I have a maghogany deck that needs refinishing. The boards are in good shape, but some minor cupping has occurred. I am hesitant to use a drum sander. Would it be practical to smooth the cups with a hand plane and finish with an orbital sander? Any thoughts and ideas are appreciated.
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Nail or screw heads (if top nailed) would tear up the sanding paper, especially if you are sanding deep to remove the cupping. If you can remove the cupped boards, maybe from underneath, turning them over may work.
Hope it helps.
thx......I have hidden fasteners (TEBO). Cupping may be a misnomer. Some boards are slightly raised on the edges, probably caused by more thorough drying on the edges. I think an orbital would work but it would be uneven until the edges were flattened.
I really don't think you want an orbital. You want something that goes with the grain of the wood.
I did it on our redwood deck with a belt sander. Wore out one sander, but it was a cheapie Bosch.
I refinished both a PT deck and an Ipe deck (both face screwed) using a flooring drum sander. Yep, ended up with a few shiners, but overall it turned out great, and the client was happy. I countersank what proud screws I could beforehand. The screws were stainless, and only ripped one or two sleeves. Gotta be careful, though, or you can gouge the wood easily.