What sander do you use for bodywork? Elec/Air?

[CAMAROBOY69]

I have been using a flat 8-9" electric orbit sander. Last night it started squeeling really loud, smoking, then eventually started shooting metal shavings out of the side into my hand. With that said I need a new sander and I was thinking of going with some air sander. Do you bodywork members use air or electric?

[gmachine68]

if i am stripping a car i use a 8 inch mud hog(8 inch geared da sander), you could use a 6 inch da for stripping bus its slow, i also use a da for sanding, ie stripping the new e coat off panels with 180, beyond that everything should be done by block, filler work, primer, etc, using a da only makes things harder.
j

[CAMAROBOY69]

I am applying filler to the rear and the electric sander with 80 grit worked sooo perfect to eliminate time. Then after that I blocked with 180. Worked real well for me.

[fletcherscustoms]

things to keep in consideration, if you don't have big compressor you'll spend more time waiting on the compressor than you will sanding. When I first started I had the basic garage compressor, you know the 20-30 gallon 3/4 HP Sears or similiar setup. Well to pu tit litely I sanded for 30 seconds , waited for 3 or 4 minutes for the compressor to catch up, then start the process again. A DA sander uses a lot of air!!

So we switched up and used some Bosch 4" Orbital sander, works just like a DA. Hell we still use it now when we got a place a 6" DA want work. Plus they are cheap, paper is cheaper, and most of them use the velcro type paper that is easy to deal with. We always use 36 grit first, then switch to 80. If you thought 80 tore through Bondo quick switch to 36.

[astroracer]

I use air, elec, & elbow powered but it all depends on what I am doing. I have an electric orbital sander but I find it is pretty inefficient and I only use it when I am roughing filler on a large panel. I use my 6" D/A's and air powered board sanders (short & long) for most of the initial panel sanding and mid-coat filler sanding before primer. After primer I go to the elbow powered board sanders to slowly bring things together.
Once I know the surfaces are flat another coat of primer will usually go on followed by a quick hit with the D/A using a 3M softpad with 6 or 800 grit to get ready for base coat.
Mark

[CAMAROBOY69]

Thanks for the replies. That was a great point about the air compressor. I have a 6hp 60 gallon air compressor so hopefully I would be ok. My objective was to have the rear of the car primered by thursday but as luck goes the sander died and killed that deadline. It will be close but I dont think it will happen by thursday now unless whatever sander I get really kicks butt. I am going after work to decide on an air or an electric sander. My other one worked sooo well for the last 3-4 years and it was only around $40.00. However I dont want to get one every 3-4 years. You get what you pay for so im sure I will be spending at least $100.00 tonight.
I have a round DA sander from heathers mom that I never even used yet. Might have to try it some time but I need the disks for it. I just assumed it would not work as good as the square sander. Guess I should try it.

[gmachine68]

if you get a da, 100 will not buy anything good, it will wear out in no time, 160 and up buys a nice one, dynabrade, hutchins and air advantage make goiod ones, but again if you were good at blocking you would realize how detrimental a da is, BUT you do not do it everyday so go ahead BUT you will never get the finish you would with a block

goodluck
j

[CAMAROBOY69]

I checked out several tools at the local stores. They were all crappy. I took one air sander out that was quite long and flat. Looked perfect but it was already falling apart right in my hand. If I remember correctly it was only $60.00. So to get me thru tonight I just bought the electric square one similar to my old one. $39.00. I will bring it back and go to Sears or somewhere besides Menards, Home depot, and Lowes.Their tools are crappy. Sears or my local paint store will have something a lot better. I wanted that long air sander really bad but it was just poor quality and not worth it. The DA sander I have is a round 6". It hasnt been used yet and I have had it for at least a year. I bought some disks for it and will try it out tonight. I always block at the end after 180.
Thanks again for the help.

[ahowudoin]

Even with your 6/6o gal compressor, You will be doing some waiting unless its 2 stage.

[CAMAROBOY69]

I think it is 2 stage. Is that where there are 2 air breathers on top? Well I used that DA sander and it worked tooo well!!! Air compressor only kicked on a few times while I used it. I ddint have to wait. I was shocked how fast that thing ripped thru everything. I ended up using the electric sander just for the night. I will return the electric sander and buy a high quality sander.

[Norwoodx55]

I think there are 2 modes for most air DA's. One is like a high speed grinder, the other is the true DA. The Grinder mode is really aggressive.
On mine, you have to rotate a round wheel on an eccentric between the pad and the sander. This dictates which mode it sands in. This is how mine and a friend of mines works. Might look into it.
Brett

[RobM]

unless you are a professional that works at a money making shop i would get electric UNLESS you have a kick ass compressor. Dual action sanders ("DA") use more air then most other air tools and will drain most home air compressors in very little time. A good tool is a da that can be converted to single action; basically it can be converted from dual action to a single action mode where it just spins like a grinder. This will allow you to strip paint and filler with little effort, yet still provide the DA mode for finish sanding. How ever DAing a car is not truely finish sanding as blocking is a MUST to get a straight car if you just DA a body panle down with out block sanding it will come out very wavey. The best way to get a great looking car is HAND block sanding and lots of practice at it