# Forum Home Renovation Plastering  Best sanding powertool for plasterboard..?

## ReP0

Ok when I mean the best I'm referring to something affordable for the DIY that isn't going to be professionally installing gyprock for the rest of his life  :Smilie: . 
Basically I bought a house recently and have noticed that one of the walls had a bodge job done on it so that it's uneven and you can see where the person doing to job stuffed up so bad that in one place you can literally see a shallow gouge from a trowel in the plaster. Seems for some reason that instead of replacing the gyprock someone like to cover most of the wall in plaster and didn't have a clue or was too lazy to keep it even. I'd like to sand back the walls so they are even and then fill in the gouge but do not want to spend a week doing it all by hand with a hand sander. Can anyone recommend me the best sander for the job so that there is less clogging and the sandpaper isn't going to cost me a fortune?

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## Rod Dyson

Personally I do not like the electric sanders. It is quite possible that is what has caused the problem in the fist place. They are ok if used by someone who is very experienced in knowing just how much sanding is required. See the post below for details of what happens when plasterboard joints are over sanded.  http://www.renovateforum.com/showthread.php?t=62211 
To fix your problem you will need to re-trowel the joints with top coat. If the joins are over filled you will need to trowell them out twice the width of the trowel Preferabley use a 12" blade. 
Sanding does not need to be a difficult job. Use a wet sponge to sand the edges then a hand sander through the joins. Using a hand sander allows you to feel where more sanding is required or less sanding. The sanding machines just rip off to much and you have very little feel for what is happening, in my opinion. 
Just the other day I was at one of our projects where an inexperienced guy had over sanded the job. The contractor had to go through and re top coat the entire job. 
As far as you question is concerned there is no cheap option in plasterboard sanders. However most plasterboard sales branches hire them out if you deciede to go down that route. 
Cheers Rod

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## ReP0

Thanks Rod. Judging by the guage from the trowel I don't think any top coat was put on these walls. It seems someone put base coat down and then painted so I don't think I have to much fear of "removing too much".  
I'm not really after a specialised sanding tool for plaster alone. I would like to use the sander for wood later down the track. A few of the door frames could do with some sanding, some are very rough. I was thinking more in line with an orbital vs traditional electric sander etc. I know dust is a killer but hoping the old dual- stocking trick will be enough to act as filter. I guess I could buy a cheapie GMC and throw it away with no loss after the job.

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## rmartens

In my point of view I would say get an orbital sander but get a 150mm one it is better than the 120mm Use very fine paper say 240 or 320 grade paper and use a vacuum at the end of the nozzle to reduce dust.
Using an electric sander will take longer than by hand but with very fine paper you will have less trouble to rip into the paper as Rod has mentioned.
Spend money and get a good sander and you will reap the rewards in years to come otherwise the gmc is a good cheap power tool.
Make sure you get 150mm opposed to the 120mm.
I actually go a velcrove hand sander but there is only one place I can buy the replacement paper and far from my house so I have been using a hand mesh hand sander. If you got a good trowel you got a better chance to put more topping on.

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## rmartens

I was working in an office where people were working. I used a random orbital sander and held a vacuum on  the end to reduce dust it worked quite well with minimal dust.
But then you can sand by hand and hold up a vacuum that reduces dust because if you sand with a power tool without extraction wow the dust that comes out is a lot.

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## Lignum

The Planex... I have never used one, but i have used most of their other tools and they are the best, so i dont see why this wouldnt be the ducks nuts for what you want :Smilie:   http://www.vektools.com.au/festool-p...on-p-3205.html

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## echnidna

As Rod said a hand sander gives a better job. 
Otherwise use an orbital with a Vac attachment and use a shopvac with it.

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## ReP0

> The Planex... I have never used one, but i have used most of their other tools and they are the best, so i dont see why this wouldnt be the ducks nuts for what you want  http://www.vektools.com.au/festool-p...on-p-3205.html

  
Hey for the quoted price of $0 I'm there  :Shock: . Seriously Festool from memory are pretty pricey. Not sure if I want something that will cost an arm and a leg and I'm not going to be doing that much sanding to warrant a specialist tool that I'll use for at most half a wall. Thanks though. I would never of thought that such a thing existed!

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## Lignum

> Hey for the quoted price of $0 I'm there . Seriously Festool from memory are pretty pricey.

  Sorry, the thread header "best sanding powertool..." threw me.  :Smilie:

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## LegacyGT

i have just purchased ($179)one of these... http://www.bosch-ventaro.com/select/index.htm 
after returning and ozito vacuum cleaner ($89) and sander attachment ($49) absolutely hopeless vacuum cleaner! couldn't suck anything up from the floor! 
anyone had any experience with this? would this be good for jointing! there is a disclaimer on it that says if sanding plaster the bag will need to be replaced after 3 mins! 
i havent tried it yet and am thinking about getting a refund. top quality unit tho

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## Honorary Bloke

> i havent tried it yet and am thinking about getting a refund. top quality unit tho

  Does that mean you buy a lot of stuff just for the pleasure of returning it?  :Confused:  If it's top quality, as you say, then why return it? If it isn't, why did you buy it? Very confusing.  :Wink:

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## LegacyGT

I bought the unit thinking i could sand the joints with minimal dust in the air. 
the dilemma as mentioned above, is the disclaimer stating... 
"when sanding plaster, the dust bags need to be replaced every 3 minutes".

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## thesupervisor

i saw a hand sander with a vac attachment for $40 at boral plasterboard in osborne park  very basic but its cheap

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## patty

Rod plasterbrok is on the money here forget orbital sanders on gyprock! I have a hand sander that also goes on an extension pole to do the ceilings  the sheets have an adhesive back and they just stick on and away you go you will be surprised how effective they are!

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## Japes

Just a quick note on vacuum and plaster dust. If your vac has a warranty check that you can use it on plaster dust first (this may be hidden under the 'industrial use' clause). Plaster dust can destroy a household vac in no time and generally a warranty wont be honored.

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## LegacyGT

this machine is specifically build for sanding and it says you can sand but will need to change the bag after 3 mins. 
Well i tried it last night and it lasted more than 3 mins. i stretched it for 2 hours  :Smilie:  at the end the fine dust was leaking through the bag so it was time to change but i didnt buy any extra bags.  
The sanding tool vibrates which was a suprise to me (and a bonus). 
i recommend this this product as the was minimal dust (depending of your technique) and i didnt even wear me mask and goggles. 
still worked up a huge sweat tho.

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## home_reno

I'll add a big  :2thumbsup:  to legacy GT.. and thank you!  I was searching for something for a small job I'd been doing to reduce dust and keep me out of trouble with the wife.. this is perfect for DIY plaster jobs.. and it makes a good shop vac/blower as well!  Very impressed!!!!  I went out and purchased one after reading this thread.. just thought I'd let anyone else out there reading it know  :Biggrin:

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## zacnelson

I was watching some show (maybe grand designs) and they showed somebody sanding ceiling joints by hand, but with a sander on the end of a pole.  Does anybody have experience with one of these?  Are they any good?  What are they called and where could I get one?  Or am I just being lazy and should I work up on a ladder with my head on a weird angle and dust in my eyes?

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## dazzler

Sandfast by Red Devil is the one I use; 
[ame=http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=43404  678]SANDFAST by Red Devil Video by Big Red - MySpace Video[/ame] 
Available at your local green and red shop. :Smilie:

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## Rod Dyson

> I was watching some show (maybe grand designs) and they showed somebody sanding ceiling joints by hand, but with a sander on the end of a pole. Does anybody have experience with one of these? Are they any good? What are they called and where could I get one? Or am I just being lazy and should I work up on a ladder with my head on a weird angle and dust in my eyes?

  Zac, there is just no better way to sand plasterboard joins than getting up there with your head on a weird angle and dust in your eyes. 
With a hand sander you can feel the flatness (or otherwise) through the sander and you can see exactly where and how much to sand off. 
If I could, I would ban machine sanders for plasterboard joints.  They cause me more grief than anything else as far a getting quality work.   Now I just make the guys trowel up the joins again if they don't sand them properly.  They get the message pretty quick. 
Cheers Rod

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