Replies

1. 
   VaTom | Mar 15, 2006 07:28pm | #1

   How about alternatives to sanding?

   PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

2. 
   weekendbuilder | Mar 17, 2006 03:04pm | #2

   Kicking this back to the top to try and get some responses!!

    

    

1. 
   peteshlagor | Mar 17, 2006 03:20pm | #3

   How's about answering the question if you'd like more responses?

   What are you sanding?

    

1. 
   weekendbuilder | Mar 17, 2006 04:10pm | #4

   Sorry, Pete, didn't know there was a question...

   We will be sanding some 2x6 boards that are the subfloor we are laying a new hardwood floor over... to make the floor level where boards have cupped.  Then later, we will be sanding the posts and beams in our timberframe.  They have molded in some places and we will need to clean them up.

    

    

1. 
   SCaseria | Mar 17, 2006 04:15pm | #5

   Do you own a handplane? How about a scrub plane? You can remove a lot of stock without dust or noise. Stace

2. 
   peteshlagor | Mar 17, 2006 05:14pm | #6

   we will be sanding the posts and beams in our timberframe.  They have molded in some places

   You got something else going on causing the mold?

   Them posts are carrying a load.  I'm not sure mold is compatible with loads...

   But to the Q, some of these new floor sanding machines are like orbital sanders.  They seem to scare up less mess.  I believe you can attach vac hoses to many.

   Depending upon the finish of your timbers, I have great success with scrapers rather than sandpaper.  Much less dust and faster results. 

    

    

1. 
   weekendbuilder | Mar 17, 2006 05:39pm | #7

   The mold is surface only.  And very minimal... The beams were green when put in, and it was recommended to us that we Poly them before they went up to minimize the work we'd have to do later.

    

    

2. 
   MikeFitz | Mar 21, 2006 03:46pm | #11

   I had the same mold problem on my timberframe.  I sprayed diluted bleach on them first, which cleaned up a lot of the mold and made the sanding easier.  I don't think I would put poly on green timbers, though.  We used a penetrating oil which allows the timbers to dry out over time.  And yes, it will take a long time for them to dry (several years).

    

   Mike

3. 
   tollgeek03 | Mar 18, 2006 01:13am | #8

   I have an old Fein Mini Turbo with attachments and a Festo CT 22 hepa (and a couple of brush attachments).

   The Fein hose-end will adapt to my Festo router and plunge-saw if I wrap the hose-end with tape or rubber band. Perhaps it could adapt to your Festo sander..... the Mini hose-end will not adapt to my Festo Rotex sander with it's oval dust port.

   The Festo vac's rubber hose-end fits all of the Fein (female) attachments and snugs into a Ridgid 6" ROS (Metabo style) dust port.

   If the Fein Mini will work with your Fein sander, then I suspect that the Festo vac would work with your Fein sander.

   The "euro" vac hose ends do not readily fit the locally available "ShopVac" type fittings. Adapting "euro" sanders to local vacs may merit some "duck" tape.....or a check-it-out test fit to your sanders.

   Both Festo and Fein are quiet, I always use dust bags (shop-vac bags will work in the Mini but the Festo bag is just "different").... then the hepa's last "forever".

   Auto power-on is a nice feature, dunno 'bout the new Mini's but the bigger Fein's have it, as do the Festo's.

4. 
   alias | Mar 18, 2006 01:46am | #9

   if health concerns are paramount, which they should be. i would look into an air infiltration unit. i just bought a jdc 8-12 unit. this would be the best plan . used in conjunction with dust extraction, you have covered alot of your concerns. respirators, dust masks,vaccum's, and poly the work area off. you have done pretty much all you can do. keep your work area small and easily managable. with the scope of work your doing. it does cost money, but your lungs and your babies lungs are just too precious. ....... slainte'..

   .." we judge ourselves by our motives, and others by their actions........."

   
   

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   Edited 3/17/2006 6:49 pm ET by alias

5. 
   BETRICKEY | Mar 21, 2006 04:43am | #10

   How about a good quality cabinet scraper?  With  a little practice you can get good results.

6. 
   Gene_Davis | Mar 21, 2006 05:04pm | #12

   Been using a Festool sander with its vac attachment last few days.  It certainly gets most all the dust.  But if I wanted to get the rest, I would get a shop air filter, do all my sanding there with the door closed.

   I don't wear a mask when sanding with the Festool, but I can still blow some sawdust boogers at day's end.

1. 
   peteshlagor | Mar 21, 2006 06:39pm | #13

   You could always do what I did...

   http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=71249.1