Black & Decker Mouse I am certain that the reason Popeye had such big forearms was not due to the spinach, rather it was because he had a wooden boat that he sanded by hand. I had no desire to put myself through that kind of torture, and I don't believe the elements would have given us the time anyway. A dock mate of ours lent me his Black & Decker Mouse when we first started on the brightwork. It took me all of 2 minutes to discover this was the beginnings to a beautiful love affair with a power tool. As these are very inexpensive, I immediately went out and bought our own. The sander was light enough for me to hold and control in awkward positions - such as hanging over the sides, or on my back with my arms straight up in the air. Its triangular shape and size was perfect for getting almost anywhere, and it came with attachments that allowed us to get into even very tight corners. The hook and loop system made changing sanding grits fast, and using scouring pads possible. We also used our mouse to remove rust on metal, and to scrub the boat down before waxing, although I don't really think I should recommend this as it is not exactly a waterproof tool and we did have a few shocking experiences in doing this. When we started to get down to bare wood on our cockpit combing, our first mouse finally gave up the ghost. Oh - its little engine kept going, but its body just gave out from the abuse. We were able to hold it together until we completed the final sanding before sealing the wood, but on the last bit of trim, it just kind of disassembled itself. It was kind of sad - it had worked so hard for us, had many scars and wounds from the extreme labor we had imposed on it. Mind you we had 12 coats of varnish with a sanding in between each one so this was quite possibly the most utilized power tool we had on board. Don and I laughed at the thought of invoking the warrantee. I did not hesitate in purchasing a new model, and was delighted to find it included an assortment of different shaped attachments! The love affair continues.
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