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  1. #11
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Zaid.... that looks GREAT!


    Nice work!


    Thank you for the follow-up...




  2. #12
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Mike, Somehow I missed your excellent post on sanding with the 3401.

    Around the first of November I tried the Trizact 3000 grit system on the Flex and also tried Meguiars Unigrit 1500 grit system with a spray bottle of water and a few drops of soap added.

    I found as you that it seemed a little too aggressive for my taste. It worked but not as good as the results I get with an electric random orbit da sander that I have.

    It runs at 12,000 OPM but the throw is very small.

    I got excellent correction and gloss using my PE14 and 3401, first with LC purple foam wool and then with a fairly worn orange LC CCS pad with Menzerna FG400. Correction was full with both pads and machines with the foam taking a little longer but with just as full of a correction and gloss as with the wool. I think one of my Hybrid pads would have worked better but I was just playing around and didn't want to mess up a new Hybrid pad.

    I wouldn't hesitate to sand with the Flex in a pinch but prefer the DA sander over all.

  3. #13
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Quote Originally Posted by Garyhw48 View Post

    Mike, Somehow I missed your excellent post on sanding with the 3401.

    Around the first of November I tried the Trizact 3000 grit system on the Flex and also tried Meguiars Unigrit 1500 grit system with a spray bottle of water and a few drops of soap added.

    I found as you that it seemed a little too aggressive for my taste. It worked but not as good as the results I get with an electric random orbit da sander that I have.

    Yep... the Flex 3401 will work as a machine sandier but it's just too aggressive for my tasts...

    Maybe for gel-coat boats with heavy oxidation but again... any free spinning DA polisher will also do the job and do it a lot more safely or perhaps better wording would be a dual action polisher with a free rotating spindle assembly will sand material a lot less aggressively which is usually what you want.



    Quote Originally Posted by Garyhw48 View Post

    I wouldn't hesitate to sand with the Flex in a pinch but prefer the DA sander over all.

    Exactly.

    I much prefer to work by machine for any process including machine waxing versus hand waxing, like this...





    There's lots of confusion over the term wetsanding and specifically when and where the majority of wetsanding is performed and I wrote an article to try to remove that confusion here,

    Wetsanding - Fresh Paint vs Factory Paint




  4. #14
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?




    Was just asked about sanding with a FLEX 3401 and shared this article and thought I would share what I wrote in the PM.

    Here's what I wrote...




    As far as sanding with a FLEX 3401 or ANY gear driven tool - you shouldn't do this on thin factory paint. I wouldn't even do it on thick custom paint.

    I TEACH using the FLEX 3401 to machine sand gel-coat boats and aluminum pontoon boats but they are THICK.





  5. #15
    Super Member Markymapo's Avatar
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Has anyone tried the cordless Flex units, the xfe 15-150 or the PE 150 for wet sanding or running wool pads on gel coat ? No electrical outlets available in the lot my boat is stored
    2022 Carrera S & Honda CRV Hybrid
    2015 Lexus IS 350, 2016 Ford F-150
    Cobalt 242 (8.1 L block, Volvo outdrive)

  6. #16
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    No experience with it but I've used lots of drills around water without issues.

    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

  7. #17
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Quote Originally Posted by Markymapo View Post

    Has anyone tried the cordless Flex units, the xfe 15-150 or the PE 150 for wet sanding or running wool pads on gel coat ? No electrical outlets available in the lot my boat is stored

    In my boat detailing classes I show,

    Cordless and Corded FLEX XFE7-150 15 for machine sanding gel-coat with Mirka Abralon Sanding discs.

    Cordless and Corded FLEX 3401 to machine sand with Mirka Abralon sanding discs and also polishing gel-coat.

    Cordless and Corded FLEX PE14 to remove sanding marks.


    They all work great for the above.


    Next boat detailing class is February of 2020

    Detailing Classes, Florida Detailing Classes, learn how to detail




  8. #18
    Super Member Markymapo's Avatar
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Thanks for the info. I have both the cordless flex from AG (rotary n orbital) n will try them out this weekend
    2022 Carrera S & Honda CRV Hybrid
    2015 Lexus IS 350, 2016 Ford F-150
    Cobalt 242 (8.1 L block, Volvo outdrive)

  9. #19
    Super Member Markymapo's Avatar
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    Will Try out on a 24ft Cobalt that is level 4 oxid. This weekend (I do have your book Mike on How to detail boats Marine 31)
    2022 Carrera S & Honda CRV Hybrid
    2015 Lexus IS 350, 2016 Ford F-150
    Cobalt 242 (8.1 L block, Volvo outdrive)

  10. #20
    Super Member Dr Oldz's Avatar
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    Re: Can the Flex 3401 be used to wetsand?

    If you stuck, you can take the gear ring out of the 3401 housing and make it a free spinning DA. That is much more suitable for wet sanding! It pops right out using a screwdriver or small pry bar. The machine wasn’t designed to do so.... proceed at your own risk!
    Jim

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