Sanding enclosures

[muddyfox]

Just got hit by the age effect...

Most of the enclosures I got lately are dinged and banged up. Sanding them down for a minute or two doesn't cut it anymore as gashes are deeper than I'm used to. A tendonitis I've developed in my right elbow makes it impossible to fix the enclosures with elbow grease alone. Any tips on using machinery to make it easier on my elbow?

Tried one of these at a buddy's house, no luck. It just scuffed the pedal some and I daresay it made it worse.

[Stomptown]

I use a small palm sander and it works well for me.  It does take a while to get the deep gashes out but it does the job.  I have issues with my wrists (carpel tunnel?) so I can relate to the pain your experiencing but I just go easy and let the sander do most of the work.  If you decide to grab one I would recommend spending the extra cash to get the smallest one possible.

[muddyfox]

A random orbit sander? A round one or a rectangular one?
Which one would you recommend? This seems to be the kind of pain that's gonna be around for the long haul, I may as well get the good stuff right away and skimp with corner cutting that won't work anyways.

[Stomptown]

I bought a cheap Black and Decker Mouse for $30.  In hindsight I wish I would have spent another $50 on one of the smaller brand/models. It works great but I do wish it were a bit smaller.  If you have access to a store that sells a variety I would suggest finding the one that fits best in the palm of your hand.  Maybe someone else can chime in with suggestions???

[muddyfox]

How about this one, I can get it for $100ish locally (I know, local dealers overcharge quite a bit).?

http://www.makitatools.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?Name=BO4556

[muddyfox]

Maybe a smallish handheld belt sander? From what I gather, it removes material fastest of all the sanders?

Also, what grit paper do you use for aluminum?

[Soup39]

In one posters etching instructions they used 800 and then on to 1200.  I have wet sanded with 800 and it gets all but the deepest gouges out.  Takes ~10 minutes and no real pressure on my part.

[muddyfox]

so 10 minutes with a 800 paper in a finish sander?

[Matt]

I use a dental laith with a satin finish buff wheel.

[slimtriggers]

Something like this: Belt sander

A belt sander can remove a lot of material in a hurry.  Or you could get a handheld one and rig up a stand for it.  Useful tools to have around a shop anyway.

[davent]

For painting an enclosure I light sand with 200 grit, clean up with acetone, self etch prime then prime with a heavy bodied primer, BIN Primer/Sealer, much easier to sand back to smooth then sanding aluminum, sand  back a bit, prime-sand.

Now if your needing a smooth bare aluminum enclosure, i've a belt and a palm sander but the Hammond enclosures i use are pretty much unscathed, never had an issue.

Small Bear used to sell polished enclosures, whether that's a feasable alternative... and whether or not they still do...
dave

[muddyfox]

right now i'm thinking small beltsander because for some reason all the enclosures i'm getting are really scuffed and way beyond what the powdercoat can fill.
my elbow is in a bad place so i need to work this out, and soon.
keep it coming, folks!
those of you who use handheld beltsanders, how do you fix the box to the workbench?

[davent]

For a belt sander much better to affix the sander to the bench  or big vise and take the enclosure to it. Thats also a better way to hand sand, stick your sandpaper to a perfectly smooth surface and move the enclosure on the stationary paper.

[cooder]

+1 on a bench mounted belt sander as that would be the least stress for your hands/arms.
Any handheld rotating tool will be more stress than that on your hands/arms.
That rotating sander you pictured first would be really bad for you long term if you're already having issues.

For fine sanding, as Dave suggested sticking a larger piece of sandpaper with double sided tape or so to a flat surface / piece of timber and hol/ move enclosure across to sand.

[muddyfox]

Thanks folks!

A jig would be nice but that would necessitate a workshop, which I don't have.  I need something portable that can be put away after a sanding session on the dinner table.
I'll be visiting a hardware store this week and see what's on offer. There usually isn't much but I never actually took a closer look at belt sanders, time to correct that...