On 28/11/2016 21:57, TimW wrote:
On 28/11/16 20:29, Chris Green wrote:
I have a couple of doors on my boat and sundry other bits of woodwork
that need the flaking varnish removed before starting again.

I have detail sanders and an 'orbital' sander (doesn't go round and
round, it vibrates orbitally I think) but they don't really remove
stuff quick enough.

So, I'm thinking of getting a belt sander, anything from £30'ish up to
silly money (to my mind) for the 'posh' names.

This cheap one from Screwfix seems to do the job according to reviews
the-


http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-en...230-240v/55570

Will I miss much by not spending ten times a much?


A belt sander isn't really a good tool for flaking varnish on doors. If
you need to remove the varnish completely it needs to be stripped with
chemicals or heat and scraping. If you are going to varnish on top of
the old finish it needs only light sanding.

A belt sander will maybe melt the varnish and make a mess, maybe sand
too deeply into the wood, maybe the belts will clog. Even if you find
you can delicately remove the finish from the flat areas you will never
get into the corners and crevices in the same way.

TW

A belt sander is a great way of ruining timber. A random orbit sander
with a coarse 40 grit disc will quickly strip varnish & also give a
smooth finish with a finer 80/120 grit.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-en...230-240v/3065g


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman