of consideration at all

If it took you two months the yard storage fee must have been large

That boat I pictured was bladed and painted ...then back in the water in two weeks

I don’t know soda blasting of antifoul

[mghorton]

I gave up bottom sanding years ago, and most marinas in the Chesapeake don't allow it any way. For a full clean off, soda blasting works well, then get the marina to do the final sanding to remove any coating from the soda blasting. Having gone that far, it is just as easy to let the marina to the painting too.

[slug]

Originally Posted by JonathanX

Hi, 8 years ago I use paint remover Circa 1850 on my Catalina and just work fine. There is on the can picture of boats and sail boats on it, so it is safe to be use on bottom GelCoat.

Yah

Paint remover works

Bit messy

Work in the shade and use a long two handed scraper

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Lazy Jack 32

My 32' fiberglass schooner (1976) is on the hard, 10 feet from one of New York State's Finger Lakes and 3 feet from boats on both sides. The hull has years of built up anti-fouling paint that I want to fare with a sander before painting. I can't make a mess with the sanding dust, though. Mirka DEROS vacuum sanders are advertised as virtually dust free. Are they? Would it be safe to get one and use it for this job? Does anyone have experience here?

The sanders are expensive, but probably cheaper than the boat yard will charge for the sanding job.

Then the next question is the dust extractor. Professional dust extractors cost as much as the sander. Is there a cheaper way to go? Will it work to hook up a $60 Shop Vac to the sander?

Any advice will be appreciated.

The marina doesn't rent sanders or have a vendor nearby that does and they recommend? Must be a very small boatyard. Choose a better facility.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Nicholson58]

Spread a tarp, wear a respirator, use a floor scraper (Home Depot). Keep it sharp.

Or

Wet sand using a seriously aggressive grit.

Or

Hire the local yard apes.

Or

Good place for a blaster and a containment house.