Thread: Sigh.....Sanding and re-painting handrails and slats

I got an email from Timbecon the other day with this product.
Don't know if it is what you are looking for.
Mal

http://www.timbecon.com.au/productse...earchBox=ds-13

G'day Apples
I sympathise with your predicament, but there is really no easy way to do it. Yes you could disassemble each panel and individually sand each component, but I doubt a joinery would do it and a drum sander (which you typically would use to sand a bunch of flat slats) will clog with paint after the first slat, produce lots of smoke... You'll probably go screwy trying to achieve a cabinetmaker's finish on them. I'd suggest you lower your sights to aim at achieving a sound finish, and sacrifice a bit on the appearance of the finish. Afterall it is a house, not a cabinet. I'd continue doing what you're already doing. The pressure washer will remove the loose paint, then you can feather in these flaked areas with a sander. Give the rest of the surfaces a light sand. You could remove each panel whole and put it on a table to make working easier.

Good luck with it.

Cheers
Michael

Yeah Michael you have a valid point. Might have to get one of those small triangle shaped sanders for getting into the corners. I think that the slats are only held on with two nails top and bottom. It wouldn't be that hard to knock them off and use the nailing gun to re install.
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Mal F,

What about a thicknesser? They can be bought cheaper than the drum sanders. I guess that they are just a planner that is built into a frame.

Peter

Hi apples,
I know your problem and there are several ways to go. You could knock them out from the bottom then use a thicknesser, I use mine a lot for paint removal.

Then you can clean up the rails too, or even cut a bit of the slats and move the bottom rail up a tad.

I have heard of a method where the post bolts are removed so the post can be "swayed" a bit, then a hacksaw is used to cut the nails and remove the rails. You could then use an alternate method of affixing the rails for next time, cos there will be next time.

All my reno jobs now I construct and factor the upkeep...makes life much easier when sprucing up the place.

I have brunswick green and indian red colours and they really go off quickly in the sun. The joys of qld anders...soon you will be dreaming of low set brick..so you can just play in the shed!!!!

cheers,
conwood

Yep, they are the colours that I have now. Since I have repainted the top handrail with enamel it is really holding up well.

I went out this arvo and had a quick sand by hand on one section. You are actually meant to remove the pink primer first before you paint. And as the builders / painters did not do this, and the fact that the house was only spray painted, and the paint looks like it is only one coat thick, this is why i think that the paint has started to peel and fall off.

Anyway, when sanding with the sandpaper 36 grit, it was very easy to take to paint off. You could see that it was not "stuck " to the wood. So then I got out the 1/3rd sheet sander and used it. The result was very good.

Looks like most of the paint coming off is only on the to and bottom rail sections. The slats themselves mighe be fine without a sane, yippie!

But., nexxt question. I need parts for an AEG VS130 orbital 1/2rd sheet sander. Teh rubber/ foam backing has falled off the bottom and these four larger pins (3/8" or 10mm ish) fell out. The pins fit into the four coners between the sanding plate and the motor body.

Any ideas where I can get spares, preferably online with prices?

Peter

No Don't remove the pink primer. This will be the base for the new paint you are painting over the top of the pink primer. If however you are painting with enamel, you should undercoat it with undercoat for the enamel paint. If you remove the pink primer then you will need to re-primer the timber. You want something for the enamel to adhere to, otherwise the top coat will just separate from the timber. Allow the top coat to dry properly. If you painted the rails sometime ago and when using the pressure cleaner it was coming off. it means the top coat has not bonded with the base coat. Also, if the original paint was water based, then you need to undercoat the timber with an enamel undercoat. The way to check this is to see if you can remove any of the enamel with your finger nail. If you can then the top coat has not bonded with the undercoat. For a long lasting finnish you should ensure you have the correct undercoat in place.I was a painter in a previous life. Mike

Hi Peter

I had a similar problem with wrought iron panels in a verandah. Heat gun & Karcher didn't work, sanding almost impossible.

I finished up using a chemical paint stripper. Thick stuff to get most of the paint off, then some thin stripper to get the stubborn paint in the corners & grooves.

Cheers

Graeme

Well here is an update.

I decided to take the slats and top/bottom frame off. I just was not happy about sanding with the slats in place. I'd never be able to get into or close enough to sand it properly.

It is quicker and easier to work with it pieces.

And I am p*ssed off that the slats were not painted on the bottom of their cut edges, and that the pink primer was not sanded off as it should have been.

You can see it the photos where the slats were and you can see the blck sooty mold deposits. Obviously the water and moisture is slowly destroying my house.

So yeah, that's why I'm doing the big job of sanding it all properly. Using a belt sander the paint comes off really really quick and super easy. It is literally seconds and it is off.

I went and got some enamel based paint and some primer so she should come up pretty damn fine.

It's a shame that the house is only about 5years old. They did a crappy job painting it. Only used a spray gun and the paint is just about "see through" thin in places. Not to mention all the bits of over spray onto the timber decking.

Originally Posted by Apples

Well here is an update.

And I am p*ssed off that the slats were not painted on the bottom of their cut edges, and that the pink primer was not sanded off as it should have been.

G'day Apples,
Yes it is a pity that builders do not do their job properly and seal endgrain cuts, that's very poor form.
Don't know where you are hearing about sanding the pink primer though. That is definitely not standard practice. Could you imagine the extra time in labour that would add to the job? Problems arise with this type of work where a top coat of especially acrylic is painted directly onto the pink primer. The topcoat will begin to peel in a matter of a few years. The standard correct practice is to use a good undercoat on the pink primer first.

Cheers
Michael

Yeah I've had a retired builder (father in law), architect, and even the bloke at bunnings paint counter mention that pink prime can be a real problem.

Apparently the pink prime is just there to protect the wood during shipping and storage etc. Yes the acrylic paint has started peeling etc.

I dare say that the painters would have used a paint with a built in primer, maybe it just didn't cut it? Maybe they should have given it a light sand, I dunno?

Funny how the front picket fence was painted with the same brand of paint, same colour etc and I have bashed the mower against it, the weed eater has spun its strings across it and the paint has not moved. It is a rough saw timer though.

But still, that was properly primed etc.