Looking back at the old way we used to do paint prep

I remember when we'd spend hours sanding a panel by hand before a repaint. Then we got a good dual-action sander, and a job that took a full day got done before lunch. What's the one tool that cut your work time in half?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_oscar14d ago

Man, I used to swear by hand sanding for the final coat. Thought machines left swirls. Then I tried a decent random orbital with the right foam pads. Cut my blocking time down by 75% and the finish is actually smoother. Totally changed my process.

jordan33014d ago

Wasn't there a big debate about this in a woodworking magazine last year? I remember reading that the key is the pad quality, not just the tool itself, which totally lines up with what @the_oscar is saying. Makes me want to finally give my orbital sander a real shot on a finish.