Mini belt sander

[WoodworkerTom]

The previous owners of the house I live in left a teak garden bench. The finish on it is a mix of bare wood, some kind of film finish and bird poop.

The larger flat surfaces I can get with my current array of sanders. I need to sand between the seat and back slats which only have about 3/4" spacing and there are a lot of them.

Contemplating buying a mini belt/ file sander like Proxxon. Anyone have any experience with these? Do they work well?

[giradman]

The previous owners of the house I live in left a teak garden bench.  The finish on it is a mix of bare wood, some kind of film finish and bird poop.

The larger flat surfaces I can get with my current array of sanders.  I need to sand between the seat and back slats which only have about 3/4" spacing and there are a lot of them.

Contemplating buying a mini belt/ file sander like Proxxon.  Anyone have any experience with these?  Do they work well?

Hi Tom - probably a number of solutions, but you might want to provide some pics and give us the dimensions of the slats, i.e. gap between adjacent slats and their thickness.  For me, I own a DeWalt 4 1/2" grinder w/ sandpaper attachments - their is about an inch of insertion length that might work; also have the Fein multi-function tool - additional options vs. the file belt sanders - my main question w/ the latter is whether the tip will fit between the slats?  Dave

[Huxleywood]

WoodworkerTom pid='7649931' dateline='1532976385']The previous owners of the house I live in left a teak garden bench.  The finish on it is a mix of bare wood, some kind of film finish and bird poop.

The larger flat surfaces I can get with my current array of sanders.  I need to sand between the seat and back slats which only have about 3/4" spacing and there are a lot of them.

Contemplating buying a mini belt/ file sander like Proxxon.  Anyone have any experience with these?  Do they work well?

Proxxon tools generally work well.  Are you talking about the BS/E?  If so it will take FOREVER.  Will the nose of a Black and Decker "Dragster" sander fit?  

dragster

The front black part above the belt will flip up to access more narrow areas.

[ez-duzit]

Forgetaboutit! If you do not already own one get a multitool. The sanding pad will easily fit between the slats and you'll have a useful tool for other projects.

[WoodworkerTom]

Here is a picture. Spaces are about 5/8 inch. It cleans up nice and I think is worth saving. Joints are still solid and true.

[giradman]

Here is a picture.  Spaces are about 5/8 inch.  It cleans up nice and I think is worth saving.  Joints are still solid and true.

Thanks of the pic - nice looking bench that should be resurrected!


I'd probably pull out my Fein MM w/ the triangular pads - there are plenty of these types of tools in all price ranges depending on your budget; also, keep in mind if you're a DIY around the house, these tools have many different functions.  Another consideration is a small diameter spindle sander attached to a drill - the 1/2" size might hit both slats at the same time?  Good luck and please re-post after the bench has been rejuvenated - Dave
.

[Admiral]

That's a really nice bench, being teak it's well worth the work to bring it back. Will be time consuming. Have you thought about finishing, I'm thinking some sort of oil.

[EvilTwin]

That's a really nice bench, being teak it's well worth the work to bring it back.  Will be time consuming.  Have you thought about finishing, I'm thinking some sort of oil.

I agree, that is a very nice piece.  How you go about finishing it depends on where its going to live.  If its back outside, nothing you do will prevent the finish from degrading in a year or two under the sun.  Oil finishes are the easiest to renew, but have the shortest life.  A good film finish would be a marine varnish, and you would have to keep up with that as long as it's outside.

A detail sander would probably work best in between the slats.  You could do a light pressure wash on it to clean off the poop, but you will raise the grain some.  That my not be an issue since you are sanding it down anyway.  Be mindful of the dust from teak.  Teak has a natural silica in it and is hell on tools and silica dust is hell on your body once it gets inside your lungs.

[Del Hilburn]

The previous owners of the house I live in left a teak garden bench.  The finish on it is a mix of bare wood, some kind of film finish and bird poop.

The larger flat surfaces I can get with my current array of sanders.  I need to sand between the seat and back slats which only have about 3/4" spacing and there are a lot of them.

Contemplating buying a mini belt/ file sander like Proxxon.  Anyone have any experience with these?  Do they work well?

How about a Harbor Freight "Bandfile Belt Sander"

[Tony Z]

I have a Porter Cable Model 371, takes a 2-1/2" x 14" belt, and, to me, it's worth its weight in gold. Light enough to be used one handed, and powered correctly, so as to not ruin work.