Anyone used a Planex wall / ceiling sander ?

[Sideways]

For the next few weeks, Festool are doing a £100 cashback offer on their range of Planex "giraffe" sanders. Think 10" random orbit sander on the end of a stick and designed for fine finishing of plastered walls and ceilings.

I've never even seen one in the flesh, let alone used one, but with some rooms to replaster, including ceilings to replace, I wonder if this could help turn an amateur pastering job into something more acceptable.

Stupid money these things, but with a transferrable warranty they may hold a decent resale value after say a year and three rooms worth of use.

The biggest argument for not simply paying someone to do the work is that it needs to be fitted in piecemeal around us living in the house. There isn't a saving to be made by letting the pro's come in and blitz the place in one go.

For better or worse, I'm looking at the 2nd gen Festool version because it is the only one of these that has a random orbit sander rather than a simple rotary head.

Doing a beginners plastering course this weekend. Wish me luck

 

[TRITON]

Use it for the job then sell as you say is one option, but Id look for something cheaper that does the same. Maybe the Bosch version that is only about a grand cheaper
https://www.kelvinpowertools.com/bo...MIjrvS1K71iAMVMJJQBh2CByBlEAQYASABEgLlL_D_BwE

 

[Ollie78]

Just plaster it properly, these are more for drywall stuff with taped joints than a full skim with multi finish.
Plastering is not that bad except ceilings which will kill your shoulder. Its a lot to do with getting it mixed to a proper consiscency.

 

[Sideways]

Just plaster it properly, these are more for drywall stuff with taped joints than a full skim with multi finish.
Plastering is not that bad except ceilings which will kill your shoulder. Its a lot to do with getting it mixed to a proper consiscency.

I'd love to think that i'll be able to plaster it properly !

I have a bad back, neck, and both shoulders are a mess. I may have little choice but to go for taped joints on the ceiling after putting up new plasterboard.

My mate made the smart suggestion that I get some practice by plastering the existing ceiling before I rip it down. That experience may kill the whole plan

 

[HOJ]

I saw this offer yesterday, designed for "dry wall", not plaster, all the people I know in the industry wouldn't buy one, because they still prefer to skim plaster.

Got to be honest, get a plaster in, it is a no brainer, even on a piecemeal basis as long as they have enough sets to do in day, my go to plasterer will fit small jobs in on his way home, (normally after 3pm!)

You would probably as a novice do a reasonable job on walls but ceilings forget it, unless you deck the room out, also a lot of plasterers are using speedskim floats now.

Says he who laboured in the 90's for a plastering gang, but wouldn't even entertain the idea now.

 

[Fergie 307]

I saw this offer yesterday, designed for "dry wall", not plaster, all the people I know in the industry wouldn't buy one, because they still prefer to skim plaster.

Got to be honest, get a plaster in, it is a no brainer, even on a piecemeal basis as long as they have enough sets to do in day, my go to plasterer will fit small jobs in on his way home, (normally after 3pm!)

You would probably as a novice do a reasonable job on walls but ceilings forget it, unless you deck the room out, also a lot of plasterers are using speedskim floats now.

Says he who laboured in the 90's for a plastering gang, but wouldn't even entertain the idea now.

I had two mates, both professional spreads, do my house, a repo that we were able to completely redo before moving in.
They had a good grin when I said I would do the labouring.
The rate they can get through the stuff has to be seen to be believed. One weekend trying to keep up with them and I was a wreck.

 

[niemeyjt]

The videos show it being used on "popcorn" - which I guess is US for Artex.

Anyone with a 60s / 70s house with Artex ceilings might fond one useful - I have to say I second the comment to get the Bosch one for an amateurand save some money.

Also, Festool seem to make 3 - make sure if you do bite the bullet you get the most suitable for your use cases.

 

[Ollie78]

The videos show it being used on "popcorn" - which I guess is US for Artex.

Anyone with a 60s / 70s house with Artex ceilings might fond one useful - I have to say I second the comment to get the Bosch one for an amateurand save some money.

Also, Festool seem to make 3 - make sure if you do bite the bullet you get the most suitable for your use cases.

Best way to remove artex is the blue jelly stuff (forget the name) paint it on wait an hour then it peels or scrapes off with no dust.

 

[niall Y]

BEWARE ... old Artex contains asbestos The last thing you need to do is sand it!

 

[HOJ]

The rate they can get through the stuff has to be seen to be believed. One weekend trying to keep up with them and I was a wreck.

That brings back dark memories, times were hard trying to earn a living, I was in my early thirties, and fit, but it was hard going, used a metal disc thingy on a stick, and a shovel to mix with, either in a tin bath or big bucket + we were still using Render, Browning and Bonding as base coats, not like today with dot and dab and double handed electric paddle mixers to knock the plaster up with.

 

[Diver Fred]

Find yourself a Plasterer who is happy to do piecemeal jobs. Your wife will be much happier. I've worked in properties where we have plastered and used similar tools.

The DUST is horrendous!!!

it gets everywhere and takes days if not weeks to clean up. You need dust protection for your breathing - I have a powered respirator that I cost in new filters for on every job.

 

[TomGW]

I had a new garage/workshop of roughly 900sq ft built a couple of years ago. Building regs required a plasterboard ceiling, otherwise it probably wouldn't have been done.
I was gearing up to tape and fill the joints when one of the guys in the local builder's providers gave me the number of a Lithuanian lady (customer) who does this for a living. She taped and filled the joints, then painted the whole interior. An excellent job at a small fraction of the cost of plastering and no mess. I would have no hesitation of getting the same done in the house, if the opportunity arose.
Do explore if there is someone in your area who do the same.

 

[Sideways]

Well, just to wrap up the thread for now. My two day weekend plastering intro course was mighty good fun. It worked out at 8 hours of watching demos and practicing basic skills.

- Slopping lime mortar about from hawk to float to get the feel of it.
- Getting this onto wall as basecoat and scraping it off afterwards
- Cutting and fixing plasterboard to a small practice wall, fitting the bead and taping up.
- Finally, skim plastering this with two coats of multifinish, and doing the first, second and third trowels to try and get it smooth and flat.

It was a solid piece of learning and practicing and I think everyone left the course confident enough to want to go home and have a go.
I've parked the Planex idea for now. My walls need the existing skim taken off and redone, hopefully on top of the existing, original basecoat. The ceiling needs to be ripped out so putting up plasterboard and skimming it was great practice, even if it wasn't upside down.
I've decided my money will be better spent slowly, maybe beginning with a 1200mm speedskim to help get the big areas flat in everyone for your the first instance. If I do have to sand it it, I'll worry about that afterwards. Priority will be to get the new plaster on the wall and as flat as I possibly can first.

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts

 

[Spectric]

Plastering is one of those jobs that is not for the older generation and something best left to a plasterer, they make it seem so easy and you don't spend hours having to fill and sand afterwards. You can save a fair amount on just the reboarding but buy a board lifter as they make life much easier.

 

[macca]

If the old plaster on your walls is sound could you not just blue grit it and skim over? It will kill suction completely and give you longer to lay up, a big help if you are inexperienced and labouring for yourself. The problem with plastering is, without a labourer, there isnt much let up for the first 1 1/2 - 2 hours because you have to wash out, clean up, trowel the wall, mix up, brush in your corners etc. if you cant teach someone to mix up and wash out buckets and bring you clean water then this will make a lot of difference.

A big vote for the biggest speedskim you can fit on the wall it makes a hell of a difference in how flat you will get it.

If you are doing whole rooms pick some walls without raking light whilst you get some more practise. when you are working the wall get the room nice a dark and get a light ( prefereably a tube type on a plug and lead that you can place at one end and you will see everything, if you get it good in that light the any other light will only be better.

If its going of to quick and you are panicking hit the wall with plenty of water and give it a good brushing or invest in a sponge float and it will help you knock down ridges and liven it up like a third coat of plaster.

 

[Sideways]

Small rectangular bedroom comes first. The big hit will be skimming the new ceiling as that is awkward and the biggest single surface. Rather hoping the big speedskim will save my life.
I have some Bessey telescopic props. They are awesome and with my family to help steady stuff while I lift, I'm sure I can get the boards up myself.
I don't have to do it all in one day. It doesn't matter if I only do do one wall a day for a week. The old skim coat will have to come off, it sounds hollow in many places when you tap it. I'm told you can steam off a skim coat. The browning behind is sound.

The tip about light is good. I have LED video lights and stands from an interest in photography so that's all covered.

 

[Fergie 307]

Telescopic props some of the most useful things I have bought, make it so much easier.

 

[maitland.selwyn]

I have one (original model from when they were first released) with dedicated self cleaning vac. It was very hard work physically until they brought out a harness for it as it is heavy. It paid for itself fairly quickly as I don’t believe traditional plastering exists in France. There are many other cheaper versions available - even saw a Parkside one.

 

[Fonix]

Our best mud/paint crew doesn’t spend **** on tools but they have one of these. Can’t beat the finish and cleanliness. Festool also makes my favorite cordless drywall gun, better than Hilti and very reasonably priced.

 

[Sideways]

Our best mud/paint crew doesn’t spend dung on tools but they have one of these. Can’t beat the finish and cleanliness. Festool also makes my favorite cordless drywall gun, better than Hilti and very reasonably priced.

That is interesting to hear. Thanks for the comment.