The Indispensable Tool
Stewart asked what was this “grinder” thingy I was using on the exterior of the Cross House?
And this is the answer.
Properly, it is a disk sander.
I call it a grinder because I was introduced to the tool by somebody who called it that.
It is, I find, indispensable and cannot imagine how much harder it would be restoring the exterior without it.
One needs to be careful. The tool is powerful and will, in an instant, create gouges in your wood. This is why it is designed to be held with BOTH hands.
Restoring the huge curved metal cornice on the house would be a HORROR without the tool. It effortlessly removes caked-on paint down to bare metal. Mmmmmmmm, bare metal. Ross happy.
I also use the tool to smooth down the wood shingles and flat trim. Again, effortless.
The sanding disks have velcro backs and they, in an instant, attach. I buy them in packs of twenty and in 15 minutes of use I can easily go through 6-8 disks.
Whenever I use the tool I suit up head-to-toe in a full Tyvek suit which I buy in boxes of six. I also wear a good mask, and a full-face shield. In the summer I can, at best, be in the suit (which does not breathe) for 15 minutes. In the spring or fall I can go for hours.
3 Comments
Leave a Comment
Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.
Thank you. What grit(s) is/are the discs that you use?
Yeah that is a helpful tool. I wish I was able to use one when I was about to paint a faux lighthouse (yes it’s mine and it has a story behind it, but that’s not relevant). There was one in the shop, but the cord was all messed up so I didn’t want to use it.
If the cornice is galvanized steel, is there concern of sanding through the protective outer layer and thus allowing it to more quickly rust in the future? Perhaps the abrasive you use is hard on paint but light on the metal?