Can you sand the hot coat by hand and if so how long would it takw. also what gritt sandpaper should i use. thanks
Takes a loooooong time. A good block helps - carpet on one side helps smooth the curves together. I would use 40 to knock down all the gnarly stuff and then 60/80 for smoothing it all out (the bulk of the sanding), then 100/120 for defining the edges and getting everything right. Then wet/dry 180/220 for a smoother finish; you can keep getting finer for your board to get shiny and rub untill your arms fall off. Or put a sealer/finish after the 180. My first board, I hand sanded the bulk of the board. http://groups.msn.com/thegrasshoppersurfboard/shoebox.msnw
Yup, a really loooooong time. Check the recent thread about sanders for some cheap model suggestions and tips for maintenance. I’ve used the $30 Harbor Freight sander/polisher for the last ten boards or so and it’s still running strong–gonna wrap it up tonight to keep the dust out. Good luck!
You can do a nice job by hand.Make a block and glue 40 grit on one side and a piece of foam on the other.The 40 glued side will act like a big file and knock the high spots down.WHen thats done wrap the block with some 60 0r 80 over the foam and clean it all up.Any grit higher than 80 is just for removing scratches.Take it up through the grades as far as you want.
Hey Nothing wrong is hand sanding, or planing, for that matter. A typical 6’ shortboard only takes about 25 minutes, from start (36 grit) to finish (180grit). If you let it cure longer than 2 days, add another 10 minutes to sanding process. Hey, it’s good exercise, keeps you strong and in shape, and you can jump into the shorebreak after sanding on sand.
Seriously? 25 minutes? I must be doing something wrong then. It takes me double that with a sander.
Hi Losos Yeah, really. Most sanders only get 2.50 per side, same for rails Our two sanders, Ralph Ehni and Bill Bergerson, took less than 20 minutes per board. For a final pinstripe prep, they’d get more, of course. By hand, I use two 36 grit sheets, two 80, sometimes 3, and two 180’s. If I pinstripe, of course it takes longer, as I’d need to sand with 320 in the direction and the area of the pinstripe.