Hand Sanding Kit With Extraction

DrBob

Soooo, I vaguely remember a thread a while back about a sanding block system that some of you good people were advocating that allowed you to plumb it in to your hoover to minimise the sawdust chaos.

Was it an Abratek system or something like that ?
I've been looking to buy something like that for guitar work anyway but in the short term I might be needing to redeem myself from damaging the kitchen worktops with a combination of oven cleaning fluids and a pretzel making disaster and it might be the very thing....

TTony

Mirka Abranet perhaps??

Sporky

Probably the Mirka system - Abranet is the associated abrasive (and is excellent).

Other suppliers exist:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/mirka-sanding-blocks-with-extraction-ax851921

http://www.axminster.co.uk/mirka-vacuum-hose-for-hand-sanding-blocks-953289

http://www.axminster.co.uk/mirka-interface-pads-for-sanding-blocks-ax852377

Or there's a kit with a ludicrous amount of abrasive sheets - this stuff massively outlasts normal sanding paper.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/mirka-dust-free-sanding-kit-c-w-250-abranet-sheets-101148

Don't just plug it into a normal vacuum though or you'll end up spraying the dust out all over the place, including the really fine stuff that you can only see when it's in a light beam. That's the really nasty stuff. You ideally want a HEPA or better filtering extractor - even the HEPAflow bags for the Henry aren't really good enough. Depending on how much you value your health, of course.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis69.pdf

DrBob

@TTony and @Sporky, wisdoms awarded to both, that's the chap.

Regrettably financial constraints would dictate that buying an entire separate HEPA system might be prohibitive, I do have a Henry hoover though, is that even worth considering as a starter ?

DrBob

The thought I do have is that both of the afflicted worktops are close enough to windows that I might just get away with siting the hoover outside and running the pipe in through the window

TTony

I'd have thought any sort of hoover is better than no hoover - some of the stuff will be taken out of the air that you're breathing in.  I (try to remember to) wear some sort of face mask too.  

DrBob

I do have a big 3M face mask with the cartridge system that we bought back when we had to go and work in Moscow during those evil forest fires they were having, I could use that

Sporky

As TTony says, any extraction is better than no extraction, and for occasional use you may be willing to take a higher risk.

On the hand-tools course I just did, I was the only one using a mask for sanding. I thought they were all idiots, they probably all thought I was! The windows were open and they had an air cleaning system but I could still see the dust in the air.

A Henry with a HEPAflow bag will certainly be a lot better than nothing, and if you can have the windows open and the Henry outside that's better still.

Sporky

One other thing with the Abranet stuff - the abrasive is in wiggly lines along the long orientation of the fabric, so it's best to sand at a bit of an angle - about 30 degrees. Otherwise, if you're really robotic and precise, you can plough little furrows with it. Just a bit of an angle prevents that though.

TTony

Sporky said:

On the hand-tools course I just did, I was the only one using a mask for sanding. I thought they were all idiots, they probably all thought I was! 

Their observation could have been nothing to do with your face mask.

DrBob

Okay, thanks again chaps. It's far from a perfect solution but Mirka + HEPA bag loaded Henry placed outside + Windows Open + Facemask + Angled sanding feels like a viable and affordable solution here !

octatonic

I was recommended the Festool system over the Mirka one.

I've been really happy with it.

DrBob

octatonic;1044429" said:

I was recommended the Festool system over the Mirka one.

I've been really happy with it.

I'm a big fan of Festool stuff, the German chippies who build the exhibition stands I work on all use it, but wouldn't the price of admission prove prohibitive ?

Sporky

DrBob said:

Okay, thanks again chaps. It's far from a perfect solution but Mirka + HEPA bag loaded Henry placed outside + Windows Open + Facemask + Angled sanding feels like a viable and affordable solution here !

That seems a pragmatic approach. I may have slightly overstated the H&S stuff for DIY use but lungs are pretty vulnerable.  

Marktigere1

I always wear a mask for routing and sanding.

Hardwood is particularly nasty for the lungs and I always wear a P3 mask which is rated for hardwood.

Got my stuff from here: http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/

Cheers

Sporky

Marktigere1 said:

Hardwood is particularly nasty for the lungs

Indeed, and the exotics that are often used for fretboards particularly so.

octatonic

DrBob said:

octatonic;1044429" said:

I was recommended the Festool system over the Mirka one.

I've been really happy with it.

I'm a big fan of Festool stuff, the German chippies who build the exhibition stands I work on all use it, but wouldn't the price of admission prove prohibitive ?

It wasn't cheap but the quality is outstanding.

It was about £500 for the sander and the extractor.

The sander by itself is about £240- I paid less than that by buying it on sale.

I use the extractor with the Festool routers.

Little touches make all the difference, like if I plug the sander into the extractors power socket it senses when the sander is drawing power and turns the extractor on as well.

The fitting of the hoses is very well thought out- they never slip or fall off but are still easy to put on.

Makes it very easy to work with.

The sander is very, very light- it isn't tiring to use like some can be.