I don’t know if this has been brought up before and I was thinking about it in relationship to another thread but thought I would throw it out. I used to 7 or 8 years back be under the impression that polishing was done at high RPM. I also thought that sanding the hotcoat was done at “medium to fairly high” RPM. Using your variable speed to slow done at crucial areas(ie. nose, tail,rail). Having decided a few years ago to send my shaped blanks to a pro. glass shop and maintan a shaping room only, I have since had the opportunity to watch a pro sand and polish. Observation; He works at low RPM’s both for sanding and polish. Comments and theories? Opinion and facts? Lowel AKA Hd McDing
Hey Lowell
I work at low RPM’s for everything.
But it’s really for no reason other than…I suck. LOL
Seems safer to me. Hey I’ve gotta little time tomorrow so I’m putting your "thing " in the mail. Enjoy that vacation if you haven’t done it already. Peace-- Mcding.
Finding the proper speed is different for each grit of paper. Cheap paper wears out fast so quality is an issue too. The right speed is when you can feel the sander/paper grabbing and mowing the sanding surface. Too fast and it float over and just scratches, too slow and it grabs and throws the work.
Right on. Makes total sense! I prefer Norton’s “Champaigne”. Great "gum-free paper. The green paper that Lowe’s sells is excellent. The white paper from Fiberglass Hawaii is also good. But papers have been run thru the mill on this site many times. More thought on RPM. Slow or Fast? Hd
Maybe some of the polishing / sanding pros like tfad will chime in here – this forum doesn’t get enough input from polishers and sanders!
I don’t know a damn thing, so be warned, but it seems like high rpms with higher grits of paper is a recipe for serious heat, at least in my incompetent hands, so I don’t do that no more.
Med maybe med high rpms with higher grits if I’m wetsanding, med-high for polishing, and slow-med for everything else.
Master Sanding / Polishing DVD, anyone ?
im getting a showroom gloss now in pretty fast time but at the risk of being flamed by the sandieagans . my lips are sealed forever
Paul, you can’t do that to me bud!
You can’t hit me with a nugget like that and then say you can’t tell me!
At least hit me up with a PM and share it with ME!
Damn it man! LOL
go slow. you need torque high end sander like a rupes
I sand btwn 0 - 3400rpms
I polish at 6000rpms
Herb
only san diegans know how to build surfboards…didnt you know? ffs
you can throw a rock on the goldcoast and hit at least 50 or 60 of the best boardbuilders in the world
its like a plague of darth vaders in currumbin
And, don’t waste your time with cheap synthetic pads either…
I use only wool bonnets complete…that means the fur is still stuck to the skin.
My best bonnet is made from an old pair of Ugg boots.
Herb
That’s cool Paul. Thanks for the reply.
Howzit McDing, Sand at what ever speed you are comfortable with. I sand at about 1600 rpms but when I am almost through with one grit I up the rpms which kind of polishes and takes out the scratch marks sinc eht epaper is pretty worn otu by then. I do this with each grit of paper and is works really good for sanded finishes. For polishing I use about 2000 or a little higher rpms and it works fine. One guy who does nothing but sand and polish saw one of my gloss polish jobs and remarked that my work was better than his. Aloha,Kokua
im with kokua on this
i go pretty slow and up a bit sometimes
polish slow with pressure then a light fast whizz over
if you go fast with pressure polishing it brings out the weave
The Ugg Boot things is crazy. Again, you got me laughin’. I mean “Why not?”. I always heard that automotive guys did their polish at high RPM’s. The trick IS----“Move your A$$”. if your polishing a car paint job it’s not as critical. You are not going to create heat that will de-lam anything. But if you are going to polish a surfboard at high RPM you better “Move your A$$”. Stay in one place for a micro-second and you will heat up a de-lam. Right or Wrong? More comments. Please.
Howzit Paul, Got a trick for you. If you bring up the weave when polishing just put a wet towel on the area amd Bamm the weave dissappears. I keep a wet rag near by when polishing, not just for the weave problem but it helps to keep the pad damp and remove the compound when it sticks to the board and the pad, you know what I’m talking about. Aloha,Kokua
I bet resinhead uses seal skins