Best Sander for underside of clawfoot tub

[ttf5003]

Hi,

I'm going to be stripping paint off the exterior of a cast iron clawfoot tub from the 1940's. I have it out of the house right now so I can lay it upside down and have full access to the bottom.

I have a RAS 115 and a RO 150. I was thinking that ordering a soft pad for the 115 would be the best bet? But what grit sandpaper? I don't have a whole lot of experience with metal.

Thanks

 

[woodwise]

There are probably lots of ways to remove the paint.
Cast iron is much easier to work with than sheet metal so advise will not apply to all metal projects.
Cast iron has a texture (from the casting process). If you want to preserve this texture, it will be best to avoid sanding.

Fastest, and probably easiest method would be to take it to a shop that can sand blast it for you. If you choose blasting they can use a few different blast mediums. Walnut shells will help prevent damage to delicate features (if it has any) but it will be slower than other options. Glass beads are popular for visual finish. Blasting with sand or garnet will be the fastest but will give a rougher surface and a less consistent appearance. Assuming you are painting it, this should not be an issue.

Good luck with your project. Would love to follow along if you document your project.

 

[sancho57]

Id go to Harbor freight get their soda blaster try that or like the other uy said take in it get it blasted professionally

 

[guybo]

use a aluminum oxide higher grit

 

[AlexThePalex]

Planex of course.  [big grin]

[attachimg=1]

 

[bertv]

These tubs are enamelled most of the time. The feet were an afterthought. I would wire strip them and give them a treatment that stops degrading. Cast iron is quite sturdy. Even an application with linseed oil would prevent rust.

 

[Ron B]

You are absolutely correct that the feet were an afterthought.  These tubs (without feet) were originally sold to help butcher hogs-they were scalding tubs to help remove the hair.  Then someone came up to adding feet, and they became bathtubs. 

 

[ttf5003]

Thanks for the replies, after pulling it out of storage and looking at it again I'm just going to start with the RO 150. Blasting would be nice but I think it would take less time for me to sand it then to drive it over to the blasting place.

I looked for a long time until I found one nice enough on the inside that nothing had to be done. Any paint is a joke compared to the original enamel. It's funny in the video above the guy says the paint is better but that hopefully it would last 10 years...