gonna order a set of sanding blocks to re-do the 62' so i've been reading up a little, and i've heard pretty good things about "durablock". People say they take a little while to get used to but are really good when you get to know them. Has anyone ever used them before and if so do the live up to the hype? Looked them up on ebay and they seem pretty cheap thanks everyone bob
they are awesome,,,,, i used them on my caddy,,,, VERY worth getting are you sure they are "durablock", or a clone?... the real durablocks are not cheap.... a friend of mine lent them to me,,i liked them so much i wanted to buy my own set, but when i saw the price, i decided to wait a little while,,,
is there something im missing, cause on ebay it says a lot of 6 is only 32$ and you know the old saying "if its too good to be true..." or are there different "grades" of them, from the cheapies to the really good?
if they are the real ones, they will be between 300-400 i remember seeing that you could buy them individually,,,wouldnt be so bad that way,, are the ones you saw the ones that have three metal rods in them..?
I use them every day, autobody is what i do. I think that they are the best blocks out there and you can buy a set that has almost all the blocks for under $80. well worth the money!
Your thinking of the AFS sanders! Yes they rock! A friend loaned me a 21" one, and I was amazed. I just ordered the Master set last week. It goes 4"-27", and was $240 from Nothern Tool. http://www.adjustflexsand.com/products.html http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200343657_200343657 After using Durablocks for 3 years, and switching to the AFS blocks, you will see how much Durablocks SUCK for cars with a lot of compound curves! There is a HUGE difference. The AFS sanders have a spring steel base, with a very soft and comphy foam block. They form to the shape of the car, and when used correctly, will never make low spots, and keep the FULL surface of the whole strip of sandpaper on the car. Durablocks are so stiff that when doing an area with a tight compound curve, the block doesnt flex nearly enough, and just a single line down the center of the block gets used, wearing out your paper really quick. In this situation, when using a durablock, you can easily create flat/low spots. The AFS sanders make the job very fast and with a lot less effort, and an overall better result. For doing a straight door, Durablocks are fine, but when doing a whole body of an older car, the AFS sanders are WELL worth the investment. Also, Durabocks lose their shape, and develop a memory, and after a year or so of heavy use are shot. My friend is a pro body man, uses his AFS sanders every day, and his set is several years ols, and good as new.
at the place i work they sell for 39.99 we have sold a ton of those kits,,we also carry all the other lengths that dont come in that kit,they are anywhere from like 10.00 up to 30.00 bucks depending on what lentgh,,i think the longest one we have is 36" long! my favorite(not in the kit) is the teardrop shapped one af4406(i think) runs about $16.00 (not trying to pimp anything here..just wanted to give a lil input on the durablocks.)
but the general consenses seems to be that durablock is good for the money and what you get, but if you need a more in depth block for curves then go with AFS?
We do hot rod paint and body, and use both durablocks and AFS. each have there strength and weakness. When working with these curvy old cars a huge assortment of blocks is a benefit. Hell I am known to create my own blocks when necessary to get a panel the way I want. But yes I agree, durablocks are way stiff and good mostly for flat panels. they have zero give to them. For an amateur I would recommend just pick up a couple of each. And in the AFS, get one long one. guarantee it will make all the difference in your work. Good Luck!
very well put. To start off, if you dont want to get the whole AFS kit, I'd get the durablock kit, and then get the 15 or 21 inch AFS for the difficult (more curved) areas.
cool i ordered the kit just now, we'll see in a week or so how it is thanks for the input guys!!! bob
You need more than a sanding block to straighten out that Mercury after what Chris did to it, haha. I prefer my rubber 3M blocks to the Durablocks but hey who am I to say.
I have some AFS blocks they work great but a little flimsy grip wise so recently picked up some K blocks they're similar to the AFS blocks just don't have the metal rods and the grip is stifferi. If your going to do this for a living/fun you can't have too many blocks. The durablocks are great for flat panels , just try not to flex them to much or they'll never be flat again.
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