I didn't think I'd have the chance until the weekend, but a window of time opened last night, so from 8:30 to 11 pm, I was in the dry dock sanding the glass off of my OI deck.

Some of you expressed an interest in hearing about how it went and my impressions. So, here you go...

1. Forget using Garnet 60 grit paper meant for wood. It clogs in about 15 seconds. After trying a few things around the shop, I went with 40 grit paper rated for removing paint and varnish (can't recall the specifics at the moment). It didn't clog at all, and lasts a good amount of time (about an hour per sheet). Finding the right abrasive is key.

2. My sander is old, and doesn't have a dust collector. This was to my advantage. The glass sands off white, and it's exceptionally easy to tell when you break through the glass and hit wood. The color of the dust changes very suddenly and noticeably to a shade of tan (depending on the type and color of the wood, of course). If you pay attention to the color of the dust, you have tremendous control over the depth of the sanding.

3. My sander is rectangular, but is still orbital. I found it best to work "backwards". By that, I mean that my normal temptation would be to start at the stern facing the bow, and sand as I walked forward, moving towards the bow. But, it worked better when I turned around and walked "backwards". This keeps the bulk of the sanding pad on fresh glass. So, as I work at feathering the remaining glass into the wood with the front edge of my sander (remember, mine is rectangular), I don't have to worry about what the rest of the sanding pad is doing, because it's on fresh glass, not wood. If I did it the other way, I'd be grinding too much wood. Many of you know that already, but just in case...

4. Cover all your skin!!!! My arms and neck were exposed, and I'm itching to high heaven this morning!!

5. When I hit one of the "splotchy" areas, they are sanding off very nicely. But, I'm opening some glue lines that I didn't have before. That's okay. they are thin and run with the strips. By the time they get glassed and varnished, they'll look fine. MUCH, MUCH better than what the splotches looked like. BTW - now that I'm committed to re-glassing the deck, the family is being more honest about those splotches. It's gone from "well, they are noticable, I suppose" to "boy were they UGLY!". I guess I made the right decision :-)

6. Call me a nut case, but sanding off the glass has actually been (thus far) rewarding. This is my first boat building project, and I feel like I'm in much more command of the condition of the boat now. It used to be "I giveth and I hopeth for the best". Now, it's "I giveth and if I don't like it, I also taketh away and re-giveth". I dunno... it's weird and a little difficult to explain, but I'm getting a real sense of satisfaction and feel like I'm in total control now, not just partial control.

7. Speed.... I worked 2-1/2 hours last night, and got about 1/3 of the glass off. Some of that time was spent fiddling with different types of sand paper, and I settled on the best choice I had in the shop, but maybe not the best choice overall. It might go faster with the ideal sanding paper. Also, it might go faster if you did the initial sanding with a true grinding wheel or something, but I'm working with the tools that I have. Even at that, at this rate, I'll have the deck totally re-prepped for glassing in a total of 7-1/2 hours. Plus, allow a couple hours to glass the deck again.... it's well worth the effort, IMHO. Oh, the glass only had one fill coat, so more fill coats would extend the sanding time to some degree, I imagine.

8. STRENGTH - for those of you who may have questioned the durability and protective qualities of a single layer of 6 oz regular weave glass... JUST TRY SANDING IT OFF!!!! Yes, it comes off, as mentioned above. But, fiberglass has a new level of respect in my eyes. It's one tough customer.

Anyway, this post is getting way too long. Just thought some of you may be interesed in my initial findings. It was a scary thought while I was thinking about it, but it actually hasn't been that bad at all...... so far.

Rick

PS - I really, really need to get off the bucks and get a digital camera. Sure would be ncie to have some pictures to share in a timely manner.