Shop Hack: Simple Longboard Sanders for Boatbuilders
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Almost everyone who’s spent time working on wooden boats has, at some point, fashioned some strange sanding contraption out of whatever was lying around to sand something special. CLC Boats’ simple longboard sander is a far more elegant version of that impulse, and a smart little shop trick for anyone shaping cedar-strip canoes, kayaks, or any other project that demands long, fair, patient sanding.
Longboard Sanders for Boatbuilders
If you've ever admired a boat with a mirror-like varnish or paint finish, there was probably some "longboarding" involved. A nice-looking finish on a boat is the result of a long sequence of methodical steps. For the really ugly blobs of epoxy, we're big fans of random-orbital sanders of course. That'll get you most of the way there. What makes a great finish is a surface that is perfectly "fair," with no high or low spots.
Whether you're building a 300-foot motoryacht at a giant yard in the Netherlands, or knocking together a kayak in your garage, the concept of a longboard is the same: sandpaper stuck to a long plank bridges low spots and cuts down high spots. It's a reliable way to create a uniform surface that will shine like a mirror.
Boatyard regulars who have a long acquaintance with longboards are heard to call them "murderboards," especially if they're obliged to use them while lying on their backs beneath a big boat. This writer prefers the term "equalizer" for longboards. A longboard with good sharp sandpaper can ...continue reading and see loads of photos and plus detialed piece over at CLC.