Rg 130 - Re-surfacing exterior wood decking boards?

[Philthy_dolphin]

Good day,
I would like to have your opinion on using the new RG 130 to re-surface a wood deck? The user manual states not use the tool if there's a chance you could hit a nail/screw but yet, the pictures on the Festool website for the RG-130 show a guy re-finishing an old house wood floor, which most likely has nails all over.

Thanks
Phil

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Using the RG-130 to strip a deck seems like a square peg/round hole situation. The photos on the Festool USA website do show someone stripping some kind of a coating from a hardwood floor, but that should all be blind nailed down with no risk of hitting a nail, and I hope it goes without saying that the floor would require extensive sanding once that coating is removed.

On a deck, you're almost guaranteed to hit scores of nails/screws, unless it's blind fastened. This would risk ruining an expensive diamond cup wheel (~$200/ea) in short order. And, even if you could accomplish the work with the RG-130, you'd still need to perform extensive sanding to bring the surface to a usable condition.

My suggestion would be to reach for a RO-150 and/or a belt sander.....

 

[Ron B]

And put a protection pad on your sander.  That is the pad that goes between the velcro on sander and abrasive paper itself. Less than $20 for two of them.  Gives you a little protection and also protects from the pad overheating and melting the velcro on backing plate of the sander. I know that because I used my RAS115 on some of my boards and got too aggressive.  Protection pad was damaged but not the backing plate on the sander. 

 

[guybo]

diamabrush works well,btw welcome to the fog

 

[Packard]

I would rent one of the random orbitals floor sanders.  I’ve rented them from Lowes.  They sand much slower than the belt versions, but are easy to handle with little risk of major divots. 

They consist of four 6-inch discs that are random orbitals. 

I have used them on floors, but not on decking.  I would pressure wash first as the slime will shorten disc life. 

The old ones I used were very heavy.  The new ones are lighter.  I am not convinced that is an advantage.  I think the weight allowed for quicker sanding.  These sand right up to the edges and you probably will not need an edge sander. 

I would take the time to sink the screws below the surface.  That will take time but it will be offset by the fact that you are not trashing discs. 

Let us know what you do.  I am planning on doing the same in the fall. 

 

[Cheese]

Ya, many years ago my neighbor wanted to strip the Sky Blue  [eek]  paint from his deck and chided me by saying "How about bringing some of those expensive German tools you have over to my house and we can see how well they remove deck paint". I brought over a RAS 115, RO 125 and a DX 93 for the corners and after an hour or so...I convinced him to just rent a Hummel from Menards.

That Hummel sander did in one Saturday afternoon what the "expensive German tools" would have done in 2 weeks. If you're afraid of using the Hummel, then do as Packard suggested and rent a Clarke orbital instead.

The larger floor sanders have 10X the sanding area of a RG 130 or a RO 150 and will produce a flatter surface besides.

 

[cpw]

In my rental there were lots of nails sticking up (I think one of the previous someone tried to poorly desqueak the floor).  Even trying to set them, you'll tear through paper really quickly getting stuff flat.

When I needed to strip the failing Behr paint on my 42'x12' deck (after only one year) I used an angle grinder with 3M sandblaster wheels (killing my HF angle grinder not too far in and replacing it with a Milwaukee).  It did suck a lot, but got everything off and I was able to repaint with a better product.

For a 4'x12' cedar deck that had no paint on it, but was just very rough I used a RAS with Rubin and that made pretty quick work of it too, without nearly the dust that the angle grinder did.

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3][attachimg=4][attachimg=5][attachimg=6][attachimg=7][attachimg=8]

I love the Renofix and can’t recommend it enough.
It’s a smooth sailing yet monstrously powerful beast.
The first time you handle it and turn it on, you’ll be awed by the feeling of power in your hands, yet it feels super stable n safe to wield.

I’ve used mine to strip paint, strip a small deck and level a fairly roughed up slab o walnut. like bwehman stated in another RG130 post,the dust collection is amazing.

On all of these tasks,the speed and power of the tool was just incredible.
I’m talking a few minutes to a few seconds and yer done.

On the deck , the paint stripping phase itself was so friggin quick , I had to take breaks because I felt that I wanted to enjoy the Renofix for a bit longer !! I swear it stripped that paint so fast! a a minute or two for each section …3-4 minutes net time for the whole thing ,probly even less .

Mind you though, that, true to whats been said here, I of course needed to continue with the Rotex after the initial stripping , because understandably the surface is pretty jaggedy after the Renofix run. Thought I’d manage with Granat 60 or 40 but soon realized I’m gonna need to go as low as Saphir24,but the RG130 whisked through the first pass so quickly and efficiently,the remaining work with the Rotex was also a breeze.
I’ve stripped a few much larger decks using just the RO150 in the past, ….there’s just no comparing.

This deck was pine so it makes me wonder how the RG130 would handle IPE.

It also got me wishing that Festool make an additional paint stripping disc with a finer “grit”.

Indeed the screws were an issue I wasn’t too sure about and didn’t wanna take my chances with, …I really didn’t know how that disc would handle metal( what is it 200$/€ +- for just one of these premium grinding cups?) so I marked em with white chalk and steered clear of those areas, and later finished em off with the RO.

Initially I did plan on sinking them but when I started doing so I realized they were pretty old, stripped and clogged so the work involved just to do that would have been too much…so decided to skip that…but I’m sure that’s definitely an option , specially if that same deck is gonna get refinished over the years, then yeah the work will definitely payout later.

That ALSO got me wishing Festool would make a grinding cup that can handle certain metals. heck maybe combine the two( fine grinding/metal tolerant) and make a cup tailor made specifically for deck stripping.

All that said the pros here know their stuff so even though I had a lot of fun with the RG n RO , I personally have never used one of those big machines y’all are talking about , but I trust they are the way to go in terms of efficiency, time ,etc.

I guess it comes down to whether you’re enjoying the work and are having fun with these awesome Festool Machines, or wanna get this done as quickly , efficiently,and hassle free as possible and move on to the next task at hand…or the next siesta…

I always wondered how the Planex would handle a deck stripping/finishing job …I think some people here have written about it. Has anyone tried this? Is it a feasible option for decks?

On another note , Packard ,if you’re reading this, that OF2200 Light Module finally came in earlier this week !
I’m gonna get a review going ,as per your request/suggestion….hoping to do it this weekend …but meantime from my first few hours with it , I personally really love it!

 

[Cheese]

I love the Renofix and can’t recommend it enough.
It’s a smooth sailing yet monstrously powerful beast.
The first time you handle it and turn it on, you’ll be awed by the feeling of power in your hands, yet it feels super stable n safe to wield.

Nice job with the Renofix.  [smile]  Just curious, between the Renofix and the Saphir 24, how much material do you think was removed from each board? Did you follow up the Saphir 24 with other finer grits?

I'd definitely try using the Planex on a deck as Saphir 24 & 36 papers are offered. I've been using it on an OSB floor with 60 grit Granat and it works well. Just like using a Hummel or a Clarke, your hands are at waist level and you just walk behind the tool. Working on my hands & knees is no longer enjoyable.  [big grin]

I'm putting OSB in the garage eaves for light storage use in the winter, think rakes, shovels, hoses & furniture cushions. Before I install the OSB, each sheet is sanded on the top & edges with the Planex to mitigate slivers in the future. The sanding is actually enjoyable work because of the standing position.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

Thank you Cheese !!
That’s great news about the Planex !
Once my bank account recovers ….(as if THAT’ll ever happen)
I’d love to get one and try it out.

Do you have the new version with the LED Ring? Does that help any with a deck?

I continued with Saphir 36,50 then Granat 60 all the way to 400 after Outdoor Surfix.
I know it’s a mite overkill for a deck , but I can’t help it …when I sand I love that silky smooth finish n feel in the end. I keep telling myself - No Man! This time leave it at 220 ,320 tops …it’s gonna vanish in a less then a weeks time anyway ..with the weather and people stepping on it n all… but I never (hardly ever) listen…

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

I dunno if you can spot it in the pics, but the RG130’s paint stripping cup leaves pretty harsh rings on the lumber. The first pass with the RO150 n Saphir 24 was less about material removal ( the Renofix did all of that ) and more about just smoothing all that out. very quickly I might add, minimal work or effort .
After that it just looks like after any regular sanding obviously.

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

Sorry I got what you asked I think now more accurately,
I think….

If you’re asking about all in all material removal, the RG130 has that depth stop ring, so it’s a no brainer in terms of how deep you’re going with it. I always start very thin ,do a pass, usually it leaves some of the old paint still. Then go a wee bit deeper and that usually marks the minimal depth I need to remove that old layer. In short I’m sure more material is removed than with just the Rotex or an orbital sander, but I wouldn’t say it’s a lot more…

 

[Cheese]

Glad you mentioned the adjustment height ring on the RG 130...I forgot about that.  [smile]  I liked how you snuck up on the final cutting depth, that makes sense.
I've thought about picking up the Renofix at least a half-dozen times for cement work. You've now made me think about purchasing it for the 7th time.  [poke]

I've got the latest version Planex with the LED's because the original idea was to use it to finish the drywall in the garage but I've yet to use it on the drywall because of the other applications.  [big grin]

The skylights in the garage required 31" truss spacing in 2 different areas. Consequently, when the T&G subfloor was put down, it was a bit "soft" where the span was 31", the T&G interface was actually moving and it needed to be reinforced. However, on the underside of the floor, there was a small difference in height between the pieces of Durastrand. When I went to reinforce the T&G joint with 2x material, I needed to level the joint first before I glued & screwed in the 2x4. It was so easy to throw some Granat 40 on the Planex and sand down the joint while standing on the garage floor. No standing on a ladder and holding a Rotex over my head.

[attachimg=1]

 

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

Cheese

Those are some cool applications for the Planex man!
And those pics look far out!!

Makes me wanna get one even more now…tsk tsk

Regarding the Renofix , I say if you have the budget , get it!
I’m really enjoying it so far on those wood applications , and am planing to use it soon
To level n smooth out some concrete just beside that deck in the photos so I can lay down
some more decking there .

Phil , hope you work out the best solution for your deck re-finishing !
Good luck n have fun

 

[Packard]

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3][attachimg=4][attachimg=5][attachimg=6][attachimg=7][attachimg=8]

I love the Renofix and can’t recommend it enough.
It’s a smooth sailing yet monstrously powerful beast.
The first time you handle it and turn it on, you’ll be awed by the feeling of power in your hands, yet it feels super stable n safe to wield.

I’ve used mine to strip paint, strip a small deck and level a fairly roughed up slab o walnut. like bwehman stated in another RG130 post,the dust collection is amazing.

On all of these tasks,the speed and power of the tool was just incredible.
I’m talking a few minutes to a few seconds and yer done.

On the deck , the paint stripping phase itself was so friggin quick , I had to take breaks because I felt that I wanted to enjoy the Renofix for a bit longer !! I swear it stripped that paint so fast! a a minute or two for each section …3-4 minutes net time for the whole thing ,probly even less .

Mind you though, that, true to whats been said here, I of course needed to continue with the Rotex after the initial stripping , because understandably the surface is pretty jaggedy after the Renofix run. Thought I’d manage with Granat 60 or 40 but soon realized I’m gonna need to go as low as Saphir24,but the RG130 whisked through the first pass so quickly and efficiently,the remaining work with the Rotex was also a breeze.
I’ve stripped a few much larger decks using just the RO150 in the past, ….there’s just no comparing.

This deck was pine so it makes me wonder how the RG130 would handle IPE.

It also got me wishing that Festool make an additional paint stripping disc with a finer “grit”.

Indeed the screws were an issue I wasn’t too sure about and didn’t wanna take my chances with, …I really didn’t know how that disc would handle metal( what is it 200$/€ +- for just one of these premium grinding cups?) so I marked em with white chalk and steered clear of those areas, and later finished em off with the RO.

Initially I did plan on sinking them but when I started doing so I realized they were pretty old, stripped and clogged so the work involved just to do that would have been too much…so decided to skip that…but I’m sure that’s definitely an option , specially if that same deck is gonna get refinished over the years, then yeah the work will definitely payout later.

That ALSO got me wishing Festool would make a grinding cup that can handle certain metals. heck maybe combine the two( fine grinding/metal tolerant) and make a cup tailor made specifically for deck stripping.

All that said the pros here know their stuff so even though I had a lot of fun with the RG n RO , I personally have never used one of those big machines y’all are talking about , but I trust they are the way to go in terms of efficiency, time ,etc.

I guess it comes down to whether you’re enjoying the work and are having fun with these awesome Festool Machines, or wanna get this done as quickly , efficiently,and hassle free as possible and move on to the next task at hand…or the next siesta…

I always wondered how the Planex would handle a deck stripping/finishing job …I think some people here have written about it. Has anyone tried this? Is it a feasible option for decks?

On another note , Packard ,if you’re reading this, that OF2200 Light Module finally came in earlier this week !
I’m gonna get a review going ,as per your request/suggestion….hoping to do it this weekend …but meantime from my first few hours with it , I personally really love it!

I’ll watch for your review of the light module. 

The pictures look more like a Juliet balcony [O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?] than a deck. [big grin]  For that size, I might go at it with a random orbital sander.  But my deck is 12’ x 30’, so a random orbital sander would have me complaining about my back and knees.

 

[Duckler]

Yardbird? Or anyone else who can answer?
What is this “protection pad”? I need some for the RAS115.
Festool part number (or substitute if there is one)?

 

[Ron B]

Now that I think of it, I think I used the 5" protection pad.  The 5" protection pad number is 203344.  In the 2021 Festool catalog the protection pads are on page 223 and (at that time) were $13 US for 2 pads.  the RAS115 pads were not listed but I think the RAS115 was discontinued the previous year. 

The 5" does have holes in it for dust collection, which the RAS115 does not, but it still works. 

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

i]

I’ll watch for your review of the light module. 

The pictures look more like a Juliet balcony [O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?] than a deck. [big grin]  For that size, I might go at it with a random orbital sander.  But my deck is 12’ x 30’, so a random orbital sander would have me complaining about my back and knees.

Packard you dog…you crack me up

( apologies in advance for being off topic or wasting anyone’s time with this strange , impromptu rant …credit and inspiration go to Packard and two Williams : Shakespeare n Blake):

I went outside to my “balcony/deck” in the middle of the night . I called for Juliet. No one answered. I called for Romeo. Nothing. I howled at the crescent moon like a coyote. All I could hear was the wind . Then all of a sudden, from the blackness of the night sky, two winged demons appeared! They took me by the arms, one in each, and flew me to a mill. In the mill sat two Pauls : McCartney and Simon , but instead of playing music they were working wood. One was Ripping a gargantuan beam of Cedar , more than 10’ in thickness and height , which extended so far out that one could not even see where it ended . He bore a circular saw so massive that the only thing visible on it was its 12’ blade! The other Paul was Routing a huge 3’ x 12’ walnut slab with the biggest router bit one has ever seen , a 7” thick 26” long triple flute compression bit with no bearing. They did not have Festool Cleantec Dust Extraction and the Router Paul was using was a massive hunk made entirely of rusty steel and the only plastic part on it was a logo with the letter Z . It all made a terrible noise and sent huge bits of debris n dust flying about the room and into all of our faces. ( we were not wearing any kind of protection as well…hearing ,breathing, eyes or otherwise) .As the whole space became impossible to breathe or even see in, I freed myself from the Demons’ grasp , and flew outa the mill ,and towards the first planet I could see . My sight was still greatly impaired from all the dust, but I could tell it was a chromatic green in colour.  The Demons, after quickly recovering from their initial shock of my spontaneous escape , flew after me. On and on the three of us flew through the galaxy towards the green planet , with me in the lead and my abductors in close pursuit . As we approached the Green Planet , I noticed that it had no atmosphere,and I began to clearly see its terrain : everything was coloured in green, blackish blue, and light grey…those were the only colors one could discern from the vast array of trees, mountains , lakes n seas, even the sky itself was green. so I accelerated until I crash landed into one of its green coloured bodies of water ,  and once totally immersed in it I noticed that it wasn’t even water…it tasted like…Kool Aid!! SWEET Green Kool Aid!! Since I realized I was rather thirsty after all this mucking n running n flying about, I proceeded to drink more n more of this rather tasty liquid . It was so delicious and satisfying, that I completely forgot about those two demons that were chasing me just a few moments ago. Then I heard a woooosh!!!Followed by a CRASH!!! It appeared the demons also landed into this mysterious green kool-aid pond ! I braced myself for what might come next, all but tired out from the whole nights affair,but , to my surprise, as they resurfaced from their crash landing , it appeared they were no longer demons , they had transformed into……….

Festool Fan Merchandise!!!

Hats, shirts, pants, jackets…pens n pencils …jack knives …eating utensils…lunch boxes n water bottles…. ….pizza cutters. Every kind of Festool Fan Merchandise one could ever dream of came surging out of the pond and towards me like a school of flying fish  . My surprise turned into astonishment, astonishment to glee!!! I lunged forward towards this dream come true .., I was approaching quickly , I spread out my arms as far as I could in each direction , in the hopes of catching as much memorabilia as I possibly could . Doing so I saw that my arms were extending more n more , like Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four, and the hands themselves became like two huge pitcher’s mitts !! By now I was beside myself with joy , even expecting that I could now, with this sudden fortunate spontaneous mutation , probably be able to catch most or even all of the incoming treasures . Here it comes …the moment of impact!!!

Then I woke up, and Upon looking in the mirror I saw this this message ,scribed on my forehead:

“One Festool for the Carpenter and Joiner is a Bummer.”

(More apologies now to anyone who has finished reading and is feeling nauseous or confused…Moderaters: feel free to delete post if deemed inappropriate )

 

[Packard]

Dick Francis, a British Jockey turned mystery writer, used to write delightfully short novels.  Almost novellas.  But that changed overnight when he started writing with a word processor.  The novels were still good, just longer.

I am guilty of Dick Francis Syndrome.  I am a fast typist and I can type as fast as I can compose my sentences in my head.  As a result, my posts tend to be longer than most. 

But I see I have been outdone by an even faster typist, I’ve been out Dickfrancised.  [big grin]

(I would note that when I am working on my tablet, my posts are notably shorter.

 

[Jacks Moonshiner]

Packard you’re still the no. 1 lightning fasest quickest typist ever.
You got me all wrong I’m actually a very slow and clumsy typist.

Let’s see if you can guess the secret though..

That Dick Francis is an Interesting fella. Looked im up.
I’ll see if I can find one of his novellas on the net somehow.

BTW that thing I wrote is a “Festoolian” take on some of William Blake’s most excellent works, brought down in his masterpiece “The Marriage of Heaven n Hell” …
in particular , the “A Memorable Fancy “ parts.

For some strange reason when I wrote it
A) I thought it was wildly funny n amusing.
And
B) I was sure many readers would immediately recognise the source.

But after re-reading it myself…AND gettin a good nights sleep
I discovered neither of those points held true….