power sander for wet sanding?

[jd]

Hi folks.... I've been doing a lot of rubbing out of finishes lately, and was wondering what folks use for power tools to make this job easier/quicker?

I usually use a solvent for lube (mineral spirits or the actual finish itself), so I'm pretty sure an electric snader wouldn't be a good idea. I was wondering if anyone has used air tools to wet sand finishes, and if so what are the pros and cons?

thanks

--JD

[Mike Marlow]

A DA works fine for wet sanding, but there are a couple of things to consider. One is that you'll need a lot of compressor. Most DA's want

15CFM or so. That's a lot for most woodworking shop compressors.

The bigger concern is whether to use a power tool for this type of work. You'll want to be working on some pretty big surfaces to justify using a DA. It's easy to burn through a finish with a DA as well - even with something as fine as 1200 grit. With some practice, you can develop the knack for it, but just know that it will easily go farther than you wanted.

I do use my DA for wet sanding and indeed, it's a time saver. Get a hook and loop pad for it though. It's just a lot less messy to deal with than adhesive disks. I also wet sand by hand a lot. If you want a really, really, really flat surface (flat as in flat, not not shiny - how's that for a description?), a DA is not the ultimate tool. A paint stick with the desired grit wrapped around it is your ticket.

In the end - there's no escaping hand work in my opinion. The tools can help, but they aren't the absolute answer.