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For those of you about to sand....we salute you! (AC/DC song...)

Anyway, I spent countless hours sanding epoxy after I glassed. I am too embarrassed to say how many hours, so lets just say it was a mind blowing amount of hours. For new boat builders (like myself), I thought I would pass along what I learned about sanding epoxy.

I initially went at it with a typical palm sander and 60 grit. This proved to be an endless process. Toward the end, here is what I started to do which seemed to work out well.

I started out by taking the palm sander with 60 grit and going over the surface I needed to sand purely so I can see the low (shiny) spots. If there are any rough areas, drip marks, etc. I went at those with a drum sander attachement for my drill. It is something like a 2 inch diamter. It did an excellent job at knocking these areas down. It did a great job at the filet areas. Also, and most importantly, it knocked these areas down slowly and with good control (unlike a dremmel tool which can do damage real quick).

So, after this quick and light sand with the palm sander and after knocking down rough/high areas, I then used 60 grit with a rubber hand sander. This works amazingly quick as it really bites into the epoxy. I sanded with this in two different directions.

After hand sanding with the rubber hand sander, then I went at individual bad spots (usually very minor) with 60 grit in my bare hand.

I then went over the entire area again with the electric palm sander with 60 grit and then with 100 grit.

This seemed to be the fastest way for me to sand the glass. I found no success using a belt sander and I risked damage. Oddly enough, I actually go more satisfaction using hand sanding as the main sanding technique then using the electric palm sander exclusively, and it was faster. Everyone likely sands to a different level of perfection. I wanted a flat and completely opaque surface (not shiny spots) so that I new I had all level surface to paint.

I hope this advice helps the next guy and certainly if others have advice to add, please do. I have to admit, I was getting very discouraged with the amount of sanding needed and my initial glass job wasn't that bad.

I use a hand random orbital with 40 sandpaper to remove any high spots of or inperfections. I use a palm sander, with a quarter sheet of 120, to smooth after the 40. The clear epoxy is hard and most of the glueing/bondo type epoxy I use is made with fillers of silica and wood flower in a 40/60 ratio. 40% slica and 60% wood flower. I use micro balloons with silica for larger bondo type area fairing and sand that with 60 then the 120.

So far I have spent hours sanding but mostly because I messed up applying the fiberglass to the cockpit area of the hull and had to sand off an entire layer of epoxy.

Don't forget a GOOD dust mask when sanding this stuff.

I have a nice 3/4 face mask mask with replacable cartriges. They are bright pink currently and my wife and daughter love to catch me wearing it and tease me. Sometimes I wear it back to the house, from the shop, and pretend I am an alien. It makes my daughter laugh and gets me hot meals so don't knock it. Ok I would probably get the hot meals without it.