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Air Tools: The Secret to a Perfect Finish | Practical Boat Owner
September 22, 2025 · 21 min · 1K views
What this video covers
Air tools from Machine Mart — a mini disc sander and a 10 mm detail belt sander — are put to work sanding and stripping old paint from the deck of a Rustler 31 project boat and a club workboat.▶ 0:06 Both tools run off a single compressor, also from Machine Mart, which the presenter describes as quiet enough to talk over and powerful enough to drive either tool in sequence via quick-release hose fittings.▶ 12:33 The disc sander accepts two disc sizes (roughly 40 mm and palm-sized) plus stone attachments; the belt sander takes 10 mm belts in 60, 80, and 120 grit and has an adjustable angle head that lets it reach under deck rails, around stanchion bases, and into tight fittings where a standard orbital sander cannot go.▶ 1:15 Assembly of both tools requires the supplied spanners and some fiddling; the presenter also improvises hose-tail fittings with PTFE tape and vice grips when proper adapters are unavailable.▶ 9:14 The key practical argument: one compressor and one hose replace multiple power tools and extension leads, and air tools carry no electrocution risk in wet bilge or deck environments.▶ 19:49 The belt sander belts wear quickly on rough paint, so carrying spare belts is necessary.▶ 18:34
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