Can any of you recommend a pad density for sanding foam while shaping? I’ve seen it done on videos and have tried it myself with a small 5" D/A sander. It seems that a larger maybe softer pad might be better? I liked the way I could shave off the planer marks in smooth passes and blend in the tail and nose thickness pretty quickly. I’m suspecting that a 7" soft power pad might do the trick, any suggestions?
Also what grit are you using on a PU blank? I’ve been using 100 and it seems about right.
I’ve started to develop a pattern in my shaping steps and I like the sanders action in blending in the nose to deck to tail thickness foil. The d/a is one speed and too hard to control. I’m looking at a nice sander that I can dedicate just for shaping.
I understand your tip about blocking, thank you. The power sander can take off too much material. On the potato chip boards though I’ve found that it is a time saver to thin out the noses and tails. I’ve tried to use the planer more efficiently but bringing down the nose thickness is tricky.
Howzit DMP, I order them from Fiberglass Hi. I have 2 6" and 2 8" a soft and a medium in both sizes. But they have to be available from other suppliers. Great for doing rails and for shaping. DMP just realized you are just down the road from me so Fiberglass Hi is the place to get Ferro pads. Just add to you next order from F.H. or call them, they will have it to you quick. Aloha,Kokua
Can any of you recommend a pad density for sanding foam while shaping? I’ve seen it done on videos and have tried it myself with a small 5" D/A sander. It seems that a larger maybe softer pad might be better? I liked the way I could shave off the planer marks in smooth passes and blend in the tail and nose thickness pretty quickly. I’m suspecting that a 7" soft power pad might do the trick, any suggestions?
Also what grit are you using on a PU blank? I’ve been using 100 and it seems about right.
Mahalo
Hi DMP, We at Power Pad make a Super Soft special Pad for shaping foam. Please feel free to Contact Fiber Glass Hawaii and ask for a Super Soft for Shaping. We also make a Super hard for Extreme Ruff Sanding where a foam backing is needed at Hi RPMs for stability.
I think I meant 8’’ soft squishy pad, sorry for the mistake. Whatever diameter a standard powerpad is.
It might be Ferro that makes the one I’m using, I should have checked when I was at work this evening.
For doing the noses on PU (where the planer won’t fit), I use a 7’’ hard disc with 36 grit. You can cut ‘‘bands’’
with that, much more precise once you’ve mastered the tool. I’m using a 2800 rpm Milwaukee on the hard
disc, and the wonderful 0-1800 rpm speed-control Milwaukee on the soft pad.
Thanks Mike,
I’m working my way up to the 36 and the disk. So far the 60 grit is allowing for my mistakes with the d/a. I can see that the orbital is too random in motion and a hard disk is like shaving with a razor.
Howzit DMP, I order them from Fiberglass Hi. I have 2 6" and 2 8" a soft and a medium in both sizes. But they have to be available from other suppliers. Great for doing rails and for shaping. DMP just realized you are just down the road from me so Fiberglass Hi is the place to get Ferro pads. Just add to you next order from F.H. or call them, they will have it to you quick. Aloha,Kokua
Thanks again Kokua,
I’ve been using Fedex from Oahu to save on the trip to Lihue and the Young Brothers hide-and-go-seek that you have to deal with. I have to go to Oahu this weekend for the state races at Keehi lagoon so I’ll stop by and see what they have.
I know I know, especially here on swaylocks the shame?! I thought it was bad when I got a spoke shave and a block plane, the little rounded piece of dried beach coral was working so well on the stringers. But you know only using a spoke shave and a block can be frustrating reducing the nose on the deck. They are great tools for fine tuning, but for carving thickness away can produce undesired results. Blending the thickness profile into a smooth arch to a very fine taper has been hard at times, under a tree.
It’s like a line from Dr. Suess’s “Green Eggs and Ham”, would you could you in the rain, in the sun, under a tree, on a box, with a fox. Sure I could keep chipping away at it if I had too, but I don’t, so I won’t.
I’m finally stepping up to lights in a room with 4 real walls so I’m celebrating with a new tool.
This is #54 and the last one that will be done under my Milo tree and no I did not paint this board.
This pad was developed specifically for shaping and not for glassing. It’s extremely soft and flexible and is guaranteed to stay true. The catch with this pad is that you have you use it at a slow speed or they break apart. Everyone that has used them has been totally stoked.
Howzit DMP, Forget Fedex, If you phone in your order before 9am you should receive it the next day via USPS. Do you have their 1-800 ph #. The reason I ask that is the new phone books for the last couple of years don’t have it. It’s 1-800-566-2653. Aloha,Kokua
Check these guys out: http://www.southshoremfg.com/. These are the best pads I used for surfboard building. Pads are $35 each and it includes USA shipping. I get my pads within three days. I use the hard, medium and soft pads. Be sure your keep to the recommended RPMs and these pads will last awhile.
You’re living up to your username! Mahalo again for the help, I didn’t know they used USPS. I have statewide roaming so no long distance charges to Oahu, but thank you for the number anyway. If the number takes me directly to Louis then that is something.
Mahalo to you all for your help, sounds like there are options. The super squishy power pad sounds interesting.
Just to let you guys know we use USPS to Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. If you place the order directly online it will come up as FED EX (computer programming issue) but we credit you the difference to USPS. You can also email or call in your order to get the USPS charges at the time of ordering. We guarantee that your order goes out the same day it’s ordered if we get it by 1pm PST.
Wow, we must have had a big run on them yesterday. So I guess I was off when I said we ship out same day, it definitely pertains to products we have in stock! We should have more within a week, so keep checking back.
