Unpopular opinion: I switched from hand sanding to a dual action sander for feathering edges and it cut my time in half.

For years I only used a block and paper, thinking it gave me more control. Last month, a guy at the supply house in Tacoma said I was working too hard and loaned me his 6-inch DA. I tried it on a quarter panel repair, using 180 grit to feather the primer. The job that used to take me 45 minutes was done in 20, with a finish just as smooth. Anyone still sticking with the old way, or has everyone else made the switch?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielmason6d ago

What about the dust control though? My garage is small, and a DA sander just fills the air with fine primer dust no matter what I do. The block and paper makes a mess I can actually manage.

derekward6d ago

Yeah that "fills the air with fine primer dust" line hits home. My buddy tried to sand a whole car hood in his attached garage with a DA, no real dust system. His wife came home and the entire first floor had this weird gray haze on everything. Took him a week to clean it all. @danielmason you're right, sometimes the old school block and paper mess is just easier to deal with in a tight space.