Can I use my DA to sand?

T

TheMidnightNarwhal

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I need to sand a rust spot down and was wondering if I should buy a drill attachment sanding pad or I can use my DA.

But DA you can't really put pressure right to sand since it stops spinning?
 
I would buy a panel from a salvage yard to practice on first and get the results through practice

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Oh. See what your da can do then

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I would try. If your da stops, maybe consider a rotary or a palm sander

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What matters is you try. Once you have a method and tool, progress will be made

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DAs are use to sand everyday in auto body shops although they are primarily air-powered versions.
 
If your DA is a FLEX 3401 you can sand with it!!!! Lets see the (ready for the fanbois to come out of the woodwork?) Rupes do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously the 3401 can sand because it is direct drive DA
 
Except for the type of debris/contaminants
that your DA polisher will encounter during
the “cutting” process(es) of rusty metal...
vs. the type of debris/contaminates it’ll en-
counter during the “cutting” process(es) of
painted surfaces...I don’t see why not.


•After all:
-The electrically operated, variable-speed,
random-orbit Sander—(that Porter-Cable
began manufacturing in the 1990s for the
wood-working industry)—has since been
adopted/adapted by most, if not all, enti-
ties involved in auto ‘detailing’.



Bob
 
TheMidnightNarwhal said:
I need to sand a rust spot down and was wondering if I should buy a drill attachment sanding pad or I can use my DA.

But DA you can't really put pressure right to sand since it stops spinning?
Click to expand...


I teach classes here on wetsanding and part of the class on wetsanding is sanding by hand and sanding by machine.

So YES - of course you can machine sand with a DA.

And the pressure thing? When sanding you use LIGHT pressure, not heavy pressure. DA polishers like the Griot's Garage, Meguiars, Porter Cable, etc all started out as WOOD SANDERS - so "yes" you can sand with a DA


How big of a section are sanding?



:)
 
When I bought my Porter Cable many years back it came with sandpaper in the box. I sanded the top of a wooden door that wouldn't close properly and it did the trick and very quickly at that.
 
I've used my PC for color sanding with 1500/3000 grit trizact and it works beautifully (I used a low-orbit pneumatic finishing palm sander for the final cut). I will say that I would expect it to be very slow, when compared to just using a rotary.

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dcjredline said:
If your DA is a FLEX 3401 you can sand with it!!!! Lets see the (ready for the fanbois to come out of the woodwork?) Rupes do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously the 3401 can sand because it is direct drive DA
Click to expand...

Join the rest of us in the 21st century, ever hear of something called a Duetto?
 
The difference between 'can' and 'should' is important here.


Taking a rust spot down to bare metal? That's a hand sanding job all day long, IMO.
 
dcjredline said:
If your DA is a FLEX 3401 you can sand with it!!!! Lets see the (ready for the fanbois to come out of the woodwork?) Rupes do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously the 3401 can sand because it is direct drive DA
Click to expand...

My Mille can!!! lol

I have three Flex machines also. Not loyal to any brand, just try to get the best machine for the type of work I do.
 
I also use my PC to damp sand. I've gone through clear coat (on purpose) so I don't think sanding to bare metal would be an issue. I'd keep an eye on that rust residue, though.

How bad is the rust? How big is the damaged section? If it's that thick, crusty rust, I'd go for the drill attachment
 
What DA do you have?

DA with 5-12mm throw would work. If it's a curved body line maybe a foam interface is needed. I would not sanding with a rotary or a drill attachement. Cause you can install some pretty nasty sanding marks and a very uneven work. Palm sanders is da both air powered and electric powered. On a very flat surface maybe a rotary or drill attachement could work but I would not risk it. Then it's better to do by hand. An electric palm sander does not cost that much if you are just working on small area. When doing larger area like a whole car you would want to invest in a quality machine. But for a spot repair or a panel you will be fine with a cheap one. Get some quality sanding disc is as important.
 
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