I have read somewhere that boat building is 90% sanding - probably a lot of truth in that statement.

Since I enjoy building boats, I have to publicly admit the I don't mind sanding and, in fact I rather enjoy it [so now I am REALLY branded as a nut case!].

I find sanding to be relaxing. It gives me a chance to work closely with the hull and check the surface. In spite of the fact that I have a complete range of power sanders at my disposal I still do a major portion of my sanding by hand.

Paul's post goes over the details very well - as Paul always does.

The purpose of this post is to suggest a few things to make hand sanding less of a chore - especially since this is so much a part of building a kayak. My friend is helping me with the 2 kayaks that I am building right now and the thought of "all that sanding" has him a bit worried. I hope that I can change his view.

My early experiences with sanding were not good - on my first kayak actually, when I was 16 years old. My Father's instructions, as were typical from him, were: Watch what you are doing, see what is happening, feel what is happening, chose the correct grit of paper. The first three were the "standard instructions" from Dad. After I had struggled for a while he demonstrated the proper technique and things went much better.

Most people work too hard at the sanding. They sand in small frantic strokes bearing down heavily on the paper. This causes localized dips and hollows in the surface, clogs the sandpaper and creates deep scratches. Sanding epoxy that is less than fully cured with a fast stroke heats up the surface, softening it and causing the paper to clog even faster. Clogged sandpaper doesn't cut and tired people don't like sanding.

Try this...

Use a light sanding block [I use a piece of blue "SM" rigid foam insulation] that fits your hand and the sandpaper well [I like 1/4 sheet pieces]. I cut the foam block that it is 1/4" narrower at the top than at the base so that I don't have to grip the paper/block tightly to hold it together. Tension in the grip is bad.

Have the surface to be sanded at a good working height and secure that it will not move around. Take a moment to do this, it is worth your while.

Relax! Stand in a comfortable stance [in Karate it would be a high "Kiba Dachi" or "horse stance"] that allows you to sand using your body - the arm is only used to guide the sanding block. Sand using a long, easy motion that comes from your legs and is directed through the body - like walking, you will be able to do this for a long time with very little effort. Pace yourself.

Choosing the correct grit is very important - why do you think there are so many grits/types to chose from? Except when purposely roughening a surface to create a "tooth" for adhesion you want to use the finest grit that will not clog. The type/hardness of the surface determines the grit. Finer generally cuts faster than coarse because there are that many more cutting edges - and the scratches to be dealt with later are shallower.

Be observant. Try different grits/brands/types of paper. With sanding, feeling is more important that seeing. You can feel the drag on the sanding block it tells you about the surface being sanded and the condition of the sandpaper [clogged, dull]. Pay attention, change the paper when necessary. Wet sanding will let you use a smaller grit and eliminates the airborne dust.

I don't mean to preach by rambling on about such basic things and I don't claim to be an expert - got lots to learn myself. I have realized that "experience" is made up of the things that we learned long ago and do without thinking. At the risk of stating the obvious to those that already know, I hope that this helps those who are new to building.

AND I proclaim to all that sanding is FUN!!! and no I am NOT addicted, nope... not me... never!

Hank