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Author: Subject: Black and Decker Powerfile
mr henderson

posted on 28/5/09 at 07:35 PM Reply With Quote
Black and Decker Powerfile

I bought one of these at Stoneleigh, and used it seriously for the first time today when needing to fettle a GRP nosecone

http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/black--decker-powerfile-pwrf-979-p.asp

What a brilliant piece of equipment! I was expecting it to be moderately useful, but hadn't expected it to be so good. I'm still on the first belt but must have ground loads of GRP to dust with it.

One of the really good things about it is that you don't need as much access to the work as you would if using a sanding block, or drum, or file even, and I managed to do a lot of the work almost in situ, just wedging the bits apart enough to get the business end in.

Thoroughly recommended

John






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blakep82

posted on 28/5/09 at 07:41 PM Reply With Quote
i've used air powered ones before and was really impressed with them too





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Peteff

posted on 28/5/09 at 08:00 PM Reply With Quote
I got one from Amazon for Christmas and agree that they are really nifty bits of kit. I found ebay good source for belts as well.





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

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minitici

posted on 28/5/09 at 08:39 PM Reply With Quote
I did have a Powerfile but the B&D unit used an odd sized belt (only available from B&D at inflated prices)

I think i'll buy an air linishing tool which uses industry standard belts.

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stevegough

posted on 28/5/09 at 08:41 PM Reply With Quote
Sounds like a good tool - control with quick results - but - don't forget your PPE - mask etc.





Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14

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andrew.carwithen

posted on 28/5/09 at 08:48 PM Reply With Quote
Was the most useful tool I bought during my build. I actually wore out one of the arms (the roller on the end) and had to replace it with a new one I used it that often.
I also bought belts in bundles of ten off ebay at a much cheaper price than B&D genuine ones.

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robinj66

posted on 28/5/09 at 09:47 PM Reply With Quote
What a great tool - has made many jobs so much easier.

As Andrew says - you can get the belts cheap on Ebay - go for the blue ones - they really do last longer

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ReMan

posted on 28/5/09 at 09:55 PM Reply With Quote
Yep great for fettling grp with minimum of gell coat damage
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Peteff

posted on 28/5/09 at 10:50 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by minitici
I did have a Powerfile but the B&D unit used an odd sized belt (only available from B&D at inflated prices)


Here you are, 30p each roughly.





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

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Simon

posted on 28/5/09 at 11:58 PM Reply With Quote
We must have gone through best part of a hundred powerfiles at work over the last 15 - 20 years.

Thoroughly agree how useful they are.

Screwfix do belts quite cheaply, but they occassionally snap soon after starting use. B&Q do them for about a fiver for three, so avoid like the plague.

Arms (wheel bearings) wear out as mentioned and they are about £9 and do pads under the arm (£2ish!!/each).

Motor bearings fail, drive from motor to drive pinions also fail.

They do have a two year warranty though so if file breaks and arm's had it, send the lot back and get both replaced.

They are now on 3rd generation so not as cheap as they could be - we were getting the previous models for about £20, which when you consider they are identical apart from a slightly different external design is a bit unreasonable.

ATB

Simon






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Fred W B

posted on 30/5/09 at 04:09 PM Reply With Quote
Mine has just packed up completely, but agree that they work well. Although they don't feel like a quality tool they can do some jobs quickly that would be very difficult by any other means.

Cheers

Fred W B





You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.

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stevegough

posted on 19/6/09 at 09:11 PM Reply With Quote
Just remembered the above thread .....

I was in B+Q earlier today, and they had a table full of 'special' offers by the door, the B+D powerfile was reduced from £43.95 to £38.....

......just thought I'd share that with you...

Steve.







Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14

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David Jenkins

posted on 19/6/09 at 09:18 PM Reply With Quote
How useful are the air 'powerfiles'? They're fairly cheap, and very small, but I don't know how available the belts are.

I have a decent compressor, and I'm unlikely to use the tool away from it.






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