a sander to remove paint?

Gidday - new here. Had a mis-spent youth. Know bugger all about power tools.

Just retired. Looking to sand back the verandahs (very exposed to sea air, sun and wind). And maybe touch up some of the paint on the outside of the house. The verandah planks were new and had something painted or oiled on to them when constructed in about 2006 (when it rained the stuff dripped through onto the pavers below! wasn't paint).

No maintenance since then. They have weathered to grey in places, but there is still a bit of the stain or whatever it is here and there.

I started sanding by hand last weekend. S### of a job. Slow. Inefficient. Hard to get into corners. Started to think about a sander. Checked Bunnings, then checked in here. Read all the threads on ROS and what they did. Not sure I need a Festool or Metabo duo. But this is a slippery slope. I work on a couple of old cars. Reckon I would like to fix/make things with wood. Maybe a really good sander is a good idea.

But I'm rabbiting on. Came here to ask if a Random Orbital Sander is a suitable tool to remove paint on the outside of a house? Saw a couple of things last night on the forum which made me wonder. You can see from the question how green I am!!

thanks

Dan

Dan,

First of all, welcome to the forums. They are nearly as addictive as woodwork itself. For what you want to do I'd probably look at two different tools (and that would give me an excuse to buy two different tools as well - what a happy situation). For the deck a belt sander is going to be faster and easier than a ROS. They hog off more timber quicker. But you could also rent a floor sander (or a belt sander - they rent them too I think) from Kennards or Coates. If you're only going to do one job with a tool then it is cheaper to rent it than buy it usually. You'd finish a deck in a day with a floor sander.

Then for the outside of a house you could use a ROS - but you probably don't need to. A third sheet orbital sander (note the absence of "random") would do that job and be a lot more cost effective than a ROS I think. A belt sander is too heavy to hold up in the air, and no good for little detail things, but a third sheet sander will do that. If it is a little job even one of the smaller palm sanders would do the job. A ROS is more for putting a fine finish on timber - and if you're going to paint it (for the house) or if it is a deck then you probably don't need that level of detail.

But a ROS is a nice tool to have, and very versatile and useful. I use a Makita (from our workshop) or a Bosch that I got for nix (FF points), and both work really well. If I could justify a really nice one I'd probably buy a Makita or the Metabo Duo.

Of course now that you've started down this path you're doomed.... :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kalkadan

. . . .I started sanding by hand last weekend. S### of a job. Slow. Inefficient. Hard to get into corners. Started to think about a sander. Checked Bunnings, then checked in here. Read all the threads on ROS and what they did. Not sure I need a Festool or Metabo duo. But this is a slippery slope. I work on a couple of old cars. Reckon I would like to fix/make things with wood. Maybe a really good sander is a good idea.

But I'm rabbiting on. Came here to ask if a Random Orbital Sander is a suitable tool to remove paint on the outside of a house? Saw a couple of things last night on the forum which made me wonder. You can see from the question how green I am!!

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It S### of a job whether you use a sander or do it it by hand. Floors definitely need a floor sander and then you will still need something to get close to edges and into the corners. Orbital sanders are more designed for the later stages of finishing furniture than stripping paint off a house. A belt sander is better for removing paint but they are usually HEAVY and noisier. Vertical surfaces require you to place pressure on the surface as well as holding up the sander - this is very fatiguing, noisy and dirty work and most DIYers run out of patience well before they get fit enough to do this on a regular basis . These days most pro painters just scrape off the loose paint, fill and sand any obvious holes, and paint over the top.

Despite the above a good sander is worth investing in. Cheap sander may work almost as effectively as more expensive ones but one thing to really watch out for is vibration. Cheaper sanders will turn your arms hands and shoulders into jelly in a couple of minutes whereas better quality ones can be used all day without too much of a problem from vibe. However, they are all IMHO still heavy (they get heavier the longer they are used) noisy and dusty.

Bahco scraper with replaceable carbide blade like this one.

Paint just peels off; it gets right up into corners and sod all dust and noise.

If it's paint, Strip-it disks on an angle grinder are much faster than a sander

Josco | Brumby Strip-it Discs

Hey, thanks to everyone for such quick advice and info.
I'm leaning towards hiring a belt sander for the deck (which is urgent). I'll then look closely at the suggestions for preparing surfaces for painting on the exterior of the house. It's a sort of chamferboard - will try to post a pic later.

But maybe I should have this discussion over in the Renovate forums? Happy to raise further questions there if that's the right thing - only became aware of that option late this morning.

Dan

Are you sure you need to sand the deck? If it is an oiled finish something like Deck Clean - Cabots and then a couple of coats of decking oil should bring it back.

Mine hadn't been done for about 25 years and it came back fine.

Far faster to Pressure Wash them, then any power sander will tidy them up.

G'day Dan and welcome to the shed!! :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:
More knowledge and wisdom to be found here than sitting in a barber's chair.:D

I like methods tha require little physical input!!

Pressure cleaners and chemical cleaners are the first port of call.

Sometimes, however,you do need to resort to hand/ mechanical means. The aforementioned
pads for small angle grinders are great as they don't tend to clog up like sanding paper. The
Bahco scraper for little tight spots is also a great idea.

Just remember good surface preparation is essential for a good paint job.

It may be a good idea to check out the "Decking" section in 'Renovate Forums'. Lots of info on refurbishing and repairing decks.
The stuff running out of your decking boards when they get rained on is probably tannin being leached out.

Regards, Peter

Thanks fellas

I hired a drum sander last weekend. Punched all the nails in. Went on to sand the front deck and the one outside the master bedroom with the drum sander. Drum sander was a scary thing. But got most of the rubbish off.

Then the fun began. Got a cheapie orbital from Bunnings for $79 (I know, I know - should have got a Festool !). Trimmed the edges. Then saw what a lousy finish the drum sander had left. So went over 'each' plank (true!) with the orbital. Now looks great. Beautiful timber.

I am writing to you from the Mater Hospital. As soon as the surgeons have repaired the hands shattered from vibration, laminated the spine and replaced the hips - I will apply the Bunnings recommended timber treatment (to the deck). Will then probably have to remove it and start all over again.

at that point I'll write again from the local loony bin.

but I really do appreciate all the information and advice - seriously

Dan

P.S. anyone had experience with the newish Feast & Watson "Wet Look" product for decking timber?