Ray I primarily used a Dewalt five inch random orbital sander for the first sanding and then a Dewalt 1/4 sheet palm sander for the 150 and 220 grit. I tilted the edge of the sander on the front side then the back side to get into the edges then hand sanded with a piece of sandpaper between the edges. I then epoxied them front and back then varnished the top and sides like I did the sole. I am a "git er done" kind of guy so I didn't worry about the shoulder of each slat. They turned out nicely. Jury is till out about adding a little non-skid to another coat of varnish. The off shore race I do next month will give me some more information about that issue.