Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[petermeachem]

I shall have to use a sander to smooth paintwork and get a proper dust mask.
Sanders seem to have a huge range or prices. Can anyone recommend bearing in mind I shan't be sanding for a living.
I have a painting mask which is very good but gets in the way of reading glasses. Can anyone recommend a good mask, P3 spec seems to be the one to use, that works ok with glasses?

[ka]

I would not advise using a power tool to get a smoother finish on paintwork. By their very nature, sanders have a flat bed, and if used on the edges and swages on a vehicle, you will quickly remove all the paint from higher surfaces.
Using a fine grit wet and dry is fine, for the final 'sand' use the finest grit available, at least 1200, if not 1600. Rub the sheets against each other to remove any sharp/higher areas on the paper, and use by hand, feeling the flat surfaces on the vehicle, showing care on the swages and edges.
Finish using a power polisher, with either a foam or mop head.
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KA

Better three than four.

[ukdave2002]

Peter

I bought a cheap £40 DA air sander, which has served me well as a DIYer, it was the sort that sits in your palm and has a vaccum take off that when used removes much of the dust. I take Ka's points on board, but for large flat panels a DA sander works well, where panels curve don't sand on the crown, but go up and over the crown at 45 degrees and then again at 45 degrees the other way, this avoids flattening the crown . As Ka points out intricate bits need to be done by hand. I have some 2000 grade paper discs that get used prior to compounding the final coat.

A word on the disc makes, stick with the top brands ; Mirka, 3M etc they are more expensive, but don't clog up and last longer, I bought a load of cheap ones and stopped using them !

Finally if you do get a DA sander, small Velcro backed hand sanding blocks are available that take the DA discs, really handy as it saves having to buy 2 lots of abrasive.

Cheers

Dave

[roverdriver]

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I found an admirable coarse sanding product.

While living for a time in New Zealand (Early '70's). my wife and I were restoring our 1928 Model A Ford Tudor Sedan, We were doing it in rather a hurry, and on an extremely low budget, so any way of saving money was duly investigated and if sensible, employed.

When it came to applying filler/primer and sanding it back, I would journey to the nearby river mouth and select pummice 'rocks'that had floated down the river Some were about football size, others smaller. These I would hacksaw in half or into comfortable pieces, and with a bucket of water dip the pummice and rub over the paint. It was quick, much easier than coarse wet and dry, and best of all free!. Once I was satisfied with shape, then I used fine wet and dry to work towards a smooth surface for the top coats.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[petermeachem]

I should be able to do the fiddly bits by hand but won't be able to do the large areas, I'll find a cheap da sander and see how I get on.
Does anyone have experience of good dust masks that are ok with reading glasses?

[Penguin45]

DA sander is the way to go, but use interface pads between the base plate and abrasive media. This adds flexibility to the abrasive surface, allowing curved surfaces to be abraded evenly. Even on flattish panels using a single interface pad helps get an even finish. Never sand by using the paper "in hand" - you will furrow the surface. A small hand block will always give better results.

Also, consider dust extraction. Many of us have the tank type vacuum cleaners, which, with an extended hose and an adaptor, are perfectly adequate for home use. If you do use an extraction system, the disposable paper dust masks are adequate.

I have yet to find a cartidge mask which won't steam up my glasses. The nearest I've come is one from SATA. I've taken to wearing closed goggles over my glasses, which does the trick.

P45.
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'67 Wolseley MkI 18/85, '70 Austin MkII 1800 The Landcrab Forum.