Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Hateful tools
By:Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K
Date: 9/9/2015, 1:24 pm
In Response To: Hateful tools (Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks)

The tool I despised was the original orbital sander, before "random" became available. These made you cut sandpaper in half or quarter, wrestle with a clamping deal that wasted a quarter of the sandpaper. Then you turned it on and it just hummed, buzzing your hand to instant numbness, with no actual discernible effect to any wood you placed it on since it was nearly impossible to clamp the sandpaper on tight enough. Even when you did the effect was negligible. Hand sanding was always easier and faster for me.

I don't know when the "Random orbital" became available, but it was a revelation when I first tried one.

I think this is really important for people to hear. We all have bad experiences with tools or work methods.

As a teacher, I worry people will get discouraged and think it's them, when crummy tools, or lack of information is the issue.

Everything we do is based on previous experiences.

Builders need to know the quality of tool and knowing how to handle it, can dramatically effect results and ease of use.

AND success is always in the details. Small details can make drastic differences. The right sandpaper grit, a sharp edge on a scraper can make work fun.

I remember we were talking about hot glue and glue guns and John Abercrombie said he had a bad experience with a hot glue gun running dripping and making spider webs all over. He didn't think they were worth much.

I've used many different hot glue guns and I know what John experienced. There are few hot glue guns that drool, and spit out way too much glue making them almost totally uncontrollable.

If my first experience was with that crummy gun and the poor holding craft style hot glue sold in most hardware stores I probably would have never learned to work with and love hot glue as I do.

Most people will say sanding is drudgery. It seems simple. The big power tool will make it work. But it is drudgery because it's not working.

Sanding is poorly understood.

If you want to learn to sand every part of your boat quickly and painlessly learn to sand by hand.

Make a strip panel, scrape off the glue, get a firm sanding block. Divide your panel into for quarters and use 80 grit in one corner, 60 grit in another corner and so on with 50 grit and then 36 grit sandpaper. Hold the sanding block flat on the surface and remove all blemishes.

You'll learn how much effort and how quickly the grits will level and smooth the surface. You won't use 80 grit to start again. All your sanding by hand and power will be easier by starting with at least 60 grit.

Most people are afraid to use course grits but if sanding is not working quickly your grit is too fine. On epoxy coated surfaces you must build a thicker coating before sanding, then 60 grit will level quickly without running into glass or wood.

Never use power tools to sand small areas like coamings. If you learn to use the right grit to start all you sanding will be fast and dare I say, fun!

Rob

Messages In This Thread

Strip: Work in basement?
Rob -- 9/7/2015, 8:43 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Joe -- 9/7/2015, 10:17 am
Varnishing outside
Jaybabina -- 1/29/2016, 1:35 pm
Re: Varnishing outside
Marc Upchurch -- 1/29/2016, 4:46 pm
Re: Varnishing outside
scottbaxter -- 1/29/2016, 4:56 pm
Re: Varnishing outside
Etienne Muller -- 1/29/2016, 6:22 pm
Re: Varnishing outside
Bill Hamm -- 1/29/2016, 8:29 pm
Re: Varnishing outside
Brian Nystrom -- 1/30/2016, 12:09 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/7/2015, 10:31 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Rob -- 9/7/2015, 11:56 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Jeff Horton -- 9/7/2015, 5:07 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Shawn Jones -- 9/7/2015, 8:12 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Etienne Muller -- 1/30/2016, 5:12 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Bill Hamm -- 1/30/2016, 7:30 am
Re: RO Sanders and Dust Collection
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/7/2015, 9:05 pm
Re: RO Sanders and Dust Collection *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/8/2015, 4:23 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Paul Sylvester -- 9/8/2015, 7:09 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Nick Riccardi -- 9/7/2015, 12:00 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Dan Thaler -- 9/7/2015, 7:19 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Bill Hamm -- 9/8/2015, 2:58 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Jay Babina -- 9/8/2015, 8:03 am
Re: Strip: Work in basement? *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/8/2015, 8:37 am
Value of expensive sanders
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/8/2015, 4:17 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/8/2015, 5:00 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/8/2015, 5:20 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/8/2015, 7:46 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Bill Hamm -- 9/9/2015, 12:54 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/9/2015, 8:59 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/9/2015, 9:36 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Etienne Muller -- 1/30/2016, 5:22 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Bill Hamm -- 1/30/2016, 7:27 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/9/2015, 8:46 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/9/2015, 8:49 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/9/2015, 9:18 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Daniel Thaler -- 9/9/2015, 3:15 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/26/2016, 8:23 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
JohnAbercrombie -- 1/27/2016, 2:13 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/27/2016, 8:10 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 1/27/2016, 9:28 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/27/2016, 9:30 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Bill Hamm -- 1/28/2016, 2:03 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/28/2016, 8:42 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 1/28/2016, 8:59 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Bill Hamm -- 1/28/2016, 9:07 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
scottbaxter -- 1/28/2016, 11:34 am
Sanding Video
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/28/2016, 9:03 pm
Re: Sanding Video
Marc Donnelly -- 1/29/2016, 11:48 am
Re: Sanding Video
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/29/2016, 12:25 pm
Re: Sanding Video
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 1/29/2016, 11:06 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
JohnAbercrombie -- 1/27/2016, 12:25 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 1/27/2016, 4:03 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 1/27/2016, 6:48 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Marc Donnelly -- 1/27/2016, 7:04 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders *PIC*
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/27/2016, 9:40 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Bill Hamm -- 1/28/2016, 2:12 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 1/27/2016, 11:50 am
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Etienne Muller -- 1/27/2016, 3:51 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Marc Donnelly -- 1/27/2016, 6:46 pm
Re: Value of expensive sanders
Bill Hamm -- 1/28/2016, 2:22 am
Hateful tools
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 9/9/2015, 11:32 am
Re: Hateful tools
Paul Sylvester -- 9/9/2015, 11:56 am
Re: Hateful tools
Jay Babina -- 9/9/2015, 2:40 pm
Re: Hateful tools
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/9/2015, 3:15 pm
Re: Hateful tools
Bill Hamm -- 9/9/2015, 3:42 pm
Re: Hateful tools
Jay Babina -- 9/9/2015, 6:22 pm
Air Tools
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 9/10/2015, 9:12 am
Re: Air Tools
Bill Hamm -- 9/10/2015, 2:10 pm
Re: Hateful tools
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 9/9/2015, 1:24 pm
Re: Hateful tools
Bill Hamm -- 9/9/2015, 3:59 pm
Hand sanding... (pic) *PIC*
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 9/10/2015, 9:18 am
Re: Hand sanding... (pic)
Bill Hamm -- 9/10/2015, 2:13 pm
Re: Hateful tools
JohnAbercrombie -- 9/9/2015, 2:04 pm
Re: Hateful tools
Bill Hamm -- 9/9/2015, 4:00 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Paul Sylvester -- 9/8/2015, 7:55 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Rob -- 9/8/2015, 8:07 pm
Re: Strip: Work in basement?
Bill Hamm -- 9/9/2015, 3:48 pm