> I've been thinking that sanding something the size of kayak or a boat
> hull would quickly burn out the smaller ( Any comments.

John:

In our shop, we use the Black & Decker model RO100 palm grip ROS. The Makitas were nice while they lasted, but the motor on them is only rated at 1.2 amps. The B&D is rated at 2 amps. We buy them at Wal-Mart for about $50.00 each and include one in every kit. My own RO100 has done 12 canoes, 6 paddles, a tool box, my truck, my wife's car and a Cosine Wherry, without so much as a hiccup. It's about to do a 17' Endeavour very soon. For the money, you can't beat it. One of our students bought a Porter Cable (I'm not sure which model) and burned the bearings out of it before the canoe was finished - less than 20 hours on a $150.00 sander. Granted, there are probably better machines ou there, but I like to stick with what works for me, and this one is certainly worth looking at. BTW...replacement brushes, bearings and velcro pads are readily available through B&D, and they are reasonably priced. The only thing I've replaced on mine is the brushes. The first set gave out after almost 300 hours of sanding. The bearings and the velcro are showing very little wear after almost 400 hours. Just remember to let the sander do the work, don't force it (I guess the same goes for any power tool). If anyone is interested, I can post the specs tomorrow night.

Don