Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • DIY 'detail sander' buying advice.
  • MrSmith
    Free Member

    I am about to do a new floor/skirting/new doors in my flat and have to repaint some door frames and window sills plus do a fair bit of filling on the shoddily constructed plasterboard walls as there are numerous stud screw heads that have either moved over time or the filler has expanded and there are bumps everywhere (you don’t need a stud finder you can see them). The corner joints in the walls are terrible and I will need to fill/repair some corners where I have removed the old skirting and it’s pulled that mesh stuff away (no idea what it’s called)

    Now I have done a fair bit of rubbing down in my time with a block as I worked with builders/car refinishers in my youth so am adept about getting a nice feather edge and working through the grades and building up filler so it doesn’t sink and all that stuff but fancy the idea of a detail sander to do some of the legwork particularly cutting back the old gloss on the frames and sills. The skirting is rough as hell s I’m going to replace that not bother sanding it.

    Any recommendations on sanders? Do they sting you for the specially sized sticky paper? Do those dust collection bags work? I’m not after something to last a whole house build just the odd diy job.
    I guess up to £120 if poss.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    An oscillating multi tool is good for detail sanding. Plus, if you’re tackling new floors etc, you can use them for safe undercutting of doorframes, architraves, etc. In fact, once you get one, you’ll find jobs for it everywhere. 🙂

    You should be able to find a Makita for around that money. As far as corded vs battery, go for corded – you need to spend too many £ to get really good power with cordless multi-tools. I use a Fein but it is for professional, almost daily use and would be outside your budget I think.

    Multi-tools are pretty good for not creating too much dust when cutting and detail sanding but many do come with dust-extraction facility.

    So get one that comes with a few blades and detail-sander attachments. Then buy spare pads from Saxton Blades – in fact they sell their own brand multi-tools which are good VFM.

    For sanding larger areas, just get a half decent random orbital with an outlet to which you can jerry-rig a Henry or similar.

    EDIT

    Do those dust collection bags work?

    No. Get something that takes disks with pre-punched holes and extract.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    That’s why this forum is so good^ I wasn’t aware of those kind of tools and a quick google shows this tool
    Makita tool

    And you can get a grout/adhesive attachment for £15 which will be perfect for the carpet gripper that has been glued to my concrete floor.

    Actually I think my electrician mate use one of those to cut socket holes but I just assumed it was some kind of dremel thing.

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    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Yeah, sparkies use them all the time for cutting out for socket boxes in dry-lined walls.

    I hate when gripperrods are glued to concrete floors. 😡

    Mr_C
    Free Member

    Second the multitool, but on the battery vs corded I’d recommend getting a decent battery one every time. I had a corded one which I rarely used as it was a pain to be tethered to the mains.

    I have just ripped out and re-done the en suite so felt justified in getting this. It was worth its weight in gold and has been used far more than the corded one ever was and the quick tool change is great when you need to swap between blades several times on a job. I know its over budget but the amount of time it will save will pay dividends.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    I just watched the makita video and they do a metal cutter too so I can whizz round and cut the nails right down to the concrete and then remove the adhesive with another attachment , and to think I was about to go and buy a bolster and a scraper.
    This is what happens when you last worked ‘on site’ 25 years ago, technology keeps on innovating.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    The only thing I’d advise when it comes to cutting nails is that it’s never as easy as it shows in that video. You’ll get through ££ worth of blades using them to cut nails. Fine for copper/alu/mild steel but hard going on nails/screws. If they’re masonry nails, they can be an arse to pull out but if you whack them a few times, they’ll snap easily enough or loosen enough to pull out with a claw hammer.

    The only drawback with the Makita you linked is the blade change having to be done with a hex key. This can be a pain – although I’m looking at it from my point of view when I may change blades a few times just on one door-lining. There are others with quick-change systems which are much nicer to use. Not sure how that affects budget to be honest.

    DT78
    Free Member

    I have a Marikita lxt multi tool. Good bit of kit. Have used it to cut original skirting and architrave when fitting a staircase and to remove a section of laminate. Surprisingly easy to cut in a straight line. Wasn’t so great on cutting a few screws and nails that I’ve tried. I’m not sure it would be that great chasing or cutting for back boxes in brick.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    I’m not sure it would be that great chasing or cutting for back boxes in brick.

    Nah, wouldn’t touch that. But perfect for dry-lined stud.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    i’ll probably lever the grippers and claw as many nails as i can but just had a look and they have used some kind off epoxy to glue them to the floor (why glue and nail?) so i definitely need a power tool for that as theres 30m of it to do.

    will go corded as the Li-ion ones are over budget probably a Makita TM3000CX3 and either the £130 or £170 kit (plus vat off).

    thanks for all your good advice.

    neilwheel
    Free Member

    An old wood chisel will usually give a cleaner job lifting the gripper strip glue if you get underneath it.

    The Makita is a good tool, nice long lead fitted too. The multi-tools are very power hungry, so the mains version is the best option, unless you have other 18v tools to swap batteries with.

    If you buy the quick change blades, with the open slot, you only need to back the screw out a couple of turns to change blades.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    If you buy the quick change blades, with the open slot, you only need to back the screw out a couple of turns to change blades.

    Good tip, I’d forgotten about those.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Those tools are awesome. But I also like a wee mouse sander for corners and finishing, with a bit of practice you can get a basically hand sanded finish and they’re dirt cheap, mine was £20. No good at all for big jobs, your fingers’ll fall off first but they’re good for, well, detail.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    So I got a very good deal on a Bosch GOP-250 with accessories for £130 and ordered a few more blades from some site in holland.
    http://www.toolstop.co.uk/bosch-gop-250-ce-professional-multicutter-pro-kit-in-l-boxx-48-accessories-240v-p15747
    Like a kid with a new toy, half the skirting has been nailed not screwed so cutting into sections with the plunge cutter means I can gently lever off without damaging the plasterboard, the scraper blades are making short work of the various blobs of epoxy and some kind of hard resin on the carpet grippers
    Undercutting the door frames for the floor? Just use a bit of underlay and floor as a height spacer and rest the tool on top and the wood blade does the job. 8)

    Thank you STW.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    They’re the shizzle aren’t they?

    Btw, Saxton Blades sell through Amazon so you can get multi-packs cheaply enough with free next day delivery. I normally buy in 16s (4 x 4 different types) and it works out at less than £3 a blade.

    Tip for undercutting door-frames and architraves. Keep the blade moving side to side (slowly) if you can – it helps keep it flat (it can rise up if you plunge and push too hard) and the blade lasts much longer as well.

    neilwheel
    Free Member

    As above, I use a gentle sawing action with the machine, keeps the blades cooler for longer.

    That was a bit of a swerve on brands. Sorry to wee near your chips, but you might want to look at an alternative for sanding sheets and backing pad, the Bosch ones can be a bit pants.

    bakey
    Full Member

    Aldi Multitool

    I’ve always found Aldi tools to be more than adequate for me as an infrequent user…

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    Saxton multitool is reduced to 54 quid at yhe moment.

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