Switched from hand sanding to a DA sander for filler work last year

I used to block sand every single filler job by hand, thinking I had more control. Then I tried a 6-inch DA with 80-grit on a hood repair in July and finished in 20 minutes instead of 2 hours. Anyone else find that the DA leaves less waves than they expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_miles25d ago

Yeah I gotta ask though, how much time did you spend fixing DA pigtails that the block would have never left? Is the speed actually worth it for filler work?

anthony88321d ago

What? Pigtails? Oh man, I feel you on that. I thought the same thing my first week with the DA. Actually had a whole hood that looked like a tiger stripe mess after I went too fast with 60 grit. But I think a lot of it is just getting your pressure and speed dialed in, plus not being afraid to step up to 150 or 180 after the 80 to clean it all up. Now I won't go back to hand sanding filler for anything big. The speed trade off is totally worth it once you figure out your technique, I promise. It's not like a block is some magic cure for waves either, I've seen plenty of hand sanded jobs that look like a roller coaster.