scbafreak via BoatKB.com wrote:
NE Sailboat wrote:
Whenever I get ready to do a project I normally follow Don Casey's advice.
Don has written so many good maintenance books.

So, I am getting ready for spring. I decided I'd start by giving the boat a
good bottom sanding. I looked in Casey's book, he recommends a high speed
disk sander. Off I go to Sears. I ask in tools where the disk, orbital
sanders are. The salesman brings me over to a counter, there are probably 8
or more. All about the same. 5" random orbital disk sanders. I figure
this must be what I am looking for, pick up some 5" disk pads, and off I go.

When I get home and try the sander out on my old fiberglass dinghy, it
doesn't seem to be what Casey is talking about. The disk doesn't spin all
that fast.

I go back to Sears. The salesman looks at the Casey book that I brought
with me. We both decide that the disk sander in the book is not a random
orbital sander. Sears doesn't have a sander that looks like the one in
Casey's book. I go to Lowes. Same story. No high speed orbital sander.

In the old days Sears tools were good. Now a lot of Ryobi re-badged
junk.

I have a 5" Porter Cable and a 6" Porter Cable right angle random
orbital sander. The 6" has about 40% more area and about 100% more
grunt and is a really good tool for all sorts of heavy duty sanding.
Don't bother with the velcro pads; use self adhesive stick on types.
Try to get D or E weight paper with say 80 grit. The heavier paper
costs more but the paper doesn't tear and the disks last longer.

For SERIOUS bottom sanding try to rent a Fein 8" with a dust collector
vaccuum. Very nice to work with and very agressive with bad bottoms or
lots of old paint.

Final tip - try to find a local teenager who wants a small part time
job. It's nasty and hard on your back and arms. Better to pay
somebody $10/hr than doing it yourself

Evan Gatehouse