Re: Festool Sander for stripping house paint

[AnitaB]

I'm an about-to-be Festool owner, attracted to the system because of what appears to be its peerless dust collection incorporation with the sanders.
The job: strip exterior cedar shingle siding of peeling paint on a whole (small) house I own in prep for re-painting. Tested positive for lead so I want the cleanest work possible.
Initially I figured the only way to minimize flying dust is to hand-scrape. I came up with a great almost flawless gravity-dependent collection system and all goes well EXCEPT of course it takes forever. I had to use a 1" or 2" scraper blade to effectively work the not-always-flat surfaces. At almost 10minutes/shingle including hand-sanding, clearly this is not economical.
I've watched lots of videos about Festool sanders and have studied them as well as I can with the literature and 2019 product catalog.
The $1,000+ pricing seems worth it even if I use the system (sander + extractor) for this job only and re-sell, as compared to vast quantities of time and minimal money spent scraping, vs. hiring the job out at high cost due to lead abatement requirements and certifications (I'm told it's really hard to find people to do this, anyway), vs. replacing all shingles (time + high cost; I hate waste), vs. pressure washing (flying paint-flake control issues, water saturation and drying issues afterwards).
The shingles are 5 +/- inches exposed.
Alas I see no discussion on this particular use.
I'm waffling between the RO125 and the RO90. RO 125 seems the right tool, but then I'm thinking the RO90 would be less punishing on the hands and arms for all that vertical work; maybe it'll be handy having the Delta attachment, too. And maybe for this job it's better to have a smaller head? But a user says that it's harder to keep flat to the surface.
I may fall in love with the tool and sell other-brand sanders; the whole inside of the house has yet to be renovated, though I won't be doing ALL that work. That will be studs-out, base-floor-up work. Lots of tool use opportunities.
I wish I had some voices of experience with this application, to assist me in my choice.
ALSO re abrasives - what about using Granat Net Abrasives - would they be the safest for the lead paint dust collection and good in this application (best suction) or are they really only for drywall?

 

[threesixright]

Not a expert. IMO you should have a company take care of it. Not sure how they handle lead. But I doubts it’s a only a sander and vacuum. Might not be so complicated like asbestos, yet complicated enough. You don’t want particles fly of (which will happen with a sander). On top if it was inside it might be easier since you can seal the house.

Others might know better (also rules and regulations).

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[Bob D.]

You mentioned you might resell the sander and extractor when the job is done.

Will you tell the prospective buyer that the sander and CT were used on lead-based
paint when they come to look it over?

Think about how you would feel if you were buying and weren't told, only to find out
later after you'd been exposed to the residue in the tool and the vac.

There is a reason that it's expensive to hire someone to do lead paint removal, it's a
costly undertaking to have the right tooling, tools, training, and licensing/permits. But
when it's done it will have been done right at minimal risk to you or anyone else. Can
you say the same about your lead abatement plan?

You might look into encapsulation options that may or may not be available for your
situation. They could prove less expensive and better for your health.

 

[AlexThePalex]

A RO90 for an entire house? Never, that is going to take you ages. And tons of very expensive (too expensive) sandpaper. My choice here would be a RO150 with 50 grit Saphir sandpaper.

The RO150 does require quite some strength to handle it though, so maybe a 125 will suit you better. But the 125 is also smaller and less powerfull, it will still take a long time to get the job done. But not as ridiculously long as the RO90. The 90 is really only for small jobs.

Of course I also have to recommend the DTS400 as addition, best sander for all work around the house. A round pad sander alone is not enough. The DTS also has superb dust collection paired with a vac.

 

[xedos]

Metabo's cutter/grinder/shearer gizmo might be a better option for an entire house.
https://www.toolsofthetrade.net/power-tools/corded-tools/metabo-lf724-paint-remover_o

 

[forestmount]

A RO90 for an entire house? Never, that is going to take you ages. And tons of very expensive (too expensive) sandpaper. My choice here would be a RO150 with 50 grit Saphir sandpaper.

The RO150 does require quite some strength to handle it though, so maybe a 125 will suit you better. But the 125 is also smaller and less powerfull, it will still take a long time to get the job done. But not as ridiculously long as the RO90. The 90 is really only for small jobs.

Of course I also have to recommend the DTS400 as addition, best sander for all work around the house. A round pad sander alone is not enough. The DTS also has superb dust collection paired with a vac.

I did our house inside and out. I used both the RO150 and RO90. The paint was in bad condition so these sanders worked a treat. If it helps I am not as attached to the RO90 as I am to the RO150. I have never used the DTS400 but now I think I should have a look.

Also IMO dust extracting is a must not just for you health but it helps cool the paint when sanding and clear the sandpaper. We have sanded a few houses the last one (post kool aid) was almost a pleasure.

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[threesixright]

Metabo's cutter/grinder/shearer gizmo might be a better option for an entire house.
https://www.toolsofthetrade.net/power-tools/corded-tools/metabo-lf724-paint-remover_o

How is the dust collection? You understood this paint contains lead, right?

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[woodwrights_corner]

I went through this a few years ago and it is a pain.  I didn't feel comfortable with the available contractors.  It was an effort of trial and error.  I learned a great deal of things to consider if buying another house. 

If you can please post pictures of your house.  Take close ups of the painted shingles. Photos of the windows, doors and trim would be helpful.  Is this a one or two story home?  Open or closed soffit.

How much time do you really have and what is your climate?  Do you have any major events taking place during this project?

We can provide better suggestions with the photos.  The other questions will help you decide whether to tackle it yourself.

 

[xedos]

Metabo's cutter/grinder/shearer gizmo might be a better option for an entire house.
https://www.toolsofthetrade.net/power-tools/corded-tools/metabo-lf724-paint-remover_o

How is the dust collection? You understood this paint contains lead, right?

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Explained in the article.

Yes, I read Anita’s siding contains lead. 

Which do you suppose creates finer particles and a bigger hazard : sandpaper or a rotary carbide cutter ?  One should be very careful no matter the method and tool.