My new favourite tool for sanding planking

[Douglas Ingram]

I had a chance to try this sanding tool out this week. Its my new favourite for sanding the planking between the ribs. It's called a "Sand-O-Flex" I got mine from Lee Valley, but I'm sure that its also available in other stores, too.

What makes this tool great is that it has lots of abrasive available for contact with the wood, and the nature of the paper is that it conforms well to the shape of the canoe. The drill, being variable speed, allows you to adjust how aggressive you need to be. Different grits paper is available, and as it wears or clogs, it is simple to pull out new fresh paper from the internal spool. The brushes between the paper "fingers" give some backing to the paper ensuring contact to the wood that you are sanding.

I used to use the sanding stars, which were the best tool available before I found this, but the abrasive paper wears out faster and there is nothing to do about that, short of replacing it. Also, the diameter of the sanding stars is much smaller.

This works great on restorations. I still sand only by hand on new building as all sanding marks caused by a power sanding tools seem to be revealed in the way that the varnish transmits light through the wood. Clients don't seem to appreciate that.

 

[Howard Caplan]

Doug,
Doesn't this tool go against the grain and leave marks on the planks?
Howard

 

[Jeffrey Ray]

This one works very well but is a bit pricey. Called the sanding star.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=266&keyword=sanding_stars&refcode

 

[Douglas Ingram]

Jeff, those are the ones that were my favourite before the "Sand-O-Flex". This one is better, in my opinion, in many ways.

Howard, there's almost no option about going cross grain on the planking. If you really want to, you can hand sand with the grain. In a new build, the planking is sanded prior to installation, so all you sand is the varnish. In a restoration, you sand as required. The sanding marks are controlled by the grit used, and for some reason, they don't show in the old wood as much as you'd think that they would.

 

[Rod Tait (Orca Boats)]

If you don't want to sand against the grain, I use a small curved, high density foam pad the width of the gap on my small, square palm sander. I then cut strips of sandpaper to fit over the pad and hook into the sander. It does not get right into the edges, but no scratches. I can take a photo if anyone wishes.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Photos, please!

 

[John Greer]

Doug I've tried to find your tool on Lee Valley's site but it's not listed that I can see. Have contacted the company for a response to see if it's no longer stocked.

 

[Douglas Ingram]

John,

They call it a flap sanding wheel, but on the tool its called the Sand-O-flex. that's probably the source of the confusion. Its not cheap, but its worth the expense!

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=20194&cat=1,42500

 

[john hupfield]

Looks good cause you can pick your grit # I assume. And just enough pressure too?
John

 

[Rod Tait (Orca Boats)]

Here is photo of the sanding pad that I made for sanding between ribs. It isn't anything special, just a foam pad from high density foam. With the varying curve in it I can get into the curves of the hull.
http://www.orcaboats.ca/photopost/data/535/thumbs/sandingpad.JPG

 

[Kevin French]

Doug How many sets do you use in stripping a canoe?

 

[Douglas Ingram]

Kevin, what do you mean by how many sets?

This thing seems to last and last. It uses the ends of the paper, when that wears off you pull them out a bit more and trim off the used bit. In the long run, this is going to cost me a lot less than using the sanding stars because they wear out faster and then that's that. Time to buy new ones.

 

[Kevin French]

Yes, sets of each grit.

I have a 20' 'Project' I'm going to begin in the spring and would like figure out what I'll need. I'd say with an average amount of finish to remove.

The Lightweight Sander, and then how many of the (scored?) 80 grit and 120 grit refills?

And I'm assuming you're using it just between the ribs.

It does look like it will do a great job.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Douglas Ingram]

On that 16' canoe that I did, I used only the 120 grit, not the 80. Though it might have been nice to have it when sanding the residue from the wood.

Its a bit of a chore to change the grits, it only takes a few minutes, but its one more thing to do and I just didn't feel like it. Actually, I just wanted to see how the 120 would work. I thought that the extra time that it might take would be less than going over sanding out the 80 grit sanding scratches.

Its a fast tool.

I did the whole canoe trimming the 120 grit just once. Then I trimmed it before sanding the varnish. I figure that I have many more trims left on the spool. I doubt that you'd need to buy more than one spool of each grit, and it comes with one already.