Compressor air tools to remove antifouling?

[capetown]

Hi,
What does the team think of using air tools (wet) for rubbing down antifouling?

Most seem to use the standerd rubber based sanding block or the longer "D" handle sort.
Takes ages, then arms and shoulders play up, hence the question.

Access to tools, compressor and ample power supply not a problem.

Anyone done it? Pros & cons?

 

[savageseadog]

Jolly good idea. I haven't the faintest idea why more yards don't use them.

 

[spannerman]

We always use air tools for prepping a new hull before its primed and antifouled.
I removed the antifouling on my 22 yr old boat last autumn with air tools otherwise it wouldn't have got done! You will need a good respirator mask and goggles though otherwise you will choke on the dust, recommend gloves too and masking tape around the ends of your sleeves, you will still look like a miner though at the end of the day!
I used a sander with a vacuum attachment to take care of most of the dust.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Jolly good idea. I haven't the faintest idea why more yards don't use them.

Your right Savageseadog it is a good idea. There is legislation in the UK that suppliers of compressed air must comply with. It was introduced about 15 years ago and many old compressor and distribution systems didn't satisfy the requirements.

These days compressors are quite low cost but a distribution network around the hard would require a bit more effort and probably not worth the HSE hassle, which the legislation was really all about.

Good DIY systems here Compressors and Air Tools Including Sanders and Buffers

 

[PCUK]

Dry sanding antifouling is dangerous to all in the area, but wet is ideal using air tools with no shock factor to worry about! Also remember to prevent run-off entering drains.

 

[cliff]

Hi,
What does the team think of using air tools (wet) for rubbing down antifouling?
<snip>
Anyone done it? Pros & cons?

Firstly, the little DIY compressors do not give enough air to run a decent sander for any useful length of time - you will need to run two in tandem (or even three manifolded together) to get a useful supply of air.

Secondly, what abrasive disk/pad were you thinking off using? - in my experience the pad type (jitterbug) sanders are NFG for antifoul removal - the pads clog too fast. My preference is to use a DA sander with a (home made) paint removal pad. I aquired a few replacement backing pads for a DA sander and attached 6" ø discs cut from a sheet of the abrasive used for floor finishing machines - it is like coarse "scotch-brite" material. These pads were atached to the backing pads with hot melt glue heated on an old frying pan so the whole of the back of the abrasive pad could be coated in one go - a bit "stoneage" but it worked.

with the aid of a water spray the antifoul is kept wet and hence dust is kept down - place the DA on the work before starting and stop it before removing or else you will spray antifoul slurry everywhere.

The pads cut through the antifoul but did not cut into the gel coat - just left a nice matte finish.

 

[capetown]

I'm thinking more of the "twin piston straight line sander" type of thing, can be used wet or dry.
Some only need 5cfm.

 

[timchapman]

Water fed air sander

If anyones interested I may sell this, little used. PM me.

Details from www.hutchinsmfg.com

 

[Avocet]

I have one of those twin piston "flat bed" sanders. Although they claim to only need 5CFM, my experience is that you get nothing LIKE 5CFM out of those little "toy" DIY compressors. I've been using it to sand a mixture of epoxy and microballoons whilst replacing Avocet's gelcoat and my (supposedly) 7.5CFM, 2hp Sealey compressor can't keep up with it. The sander runs quite slowly and the compressor runs continuously. Those little compressors can't cope with being run continuously and I'm pretty certain mine would have "melted" after about an hour of continuous use! At least the bloke in Machine Mart was honest enough to tell me that their "toy" compressors are only rated for a 50% duty cycle (say 2 mins running, 2 mins off). Fortunately, I got my hands on a very old (1960s!) Hydrovane. Although that only claims 5.7CFM, it actually seems to deliver it! It also doesn't mind running continuously - although, as the chap from Hydrovane very apologetically told me when he sent me a (free!) copy of the user manual, "I'm afraid we no longer support that model sir, we haven't manufactured it since 1968"!

I've never tried using that in-line sander with wet paper though. I think it would make a hell of a mess! Another thing to consider is some means of drying the air. When the compressor is running flat-out all the time, you get a hell of a lot of condensation going into the sander, which wil lruin it in time. Those cheap water traps that you can get for £20 don't seem to stop it. Talking to a car painter the other day, he said his water separator cost him £200 - so I imagine the "proper" ones are that expensive for a reason!

 

[zarathustra]

I wouldn't be sure its a good idea to run a sander off a compressor, as far as I know a sander is much too demanding for a compressor and should only be used at short intervals to avoid overworking the compressor. I would have thought an electrical sander would be a better option. I have a 300 litre air compressor in my workshop which is great but I was advised against using it for sanding

 

[timchapman]

You need a big commercial compressor to do this. I certainly wouldn't want to wet sand with an electric sander!

 

[fishermantwo]

I have one of those twin piston "flat bed" sanders. Although they claim to only need 5CFM, my experience is that you get nothing LIKE 5CFM out of those little "toy" DIY compressors. I've been using it to sand a mixture of epoxy and microballoons whilst replacing Avocet's gelcoat and my (supposedly) 7.5CFM, 2hp Sealey compressor can't keep up with it. The sander runs quite slowly and the compressor runs continuously. Those little compressors can't cope with being run continuously and I'm pretty certain mine would have "melted" after about an hour of continuous use! At least the bloke in Machine Mart was honest enough to tell me that their "toy" compressors are only rated for a 50% duty cycle (say 2 mins running, 2 mins off). Fortunately, I got my hands on a very old (1960s!) Hydrovane. Although that only claims 5.7CFM, it actually seems to deliver it! It also doesn't mind running continuously - although, as the chap from Hydrovane very apologetically told me when he sent me a (free!) copy of the user manual, "I'm afraid we no longer support that model sir, we haven't manufactured it since 1968"!

I've never tried using that in-line sander with wet paper though. I think it would make a hell of a mess! Another thing to consider is some means of drying the air. When the compressor is running flat-out all the time, you get a hell of a lot of condensation going into the sander, which wil lruin it in time. Those cheap water traps that you can get for £20 don't seem to stop it. Talking to a car painter the other day, he said his water separator cost him £200 - so I imagine the "proper" ones are that expensive for a reason!

I have one of these sanders as well. My compressor allows me to sand for a couple of minutes then I have to rest while it catches up. I need that rest time too. Have not tried it with wet paper and not sure its even available in that long a sheet. Water from the compressor would not be a problem if using water with wet paper. I add a few drops of oil to the compressor end of the hose before I start.