Is ETS EC 125 worth adding to a Rotex 150 and ETS 150/3

[ttf5003]

Sorry for yet another sander question thread but here's my situation.

I built a log cabin this summer and the logs have weathered significantly inside and out before I got the roof on. I will start sanding the entire inside soon, and then in the spring I will sand the entire exterior. The wood is Eastern White Pine so it is soft and does not take long to sand.

I have a Rotex 150 FEQ- Plus which goes through it very quickly, but that's going to be pretty big to handle up on the ladders and scaffolding, especially outside.

I also have a ETS 150/3 EQ- Plus which with 80 grit paper does the sanding just fine, but takes a little longer than I'd like.

I've never handled a ETS EC 125 (with 150 pad). Would it be the perfect compromise of power and for sanding the entire cabin? If not, I could save the $439, I have plenty of stuff to buy. I'm not sure I can even find one in time.

The exterior photo has some log siding added at the bottom to cover the rim joist. You can see the contrast in color.

[attachimg=1]View attachment 1
There is a photo of an interior wall before I got the roof on.
View attachment 2
And one more photo of sanding a scrap log with the ETS 150 and stopping part way through.

 

[Alanbach]

In my opinion the ETS EC is a great sander and should fit this job nicely. For me since it is shorter and lighter than the ETS is does really well on a vertical wall and my wrist can handle it on vertical curves much more comfortably that the ETS. It also definitely has more power with less vibration than the ETS. If you choose the 125mm version then you are limited to the 3mm orbit. If you go with the 150mm version then you get to choose a 3mm orbit or a 5mm orbit. I believe that your Rotex has a 5mm orbit so if you want that same level of aggression as the Rotex in RO mode then you might have to consider the ETS EC 150/5???
Also, you might want to consider picking up an ultra soft pad for whichever one you get.  That might make all of those curved surfaces go a bit easier?

 

[Alanbach]

When you said log cabin my brain immediately went to round surfaces instead of looking at the pictures. Ignore the suggestion of the ultra soft pad as it looks like you are working 9n flat vertical surfaces.

 

[ttf5003]

Good point about the round logs. We liked the flat chinked look and so that's what we went with. Very glad, now that I have to sand everything.

Also good points on the 150/3 vs 150/5, more decisions. I feel that the 3mm orbit would be better to have for everything else I do after the cabin project is over.

 

[Stan Tillinghast]

We used to have redwood siding on a house very near the ocean. Despite treatment with a finish that had UV protection, the siding would become weathered and grey after a couple of years. It was considered normal, even desirable, as long as the siding did not cup, crack, etc.
What do you expect your logs to look like on the outside over time?
I'm asking because sanding the exterior is going to be a huge amount of work.
If it were me, I would use a deck refinisher containing oxalic acid and a pressure washer--but not a real strong one because they can really tear up the wood.
We also did that to the interior sheathing of our ceilings which had been stained by water from a previously leaking roof. For some years, it looked dramatically better. We didn't use a pressure washer on the interior, just a roller with Flood (IIRC) deck renewer, which is a little gelatinous so doesn't splash around as much.

Trying to keep natural logs looking freshly-sanded is not going to be a winning proposition in the long run, I'm afraid. We knew people who used a high-grade clear finish like Sikkens, but it was sort of like painting the Golden Gate Bridge, a never-ending process.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do. I love the ETS EC 125 with a 150 pad, but it might very well be too slow and not aggressive enough for your purposes.

 

[sherbert409]

I have a ETS EC 150 and a Rotex RO150. The ETS EC gets almost all the use and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s light, low profile, and easy to use for long periods overhead and on vertical surfaces. Another big plus in my book is the pad brake. It really speeds up sanding lots of small parts. I don’t think I’d want to sand a whole house though! I get a small panic attack thinking about having to do something like that. Best of luck!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ttf5003]

I have mentally committed myself to sanding the inside, however long it takes. I have considered power washing/chemically cleaning the outside, I guess depending how the inside goes I should leave that open so I can fall back to that plan.

If I do sand the outside part of it will be to clean it but also to remove the milling marks and even out joints. I would never plan on sanding it again, and just use chemical cleaners for future maintenance.

I did confirm with Sikkens supplier yesterday that final grit on the exterior should be between 60-80 grit. With that grit on the Rotex it takes seconds to clean up this soft pine. Maybe I"ll use the rotex on areas I can reach from the ground, and I have the ETS EC for overhead work even though it's slower it should be easier to handle.

 

[afish]

I would be tempted to try the "new" Planex out on that.  Not sure how much deviation there is in the faces but it looks pretty flat.  Im sure you would have to touch up some spots with the ETS but if you can get 80%+ done with a 9" sander from the ground it would be worth it.  Disclaimer*  I have never tried sanding a log home with a planex, its just an idea. I guess you have a 30 day window to see if it works.   

 

[Cheese]

I would be tempted to try the "new" Planex out on that. 

+1

I'd take the Planex & ETS EC direction. There's a Planex coming up pretty soon on Recon for $465.

There appears to be many areas where some of the logs on the inside of the cabin are proud of the surrounding logs, do you intend to level all the surfaces?

What's your solution for corners or tight spots? If there aren't a lot of those areas, a sanding block could work.

 

[ttf5003]

The Planex is a pretty great idea. I wonder how much pressure it would take applied from the ground to sand the pine as compared to joint compound.

I'm hoping to never hang another sheet of drywall in my life so I'm not sure I'd want to buy a Planex just for this. But at that price on Recon I'd bite for sure. How do you know what's coming up on Recon? I always thought it was random.

The cabin is a simple layout with 4 corners and that vertical post so there won't be too much edge work. I'm hoping my RO90 with the triangular head can clean up the edges.

 

[afish]

id bite the bullet and get the planex 2 if it works out good just sell it when done and you should easily be able to recoup 80% + if it doesnt work as well as expected. the planex 2 will give you a much better finish.  Planex for large flat areas, Ets for tight spots and a dts for corners would be the combo I would start with.

 

[squall_line]

id bite the bullet and get the planex 2 if it works out good just sell it when done and you should easily be able to recoup 80% + if it doesnt work as well as expected. the planex 2 will give you a much better finish.  Planex for large flat areas, Ets for tight spots and a dts for corners would be the combo I would start with.

Considering how the Planex languishes on the Recon site and on classified / marketplace pages, I don't know that I'd bank on getting 80% back selling a used Planex, even the newer Planex 2.

 

[Cheese]

How do you know what's coming up on Recon? I always thought it was random.

The cabin is a simple layout with 4 corners and that vertical post so there won't be too much edge work. I'm hoping my RO90 with the triangular head can clean up the edges.

Here's the link.https://www.festoolrecon.com/collections/oneanddone?page=1

The RO 90 will work fine for your needs.

I've used Sikkens before on garage doors, when I last applied it several years ago, they promoted it for vertical surfaces ONLY so you may have to find something else for the front porch floor.

Also, the water splash back will take its toll on Sikkens after 5-6 years so those areas will have to be sanded and refinished. On the garage doors that splash back area extended up to almost 3 feet, in places, from the driveway surface.

 

[afish]

The old planex has lost a lot of its resale value and there was a flood of units that hit the used market when the planex 2 was released from people wanting to upgrade.  Hence, the languishing time. 

Very few planex 2's have hit the used market from what I have seen. A quick search on Ebay only turned up a total of 2 sales for used units.  both right around 1k.  It might not be exactly 80% but close enough that it starts seeming like we are splitting hairs. 

If I was going to do it I would try the planex2, ets ec125/150 (im thinking the 5mm orbit might be better for this but the 3 will work too)  for the tight spots/uneven areas, and a DTS for the corners and really tight spots. That would be my 3 sander choice to start. If the Planex didnt work then swap for the rotex. but thats just me, and I dont typically sand an entire log home inside and out (thank god)...

 

[ttf5003]

I've been thinking about the Planex all day. Each log is 7" with a 1/2" recess on the top and the bottom. So the 225mm sanding pads will actually be larger than each log. Since very few logs are lined up perfectly I think it will be tilted a lot and not sanding evenly. It may be more trouble then it's worth. If I already owned one though I'd definitely give it a shot. I also have a DTS 400 for corner work.

 

[ttf5003]

I started doing some sanding this weekend with the Rotex and 40 grit Granat. It goes pretty quick but the issue is the paper is clogging after a few logs. I've never had this issue before when using a festool sander with dust extraction. I'm running the extractor wide open. I also tried using one of those sticks for cleaning belt sanders. It removed some of the gunk but not enough to make a difference. Any other ideas I can try?

 

[eschumac]

Could be wet or pitch. Or you could be going to fast or speed too high and heating up the surface. Could try slowing it down. Also Abranet.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Could also be turning the suction all the way down. It may be too high suction
so it sticks. If you have other sandpaper available - try Rubin or similar.