Best Sanding Block
 

Since I'm going to be doing a lot of sanding very soon, time to replace my 35 year old rubber block.

Any suggestions for the basic block that can be loaded with sheet sandpaper?

DuraBlock.

What holds the paper to the block?

You need to use PSA paper.

Most Durablocks and similar products are intended to be used with adhesive backed 2 3/4" wide sandpaper that you cut off the roll and stick onto the block. The blocks are designed to use the same width paper whether they are 5" long or 24" long.

I have a full kit of Durablocks and after a million hours of block sanding, I ended up using them all except except the longest one. A few spots required some homemade blocks from chunks of 3/4" hose. There are some other blocks that are fancier and may work better but in my experience the Durablocks work well.

You didn't ask about sandpaper brands...I tried Indasa, Norton (gold and champagne lines) and 3M (red and gold lines). I found for coarse sanding with 80 & 180, they all worked OK, but for 320 & 400 the Norton champagne line and 3M gold line were noticably better, and the 3M gold was better/longer lasting than the Norton champagne. The expensive papers last longer, cut better, and end up being cheaper considering your time and how much you use :)

I think trying to use non-PSA sheet paper with these type of blocks will be frustrating and result on lots of wasted paper.

Thank you, that clears up a lot. I'd much rather use paper I don't have to fold and tear :)

Norton has been my go-to brand in the past. I'll check out the 3M.

Last time I did this job they were folding up paper and putting it in the rubber blocks with the little spikes :)

You’ll be happy with the DuraBlocs. Much better to use.

Have fun!
Murf


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What selection of grits should I have on hand to cover most work?

There seems to be some personal preference with this...and whether you are using a metallic or solid colour.

Based on many recommendations from the auto body forums, I used 80-180-320-400. I was told if I was spraying metallic to finish with 600.

Seemed to work well for me. Used 80 grit to shape filler, then 180 to remove scratches in filler as well as initial blocking of epoxy and urethane primers, then when straight I sprayed more primer, blocked with 320 and 3M guide coat, then 400 and guide coat.

This was all dry sanding.

Excellent, thank you.

I love my dura blocks. I only have 3 I think, a small one, one about 6-8" long and one that is about 16" at least. As the devils advocate I have found that for body work I end up using the longest one the most. Works great on a long panel and the length lets you see the low spots in the finish better.

Years ago I started with those hard rubber blocks that the ends flipped open to reveal 'fangs' to grab the sandpaper ( I assume this is what you are using). There is a world of difference between the two. You wont be disappointed.

My paint store has the paper in a variety of lengths, I have no idea what brand they use but I have been happy with the results and ease of use of these.

Dura blocks are great. Get a variety. You'll quickly find which ones are your favorites.
For spot repairs I like the one that's about 12~14 inches and maybe 2 inches across.
On the curvy '68 body, the 'teardrop' shaped one... In other words, has two flat sides and one curved and I think it's the bottom/right one in mrennie's pic....is useful along with a few heater hose and radiator hose pieces to get into the nooks like the lower body line. The other one I use on larger surfaces is about 18" long and maybe 3" across.

Another vote for Durablocks. And foam noodles.

On my 70, I found the only real places I could use the longest one were the roof and trunk lid.

However, I found that for the length of that particular block, it was not stiff enough and no matter how I held it I was sanding more where my hands were and less in the middle, which was screwing things up. When I dropped down to the next shorter length things improved. Long X pattern really helps too!

There are hardly any flat surfaces on the '68 to '72 A bodies... Trunk lid and.... Well, that's about it.

Ordered the set of 6 Durablocks and a roll of 80 and 180 paper. Another couple weeks and the metal work will be done and I'll roll the body outside for blasting and priming.

Made a GTO Railroad ... some treated 2 x 6" staked into the gravel drive so I can roll it on the dolly wheels .... even has a little electric winch for pulling it in and out of the shop.

Be patient with my thread starts ... this is a new phase and I have a lot of questions :)

Better to ask lots of questions and learn from all of our mistakes!! :)

Ok, I cant get a good visual, and I love railroads, so lets see a pic!

I'll take a pic tomorrow, hopefully the freakin snow will be melted :)

Definitely Durabloc...........
Yur gonna need a roll of 220, 400 and maybe some 500.
With 400 and finer I wet sand as they clog less than trying to do it dry.
You’ll like ‘em!
Jerry

Couple pics of the GTO "railroad" ... not much to look at but it serves the purpose. Cross bar at the end has a hole drilled for a pin I drop in to attach the small electric winch. Hole bored in the shop floor inside against the far wall to pull it back inside.

That is ingenious and well-executed. We will need video of the winch operation. Very cool!

While I'm on the top of leveling things .... who makes a good shrinking disc and would they be useful in the hands of an amateur?

Wray Schlein (probably spelling this wrong) sells (sold?) them on eBay. I bought the kit about 7-8 years ago that came with DVD, 10" and 5" disc. You are best to use the bigger disc on a slow 9" electric sander. The smaller disc works OK in tight spots but the bigger one is the hot ticket.

Are they useful for an amateur? Well...it depends. You need to understand how they work and be attentive to what is happening when you use it.

Based on all your posts I get the feeling you could figure it out fairly quickly :)

Before I bought mine, I read many posts about them by SevtChevelle on the Chevelle body shop forum. His descriptions were very good and understandable so I gave it a shot.

I had around 6 good sized dents in my roof, and the first one I worked on took me awhile to figure out, but once I got the hang of it, it worked like magic. Out of all those dents, they all came out requiring ZERO filler except the one that had a brace under it preventing me from getting the dolly in there.

It's yet another skill to be learned while fixing your car. I think you can do it.

Make sure you get the big disc with rolled edge and backing disc. There are several sellers but Wray Schlein is the seller you want to buy from.

I will see if I can find some pics later of before and after to show what can be achieved.

Here is the kit. It is 9" (not 10") with 5".

https://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eB...rsion=f1bbb6f1

Almost all my dents are in blind areas with no access to the back. I assume a shrinker will still help removing the highs after I use whatever method I can to raise up the low spots?

Is a propane torch suitable for torch shrinking? Or should I use my Oxy/Act ?

I may end up using the MIG to weld on some studs for pulling.

Bummer, I searched hundreds of pics and can't find any of taking dents out :(

Also, forgot to mention that in addition to the shrinking disc, another tool called a slapper bar is needed to help distribute the force of moving the metal as you are removing the dent.

The idea being that you push the dolly up against the low spot from behind the dent, and slap the surrounding high metal down from above the dent. Then shrink the remaining high spots, and then again push up from behind with the dolly under the low spot and slap down the high spots. Then shrink high spots again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once things are getting close, the remaining low spots can be moved up by doing hammer on dolly to stretch the lows, and continue the whole process until it is all the same height.

If there is no access to the back of the dent, things are way more difficult. I tried pulling with studs on a dent in my rocker and was able to get it somewhat better but not perfect. I have never tried shrinking with a torch, as I was too scared of messing things up. Lots of other guys here have, interested to hear their advice.

Shrinking disc was a life saver for my one-time adventure.

It is DEFINITELY beginner-friendly and much harder to make mistakes than with a hammer and dolly.

You need one.

Yep a slapper is on my list ... watched that guys video and realized I was using a dolly completely wrong, I was using it as the anvil, not the fulcrum.

And that guys shrinking disc is on the list, will come in handy for some hood and fender dents I have.

There are no “Flat Panels “ on any car ever made

You talking Rick Sanchez flat, or regular flat?

What's the distinction between a 'surface' and a 'panel'?
I think the center area..maybe a 3 to 4 square foot area of a '68 trunk lid, is a flat surface. The entire panel though...different story.

Volkswagen "Thing", early Land Cruisers and Rovers, Willys Jeep, UPS truck, mail delivery vehicles, my first girlfriend.

ROFLMAO!!!

I like durablocks and also the "adjustable flexible sanders" you can find in varying lengths. They have removable rods so you can adjust the flexibility for contours.

Are the blocks useful for the fine grades of sand paper like 600-2000 ?

Anything finer then 600 grit I like to use a 1"×4" durablock or a 2x4 x1/2 durablock. Usually above that grit your cutting paint or clear and not leveling a panel so a large block isn't necessary.

The maker of those AFS sanding blocks passed away and they are no longer available. If you have any they are gold.

Don

I retired all my wooden sanding boards about 5 years ago....maybe longer...Love the hook-it paper on the foam blocks.

Yep so far I'm loving the durablocks and the adhesive paper .... jeez, world of difference between my old wood longboards and rubber blocks where you had to fold up the paper and wasted 30% of it in the slots of the block.