Sanity check: orbital sander

twopenny

If you are determined then don't use an orbital.
It will scuff up the good wood.
Use a reciprocating sander.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Emmia said:

Emily_Joy said:

Perhaps a picture or two would help. To me it looks pretty rough and I think it would benefit from sanding, but maybe it is just my imagination... 

I'd just run a gritty sanding block over those rough bits on the edges - easier and cheaper than an orbital sander.

As Section62 says, it doesn’t need sanding. If you take the “whiskers” off then it will be fine and will actually absorb the finish better.

Also, if you really feel you must sand it, use a good mask. Wood preservative isn’t as nasty as it used to be but you still don’t want to be inhaling it.

Emmia

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

Emmia said:

Emily_Joy said:

Perhaps a picture or two would help. To me it looks pretty rough and I think it would benefit from sanding, but maybe it is just my imagination... 

I'd just run a gritty sanding block over those rough bits on the edges - easier and cheaper than an orbital sander.

As Section62 says, it doesn’t need sanding. If you take the “whiskers” off then it will be fine and will actually absorb the finish better.

Also, if you really feel you must sand it, use a good mask. Wood preservative isn’t as nasty as it used to be but you still don’t want to be inhaling it.

I'm not sure why you've quoted me. 

I can see why someone would want to deal with the whiskers,  but a quick rub over with a gritty sanding block will deal with those quickly and easily I'm advocating a quick tidy not a full rubdown. An electric sander of any variety is totally unnecessary.

andre_xs

To add what others have said: If you use an orbital sander (or any other kind of electric sander beyond the manual stuff mentioned here), be careful to not leave clearly visible marks of the sanding - that could leave a pretty ugly finish.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Emmia said:

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

Emmia said:

Emily_Joy said:

Perhaps a picture or two would help. To me it looks pretty rough and I think it would benefit from sanding, but maybe it is just my imagination... 

I'd just run a gritty sanding block over those rough bits on the edges - easier and cheaper than an orbital sander.

As Section62 says, it doesn’t need sanding. If you take the “whiskers” off then it will be fine and will actually absorb the finish better.

Also, if you really feel you must sand it, use a good mask. Wood preservative isn’t as nasty as it used to be but you still don’t want to be inhaling it.

I'm not sure why you've quoted me. 

I can see why someone would want to deal with the whiskers,  but a quick rub over with a gritty sanding block will deal with those quickly and easily I'm advocating a quick tidy not a full rubdown. An electric sander of any variety is totally unnecessary.

I was agreeing with you

Emily_Joy

I am not determined as such, it was my OH suggestion to sand it before painting. I think it is better to remove the whiskers and leave everything as is. 

Without adding a new thread, can I just check - am I allowed to paint my side of the fence which is, technically, next door's responsibility? That house is rented, so I don't think we have ever seen the owners.

Section62

Emily_Joy said:

...
Without adding a new thread, can I just check - am I allowed to paint my side of the fence which is, technically, next door's responsibility? That house is rented, so I don't think we have ever seen the owners.

If it is their fence then no, not without their permission.

If it were me I'd say 'no' to you using 'paint' (i.e. any kind of colourful treatment) as some of it is bound to leak through the wood and make a mess on my side.  Giving it a coat of whatever is on the other side would be less of an issue.

Heedtheadvice

Re shed painting...

What sort of paint/finish are you looking for?

Many of the shed ' paints ' are designed to be applied to rough wood,   and planed and sanded smooth finishes are specifically to be avoided with them as they do not adhere properly.

Emily_Joy

Heedtheadvice said:

Re shed painting...

What sort of paint/finish are you looking for?

Many of the shed ' paints ' are designed to be applied to rough wood,   and planed and sanded smooth finishes are specifically to be avoided with them as they do not adhere properly.

The plan was to use Cuprinol Garden Shades range.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Emily_Joy said:

Heedtheadvice said:

Re shed painting...

What sort of paint/finish are you looking for?

Many of the shed ' paints ' are designed to be applied to rough wood,   and planed and sanded smooth finishes are specifically to be avoided with them as they do not adhere properly.

The plan was to use Cuprinol Garden Shades range.

That’s suitable for rough sawn and smooth.

It will need two coats (very occasionally a third but usually two). One key thing with that particular paint is that the second coat MUST be applied within 8 hours. As the paint cures it becomes waxy on the surface. That’s great for rainwater run off but if you leave it longer than 8 hours it means your second coat won’t adhere properly.

It just means you have to plan well so that you don’t paint a bigger area than you can recoat in the same day.