Sanding and Dust Collection

A Sanding Solution You May Not Know About… The Trigon 180 Sanding Tool is an intriguing option for paint and drywall pros who prefer something better than the old school rectangular pole sander head. This tool has little in common with cheap pole sanders. It is made out of lightweight and robust aluminum, not plastic. […]
In the spirit of Festool’s announcement that their complete CT line has been independently tested and certified to be “full unit hepa” dust extractors, we took our CT26 to the next level in functionality with some styling. Changed the whole attitude of it, without losing the workhorse essence. There are many intuitive possibilities to customize […]

Well its about time! This has been a topic for…just about too long. Here’s the deal (from Festool): RRP Full Unit Certified HEPA Vacuums Only a Full Unit Certified HEPA dust extractor meets the EPA RRP regulation guidelines, protecting you from expensive fines! All current Festool CT Dust Extractor models have been independently tested and […]
The most effective measure of an abrasive technology is how the wood takes finish. On paint grade, it’s more about adhesion, while on stain grade its that but with a deeper visual aesthetic. The abrasive can’t take all of the credit. The dust extraction system is exerting significant influence in the rich, crisp look of […]
Rotex Comfort Zones In working with different types of tools, I have a constant interest in exploring comfort zones. Mine, and the tool’s. A 6″ RO150 Rotex sander with a 5mm (3/16″) stroke is a bit of a step up in size and potential aggressive tendencies compared to the standard 5″ orbitals that we have […]
Festool Granat Abrasives Can. No kidding. In mid 2011, we began testing Festool Granat abrasives, which are designed for paint removal and finish sanding. In one of our early tests of Granat, I started with a piece of 1×8 sapele that was primed solid with exterior oil primer. Using an RO150 sander, I stripped the […]
Festool ETS 125 Random Orbital Sander Orbital sanding…post chemical strip and pre stain application. Holy ergonomics. I don’t know about you, but when I am in defurring mode after a chem strip, doing final cleanup just before stain, I need an orbital that is light and fast. One handed operation all day long, left and […]

The devil is in the details… Or used to be, anyways. Our colleagues over at Maximum Painting have referred to sanding as a production killer, in the context of hand sanding on interior work. We could not agree more, and we see the problem as a global one across interior and exterior painting. This week, […]
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