Cheap pnumatic wet sander I found yesterday!

[premierproperties]

Just thought Id spread the word what a jem I found while at Harbor freight yesterday.
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-palm-orbital-wet-sander-66881.html
They don't carry the sanding discs for it, so had to order 50 packs of 600/1000/1500 grits online from these guys
http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com/hook-and-loop-paper-discs.html....will keep you posted on the progress of the job

[beast 496]

Do you know what the orbit rotation diam is? 3/16", 1/4" or 5/16? It is probably in metric. I use a Dynobrade DA but I am always looking for replacements. For the cost you found a great buy. Keep us posted on how it works for you thanks Al

[sybrmike]

Wish I had found that a few months ago - only have the running surface left to sand/compound/polish...

Thanks for the link & let us know how it performs. Definitely keep the HF air tools well lubed.

Is that the Salt you were looking at a few weeks back?

[wotan2525]

Is it safe to use a power sander for wet sanding? I just bought tons of paper and blocks and was going to tackle mine this weekend the old fashioned way!

[Salty87]

Is it safe to use a power sander for wet sanding? I just bought tons of paper and blocks and was going to tackle mine this weekend the old fashioned way!

might be best to re-phrase that....is it safe to use a HARBOR FREIGHT sander for wet sanding...lol

i admit that i have some of their tools but let's be honest...they're pretty junky most of the time.

[premierproperties]

I actually used a DA and wet with a hose as i went along on my last salty which was the identical to this one. It worked wayyy better than doing it by hand. The red really likes to oxidize if not waxed often....This one is really bad.
For $50 I dont care if it breaks, the clerk discounted it and included a 2yr replacement warranty( they must get commission when a warranty is sold)
Awaiting sand paper........

[beast 496]

Is the backing pad a hook and loop style? ie Velcro type? Al

[Ptownkid]

Is it safe to use a power sander for wet sanding? I just bought tons of paper and blocks and was going to tackle mine this weekend the old fashioned way!

Depends on how wet and how sloppy you are...

[jet]

I WOULD NOT use a power tool for wet sanding. You wont be able to feel "watch Karate Kid again before you start" how deep you are going and can burn right through it. Its best to use your hands..grasshoppa'. Jet

[Mani]

I'm with Jet. I've heard of people burning up gel coat using orbital buffers and high grade wax. A sander will eat right through it if you're not careful.

As for Harbor freight, I do own some of their tools. I've got a set sockets that we bought 8 years ago from them that get very regular use. Breaker bar and all, they're still solid today. We also have a heat gun from them that has lasted us about 2.5 years with almost daily use. You just can't go buy drill presses, air compressors, welders, and other such items from them. They'll fail on you faster than it takes to start them up.

[haugy]

HOLY CRAP GUYS!!!

To the poster, I would be very wary about using a power sander to wet sand, even one with a hose attached. You need to regularly rinse the sanding discs so as not to collect fiberglass in the sanding disc otherwise it won't work. Hopefully that one will do that.

But it's a random orbital, meaning you can't control where it goes smoothly and with detail. It will bounce and move all over the place. All you can do is turn it on, hold it in place, and hope it does the job. If I were you, I'd start with a higher grit to get used to it before going down to 600.

AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO POWER ROUTE: SLOW AND ADJUSTABLE!!!!

You need a low speed setting sander that you can adjust speed. Anything over 500rpm is too much for wet sanding. You're trying to lightly cut into the gelcoat, not burn it down. The HF didn't say speed, but I'd be careful with a

I am of the old fashioned do it by hand way. Some spots need more attention than others and if you go at the whole boat in one way with a single speed, you may sand too much, or not enough and have to redo it anyways.

But if you're going to sand, slow and smooth. That will get you the gelcoat that you and the boat deserve.