by Nathan Lohr 2W1

With the 2020 school year off to a productive start, Paint shop immediately got to work on campus projects. A recent purchase of a new Circular SanderVac Pro from Paint Shaver, assisted us in higher production rates. This tool, is a high speed modified angle grinder, with a full shroud that can connect to a HEPA vacuum that meets EPA lead renovator standards.

The project we are currently working on is the tool barns down at Horticulture Shop. With the purchase of the grinder, the students were able to accomplish this job much faster than it would take with the issued palm sanders. Students used the grinder to grind the old paint off the wood of the A-Frame part of the tool barn visible from Shrenks Way. Students then scraped the remaining corners of the wall that could not be hit with the grinder to prep the wall for prime and paint. Then, students used a FlexTech 2-part epoxy to fill in large voids and cracks in the wood to make it uniform. Students then applied 1 coat of Grip&Seal primer, followed by 2 coats of Benjamin Moore Exterior High Build Low Luster paint to finish the job.

With this new addition to our Tool Room, the Paint Shop plans to grind down more substrates to bare wood and make the campus look better than we found it. One of the major projects that we are looking to do with the new grinder is all of the interior window sills in Rowan Hall. With the addition of brand-new windows, Paint Shop will ensure that the sills get a complete renovation.

Paint Shop students are grateful for the school’s purchase of the Grinder. This new tool will give students additional hands-on practice and experience to help them in the Painting and Coatings field upon graduation.