Another paint removal question

[Dlarsen]

Hello All, Sorry to ask this question again but I'm still confused or unsure after reading the other posts. I am completely new to festool. 

I have a house built in 1908 with clapboards on the first floor and shakes on the second. I will be stripping the paint from the whole house. I don't need everything to be bare wood when I'm done, just the majority of the paint gone so I don't have to hand scrape since that would take way too long. I will also be stripping interior trim. I will be doing most of this on my own so I want it to be fast with as few switches between different grit sandpapers and tools as possible.

My plan: Buy a RAS 115. But what sandpaper do I need? There is conflicting info out there. I'm not looking to get it as smooth as possible, just want to strip the paint and make it paintable.

Once most of the paint is gone, what sander should I get to smooth it a bit or can I just use a higher grit with the RAS 115? I was thinking the ETS 125. But again what sandpaper? How smooth does it really need to be? I'm not creating a museum piece here, I just want the paint to stick and for it to look pretty good. Nothing will be stained. everything will be primed with oil-based primer and then painted.

I also have to deal with the corners...I was planing on getting a cheap corner sander for that as this is less important and the majority of corners are out of sight (no corner boards as my corners are all woven on the siding and shakes)

As a side note, I have a speedheater that I'll be stripping my windows with but once this is done, I'll need to go over them a bit with my second sander (another reason why I was thinking about the ETS 125).

My budget is very very tight. I've been looking around at a few used tools too. That being said, I can't afford to buy these sanders and a festool dust collector so I will be buying a pretty powerful Ridgid shop vac (with hepa filter) with a few attachments I've seen online to hook it up to the festool sanders.

Please let me know what you all think!

 

[mike_aa]

First off, if any this is lead paint, you need to reconsider your options and perhaps look at contracting the work out.

That being said, the RAS 115 is a great sander, but I think there are better tools out there by other companies designed to do the type of work you want.  I'm sure others more knowledgeable will offer details.  In the Festool line, the RO90 for around the windows (it has a triangular pad that can be attached) and the RO125 or 150 would be better choices in my opinion.

As far as dust extractors are concerned, most of the Festool line is HEPA certified by the EPA which means that they can be used commercially to sand lead paint.  The other issue is that the suction can be controlled on a Festool which is something you will find that you need for sanding.

 

[SS Teach]

Since the house was built in 1908 the first thing to do is to have the paint tested for lead content. If it is lead paint you need to find out what state and local laws are concerning the safe removal of lead paint. Some states are very strict concerning this issue. Mike_aa is right on when he says you might want to contract this out to pros. If you have ever seen TOH when they remove lead paint there is a lot involved. Best of luck.

 

[mastercabman]

First thing first
I would rent a pressure washer
Much faster
About lead based paint.  You need to be careful with it so ware a mask and any protection that would help
As a homeowner you don't have to deal with most of the RRP rules
It really applies to contractors
If you are on a tight budget I would look at other brand of tools
Dewalt,makita,Bosch would do just fine
I would get scrappers before sanding
You will save $$$ on sand paper

 

[Dlarsen]

I should have mentioned that I already know what I need to do with the lead (no need to test as it's there for sure) and already have everything else (scrapers, appropriate masks/suits/etc, poly (for the ground), hepa vac) and since I am the owner, I can do it.

Based on a lot of research (just internet) it seems the RAS 115 is the best for my situation. Others, like the paint shaver pro, require all face nails to be set deeper (which would take a lot of time) and then require a lot of sanding afterwards.

If i did end up getting the RAS 115, which saphir do people use first? p24, 36, or 50? If you choose p36, do you then have to go to the 50 afterwards?

Any sander recommendations for after the paint is removed? Festool or other brands. For this sander, I'd like to keep it close to $200.

Thanks again

 

[ear3]

Just a thought that if you feel like you need to get more precise and detailed answers, Festool has applications specialists ready to field questions related to specific uses of their tools. 

I should have mentioned that I already know what I need to do with the lead (no need to test as it's there for sure) and already have everything else (scrapers, appropriate masks/suits/etc, poly (for the ground), hepa vac) and since I am the owner, I can do it.

Based on a lot of research (just internet) it seems the RAS 115 is the best for my situation. Others, like the paint shaver pro, require all face nails to be set deeper (which would take a lot of time) and then require a lot of sanding afterwards.

If i did end up getting the RAS 115, which saphir do people use first? p24, 36, or 50? If you choose p36, do you then have to go to the 50 afterwards?

Any sander recommendations for after the paint is removed? Festool or other brands. For this sander, I'd like to keep it close to $200.

Thanks again

 

[leakyroof]

I should have mentioned that I already know what I need to do with the lead (no need to test as it's there for sure) and already have everything else (scrapers, appropriate masks/suits/etc, poly (for the ground), hepa vac) and since I am the owner, I can do it.

Based on a lot of research (just internet) it seems the RAS 115 is the best for my situation. Others, like the paint shaver pro, require all face nails to be set deeper (which would take a lot of time) and then require a lot of sanding afterwards.

If i did end up getting the RAS 115, which saphir do people use first? p24, 36, or 50? If you choose p36, do you then have to go to the 50 afterwards?

Any sander recommendations for after the paint is removed? Festool or other brands. For this sander, I'd like to keep it close to $200.

Thanks again

  The RAS can eat up soft wood if you're not careful once you're through the paint. However, if the clapboards are original, they may be Pine that has turned to rock at this point... ;D
 
  Saphir may work well for you, not sure how badly the paint is going to load it until you give it a try.  It is rated by Festool for Stripping Paint due to its semi-closed coat, not like Rubin, which would clog with trying it on paint and coating stripping.  Save the Rubin for when you get to bare wood and want to smooth the surface out.
Buy the smallest amount of Discs, like a 10 pack, so you can try 1 grit at a time. I would start with either 50 or 80, 50 if the paint is really thick and alligatored/cracking.  And start in a hidden place so your learning curve isn't visible to the public.... [eek]  I would hope you don't need the lower grits below 50, but if you do, you learn as you go.  [cool]
Hold the RAS at a tiny, tiny angle, since holding it flat often leads to some control issues when sanding with it. Not too much, as that can lead to hurting the Velcro pad, but just a smidge... [wink]
Play with the handle that moves the outer debris brush ring so you get comfortable with move it on the fly as you're sanding the paint off. You may work OKAY with a non-adjustable suction VAC, I'd try to buy either a FEIN, FESTOOL or other brand used and keep the Rigid for something else other than sanding.
Also, it's not uncommon to get a worn Velcro pad due to excessive heat build-up when using the RAS 115, so make sure you know the cost of a new pad if you end up needing one.
You will totally need other sanders in your plan to follow up behind the RAS.
Measure the width of your clapboards and see what diameter works best for you.
It would be great if the RO90 fits well, since you now have a multiple mode sander to handle flats, rough sanding in a smaller diameter than the RAS 115, and a detail sander all in one.
The larger RO 150 might work for you, but holding it horizontal for long periods of use is more tiring than the smaller, lighter RO90. And, you are still out of a detail/corner sander with the larger Rotexes, so that would mean yet 1 more sander to handle the really tight spots.
Having said that, people continure to sell their DX 93 sanders and buy a new RO90, so there are DX 93's that pop up for sale used on Craigslist, etc.  The triangle/Delta paper is the same for the Dx 93 and the RO 90, so once you buy the abrasives, you have options in the future without being stuck with some paper.
For corner sanding on paint, Granat in a coarse and medium grit will probably work well for you. Granat will also sand bare wood once you get through the paint layers as needed.
I think buying a used RAS 115 is perhaps the hardest of the 3 sanders I mentioned to get used, but you never know.

 

[Motown]

If you are committed to doing it yourself you'll need a combination of tools based on my experience. For the boards, I would suggest this: http://www.eco-strip.com/

I would really encourage you to look at EPA's website regarding lead paint and how to manage. I also used Bahco scrapers and would base by Festool sander choice on width/side of those boards.

Not sure of your comfort level but it might be easier/cheaper to replace your shake shingles that remove the paint. I hope this helps.

 

[sae]

Rule number one for paint removal is to not turn it into dust if you don't have to. Just say no to sanders.