Runabout Reflections

"Life in the Bilge" is a continuing series of articles, written by Roy Domke, which will be published in upcoming editions of "Western Wood" magazine.

• "Sanding Clean and Easy"

• "Tuxedo Taxi" at the Tahoe Keys Boat Show, July, 1995
  -- the full story of this remarkable craft and her restoration

• 11th Annual Lake Arrowhead Boat Show, June 2 - 3, 1995
  -- stories of a relaxing weekend with boats

• "Spring Fling" Parade and Boat Show, May, 1995
  -- Boaters on Cannery Row in Monterey, CA

• "Tinsley Island Maze," October 15-16, 1994
  -- or, how to get lost in a levy system. . .

Sanding wasn't always this easy

Sanding previously varnished and painted surfaces, in preparation to apply additional coats, was never a process I looked forward to until I started experimenting with "wet sanding." What I found was that wet sanding offered several advantages over dry sanding, the combination of which makes the job much easier and pleasant.

No dust!

Wet sanding produces no airborne dust and thus eliminates the need for a dust mask or respirator. The sanding residue is easily removed from the surface with a damp sponge and you and the rest of your boat and workspace remain clean. Wet sanding is faster cutting and much more sandpaper efficient than dry sanding.

As a general rule, finer grit paper should be used when wet sanding as opposed to dry sanding and care should be taken to make sure the sanded surface is completely dry before applying the new finish material. Disposable latex gloves protect the hands from abrasion.

What materials do you use?

Here are the materials and processes I use:

The materials:

Paper:

I have found 3M wet/dry paper to be the best cutting and longest lasting paper on the market. Paper is cheap so buy the best. I use 220 grit for build-up sanding coats on varnish or paint and 320 grit for the final coat.

Sanding Pads:

3M also makes flexible sanding pads called "Soft-Block SB-1" that work very well on flat or curved surfaces of a boat.

Other Materials:

A bucket of water, a sponge and a clean soft cloth to clean the surface after sanding, and plastic drop-cloths to protect the floor and the trailer from sanding residue mixed with water

The process:

1. Cut a half sheet of wet sandpaper in half lengthwise and fold it around the pad. This makes an excellent sanding pad that is easy to hold and to control the amount of moisture on the sanding surface.

2. Dip the sanding pad in a bucket of water, squeeze out some of the water and begin sanding about one square foot of surface at a time. Sand with the wood grain.

3. After a short period of sanding, you will begin to notice sanding residue on the wet surface, indicating that you have broken through the old surface gloss.

4. Wipe the surface with a damp sponge at this point and dry with a clean cloth to determine whether you are satisfied with the sanded surface. The sanded surface should be uniformly dull with no glossy spots.

Cleanup:

To clean the wet sanded surface, use a shop-vac with an internal replaceable filter bag. This will prevent fine dust residue from passing through the vacuum canister and back out into your work area. A 20-foot shop-vac hose with a round brush head is very efficient when cleaning the hull of a typical 18-foot to 20-foot boat.

Use a tooth brush in conjunction with the shop-vac to thoroughly clean seams, screw holes and any other crevices that might trap sanding residue.

Tack cloth the surface before varnishing or painting.

After going to all of this effort to prepare a surface for recoating, make sure you also follow the manufacturer's instructions on the varnish or paint container and apply the coatings with clean brushes in a clean and draft free environment.

I am planning future articles to cover many topics, including: Preparing the shop environment for varnishing and painting, methods of applying coatings to vertical and horizontal surfaces, and products that work for me.

Please address questions you have on other restoration problems to me in care of the following address:

"Western Wood"
Editor Sandy Chase
14800 Quinto Road
Los Gatos, CA 95030

I'll try to answer your questions in future editions of this column, which will be published in "Western Wood" as well as here, at this website.

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