Best scrapers?

[1850Farmer]

Be careful of lead poisoning using an orbital sander.

We also used the paint shaver pro on our exterior siding & trim. It's not cheap, but once you get use to using it, you'll know it's the best, fastest stripper on the market for old siding w/lots of layers of paint.

I'd sell you my set up, but we have one more section to do...Is it just me or does it always seem like "one more section until I'm finished."

[ashevillian]

What shop vacs do you all use with your paint shaver pro's? I need a new shop vac but the prices are crazy for Festool's vacs and the like.

I am a GC but all I really do is new spec houses and the occasional 'flip' if I can get a lot out of the deal. So I can't really justify a $600 hepa shop vac in addition to the paint shaver.

[1850Farmer]

Any large shop vac will work, a good quality HEPA filter is the important part. A 30' hose helps too.

[Mick_VT]

Any large shop vac will work, a good quality HEPA filter is the important part. A 30' hose helps too.

This is what I do, I also use bags inside the shop vac. they make the filters last longer and contain the removed paint much better.

i dont always use a hepa filter but I dont have kids and the vac is down on the ground while I work a couple of dozen feet away. Even with the vac, small lead chips do fly about so you have to wear a respirator and take other precautions to stop yourself eating it / contain it to the workspace.

[1850Farmer]

This is what I do, I also use bags inside the shop vac. they make the filters last longer and contain the removed paint much better.

I agree with mick_vt regarding bags inside the shop vac and a respirator, along w/a Tyvek suit to cover your clothes. We have kids so a HEPA filter was a must. We also covered the areas below with plastic to collect as much of the chips as possible.

[ashevillian]

Thanks again for all the information. We too have kids, very close neighbors and a bunch of people who will be walking around while I work so I will need to use all precautions to prevent any issues!

[phil]

I have a rigid RAS it is the 6 inch one , it has holes in the paper and I have to punch my own or pay lots for their proprietary paper but it works well and the dust pickup with rigid vac works well. 6 inch is probably a bit big for siding ( too heavy) I would probably get the 5 inch if I bought another one. again.

thanks for the post on the paint shaver pro thing , now we all need a new tool!! it looks very useful but at a 1000 bucks I find myself wondering if I can mod my angle grinder or something. anything cheaper on the market ?

[ashevillian]

For anyone who has scraped old siding and then sanded to feather the paint. What sanders do you all prefer?

[mattswabb]

For siding I'd probably start with a belt sander then move to a 5 or 6 inch orbital sander.

[Mick_VT]

Big angle grinder style random orbit - like a Dewalt DW443