Let's talk tools!

[muddywater]

So far on the Seacraft project...

Skil angle grinder bit the dust, replaced with a Bosch Angle grinder (including optional vacuum shroud which works somewhat but gets in the way often)
Shop vac is trying to die from too much dust ingestion, but I'm not replacing it until it is really dead at which time it will either be a Fein or Festool vac.
Small Makita random orbital (Good sander but too small to be used for much in fiberglass work as it is really a finishing sander with a small orbit size)
6" Ridgid RO sander with speed control and two orbit size settings for finish work or faster removal. Worked great until the pad broke after a few years (have a new pad on order now)
Harbor Freight Chicago Polisher (so far only used it for polishing gel coat when I resprayed the gel coat on the console)
Dremel. Sounds like it is on it's last leg but keeps on going. I just use it for corners.
New toy: Metabo Die Grinder with big flap wheels (basically an industrial strength Dremel)
Longboard (just a cheap one from O'Reilly)

I am thinking that I am not using the most efficient method to grind down repairs and I just know there has to be a better way.

I have mostly been using using the angle grinder with Flap discs to knock down repairs before hitting it with the 6" Random Orbital using 60 grit Norton 3x discs. The annoyance to me is that it seems like no matter how good I get with the angle grinder using flap discs, I can't take it down quite as far as I would like to or will gouge some spots, and then the RO takes what seems like forever to knock down the repair from that point even on the course setting. Sure, if I change sanding discs every couple minutes, it will eat it off in no time flat, but the discs seem to load up quick and the Norton 3x are supposed to be the best there is (although some people seem to think Klingspor is).

So what are you guys using? Angle grinder with flat pads? One of those sander/polishers with flat pads and a soft backing? Anybody try out one of the absurdly expensive Festool sanders? What kind of sandpaper are you using on the Longboard? I don't seem to get anywhere fast with it.

[cbboatworks]

This is what i have used for years and I must say it is one if not the best elect RO sander you can buy. porter cable 7346

http://www.cpoworkshop.com/factory-r...FYeo4AodSnbM1w

[hermco]

Air tools.

[bigeasy1]

I used my #343 Porter cable RO sander and worked the heck out of it for three years of sanding,sanding,and more sanding on my 23' project.If it bit the dust today it would have owed me nothing.Reasonably priced and took a beating.Starting with coarse discs of 60 and moving progressively finer,it did a good job of smoothing out a surface after grinding with the disc sander.

http://www.portercable.com/Products/...roductID=15053

I used my Makita GV5000 5" disc sander for a load of grinding and sanding with zero problems.This is a great tool and will take a beating and just keep on going.I used fiber backed discs from #24 grit to 80 grit depending on what I was doing.

http://makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tool...ls.aspx?ID=261

Went through a couple of Rigid shop vacs which I think are junk.

I Used a Rotozip with the masonary wheel to zip right through the glass when I was cutting out the transom and deck.Worked great for a couple months then crapped out.Bosch sent me another one at n/c and that one crapped out as well.I think it just needs brushes,and they list them in the manual,except they don't sell them.
Should have stuck with an air powered die grinder.

Festool? I guess if you have that kind of dispoasble income,or do it for a living then it's worth it,Not for me.I know they are high quality,but $535.00 for a sander? I don't think so.

[jorgeinmiami]

What I have done to my tools is that I get the yard blower and blow the dust out of them after use. It seems to help as I used them a lot and no problems. I mean with all the fiberglass dust inside of them it can't be good for it.

[db3155]

I have been using the harbor freight $19 grinder and 24 grit burned one up with the dust. its the dust in the motor that kills them.

also take out what you can in big chunks using air chisles and crow bars.

With the shop vac's get the paper bags that go in the vac (like the one mom buy's) so the dust doesent get blown around.

Also I have found a box fan blowing on me upstream of the grinding area, I find it keeps alot of the glass dust off me as I grind. read less iching.

[FishStretcher]

9" angle grinder. (!) A long board made from a 2x4 cleaned up on a jointer. And a Ryobi 5" orbital. I bought the dremel 3 tool kit and the 3/16 arbor rotozip thing works great if you get a McMaster carbide burr for it. Unsure how long it will last, though.

[muddywater]

The masonry bit on the Rotozip for cutting sounds like a great idea. I had used a circular saw which dulled the blades immediately and the flying shards of fiberglass hurt like heck! I don't think the Rotozips are made all that well though as mine broke pretty quickly but I can still rig it up and make it work.

The air chisel for the transom is an interesting idea, but when I started my transom job the core was so far gone that I was able to literally vacuum out 80% of it and just hit it lightly with the angle grinder/flap disc. I have heard of other people's nightmares getting this out. I think someone even used a chainsaw?

Those bags db3155 mentioned for the Shop vac would be super useful. I saw Will had one on his Vac when he was working on his Seacraft, but I never was able to find one anywhere. The filters get choked up with gel-coat and fiberglass in no time.

The crowbar as others mentioned was unexpectedly very useful. That baitwell in the back of the 72' was built to withstand a nuclear holocaust. After everything else had been completely cut free, I attached a hoist to the baitwell trying to pull it free and literally picked the entire boat off the trailer and hung it there for a while with the glass that was attaching the bottom of the baitwell to the boat. A couple of crowbars and a sledgehammer combined with the pressure from the hoist eventually got it loose.

Hermco mentioned air tools which would be really sweet, but I don't have an industrial sized compressor. My compressor is only like 7 CFM at 100 psi. Air tools use crazy amounts of air otherwise I would get a Dynabrade air sander. Just out of curiosity Hermco, do you use an inline/straightline air sander instead of a (manual) longboard?

Thanks for the sander rec's. I am going to get some 7" fiber discs for the polisher and try that for knocking down repairs before I invest in another sander, but will definitely consider the recommendations when I do.

[hermco]

Have Ingersoll Rand inline sanders. Several types of Hutchins sanders, and a couple electric angle grinders. Tried many different sanders over the years electric and air but IMHO the Hutchins are by far the best. Well worth the money. Last for years with proper care. Air chisel with several modified bits work great for removing stubborn transom wood. Also have crowbars and wood wedges on hand.

http://www.hutchinsmfg.com/Catalog.aspx?catid=30664