# Sanding Paint off Exterior Wood Siding with a Disc Sander



## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

What is your final objective? Get off loose and flaking so that you can paint again?? Getting down to bare wood? If bare wood, you have one h e double hockey sticks of a job in front of you. If just loose and peeling and feathering edges, I'd move to to 80 or 100 grit. Ron


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

My objective is to get down to bare wood, put Sikkens Cetol (oil) to protect the wood, and not have to do it again for forever. 

Paint won't last two years in Florida; plus, the sun beats down all day on that side. I've been scraping it for a few weeks now and there's always more to scrape and flake after I let it sit. 

So should I still use 80 or 100 grit to get the paint off? I want to at least try it. It might be too much, but if I can keep moving and seeing the paint come off after one or two passes, I might be able to finish it in a month or so. It will be worth it in the long run, if I live that long.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Invest in a good CARBIDE-bladed scraper. They are hard and very sharp. You will be amazed at how much peeling paint it will remove. It's very labor intensive of course. That will remove the bulk of the paint. THEN you can use an orbital sander with 60 or 80 grit paper to get even more of the peeling paint off. Get good sandpaper. The orange colored paper doesn't last long. I buy Shopsmith brand paper which is much better and lasts longer than a few minutes.

NOTE: Be careful with the scraper, you can really do some damage to the wood. Just be sure to remove paint, and not the wood.


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

I did try a scraper like that but it wasn't carbide and it did nothing, so maybe I'll try the carbide. 

There are places where I couldn't budge the paint as I was hand-scraping. I made X's through the paint with a razor blade and put duct tape over the X and then pulled the tape off to start the paint. That worked sometimes.

Have you ever sprayed Shopsmith coarse sandpaper with cooking oil or something else to keep the paint from globbing up?


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

have you had the paint tested for lead ? you really should. also i wouldnt be using that style of sander but a orbital sander that has a dust collection port so you can connect a shop vac to it equipped with a hepa bag


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

I've never found a way to keep the paper from gumming up when trying to remove intact acrylic coatings. Buy a bunch of pads and change them often. A friend of mine bought the Makita grinder in the OP (we both do a good amount of stripping). it works ok but has some drawbacks for this type of work. For one the pads are expensive and not easy to change. Also they aren't variable speed. It's either on, or off. 

I have found the Dewalt 5" disc sander to be much more suited to this type of work. 

http://www.dewalt.com/tools/woodworking-sanders-random-orbital-sanders-dwe6401ds.aspx

It says "random orbital" in the link for some reason. This sander is not a random orbital, but a disc sander that spins constantly like the Makita. 

It uses regular 5" 5 hole hook and loop discs like some orbital sanders use. These are much cheaper and easier to change than the discs on the Makita. Also it is variable speed. In addition to a maximum speed adjustment on the machine, the trigger is speed sensitive to how far back you pull it. It's hard to explain how much easier it makes using the sander being able to gradually increase or decrease the speed as you sand. 

It also has a shroud with a dust port that can be hooked up to a shop vac for partial dust containment. 

In your case chemical stripping may be an option as well. Personally I avoid chemical stripping whenever possible and would likely use the sander as much as possible myself even if chem stripping was "easier" in some ways.


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## ratherbefishin' (Jun 16, 2007)

If you do choose to stick with your old Makita, something like this http://www.coastaltool.com/a/accessories/abrasives/disc5_3m.htm will usually work a little better than sandpaper. And I don't see the side handle on your sander. If it's missing, you can get one for cheap here: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/grip-32-p-1361.html
That tool is a lot less tiresome when you can hold it properly with both hands.

That said, I have an old GV5000 and I wouldn't tackle a complete strip of a house exterior with it. It can do it, but it'll take a long time and a heck of a lot of effort.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Good luck ever getting every speck of paint off good enough to stain unless you went with a solid pigmented stain.
Even if you did do it stains only going to last a few years and all have to be done again.
Every speck of paint left behind is going to stick out like a sore thumb.
I would not waste my time with that tiny tool your trying to use!
Properly prepped, primed and painted that paint job should have lasted at least 10 years.
Cover the wall with Tyvek and side over all of it with vinyl or Hardee lap siding and never have to mess with it again.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I don't know what part of Fla your in that the paint only lasts 2 years. I live in central fla and 7 to 10yrs is pretty normal.


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

Siding would be nice, but who knows what's going on underneath it, as I discovered when a contractor was drilling through the house siding but the drill wouldn't catch. Termites and moist wood. I had to rebuild the wall. 

The good thing about stain is, years later, you don't have to scrape and prep till the cows come home like you do with coats and coats of paint. You don't see paint on wooden telephone poles and walkways and railings in national parks, etc. Different brush strokes for different folks.

Thanks for all the new information. It really really helps.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... If yer intent on removin' all the paint,....

I suggest ya get a carbide scrapper, several different putty knives, 'n a powerful hot, Heat Gun,....

Hit the paint with the Heat Gun to bubble it, scrape off what'll come off with a putty knife, then scrape it with the carbide bladed scrapper,.....


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