Right tool for sanding down wooden floors

[AstonHill]

Greeting tradesman and tidalers! (and tinklers if your form Island LOL).

I am the proud owner of a Black and Decker KA511E sander. 260W output!!!

the sander has a velcro pad attached to it and vibrates in a strange manor.

I have attached sand paper to it and glued it with velcro stickers from the pound shop. However when sanding stuff like my grotty old floor, it did not take long for the pads to chard up with black muck and needing to replace again, I have only done 1/2 square meter now and it took me 3 goes to long and it still dose not look right!

Is this the wrong tool for the wrong job! I mena I realy am the proud owner of a Makita mini angle grinder and I would like to use this my bestest tool for the job! Its a grinder so it grinds stuff; Dose a piece of sand paper onto wood not grind the wood with elbow grease? Can I get a blade for my angle grinder to do this job?

Cheers

 

[blup]

I am the proud owner of a Black and Decker KA511E sander. 260W output

velcro stickers from the pound shop.

Get a decent 4” belt sander like this, and the appropriate belts.

Makita M9400 4" Electric Belt Sander 240V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Robust and reliable belt sander designed for competent home users, apprentices and part-time tradesmen. Provides durable, industrial performance. Features a dust extraction facility with cloth dust bag. Ergonomically-designed soft-grip handle. Flat top for inverted...

www.screwfix.com

Blup

 

[AstonHill]

Get a decent 4” belt sander like this, and the appropriate belts.

Makita M9400 4" Electric Belt Sander 240V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Robust and reliable belt sander designed for competent home users, apprentices and part-time tradesmen. Provides durable, industrial performance. Features a dust extraction facility with cloth dust bag. Ergonomically-designed soft-grip handle. Flat top for inverted...

www.screwfix.com

Blup

sorry but all the links from SF have been blocked from my browser and I dont go in there anyway
However I do do the others like tool station, travis perkins, jewsons

 

[Mr Chibs]

Rent a floor sander.

The clue is in the name!

 

[blup]

sorry but all the links from SF have been blocked from my browser and I dont go in there anyway
However I do do the others like tool station, travis perkins, jewsons

Makita mk9400, the red one. The blue industrial version is best but costs more.

Blup

 

[AstonHill]

Rent a floor sander.

The clue is in the name!

HSS quoted me +40 quid for day hire of a battery powered angle grinder where Travis Perkins was less then 20 quid!
But anyway, do they have vaccume dust/ bags like a hover dose? meaning I am not forever going though sanding pads that absorb all the dirt?

 

[AstonHill]

Makita mk9400, the red one. The blue industrial version is best but costs more.

Blup

but do they run on sanding pads, are they much more powerfull or better then my B&D sander as listing in the OP?

 

[Mottie]

Is this the return of Teaboy Jim?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Belt sanders use sanding belts. They extract dust either into a bag, or are connected to a separate industrial vacuum cleaner (i.e. a class L or class M vacuum). With a previously painted or lacquered floor it can sometimes be better to start by washing down the floor (but not flooding it) with a solution of lye or sugar soap, leaving to dry, then if needs be hand scraping it with carbide floor scraper (e.g. Linbide, Sandviik 665, etc) to remove the worst of what is contaminating the floor surface before sanding it. When belt sanding start at something like P36 or P40 grit (i.e. very coarse), unless the floor is in exceptionally good condition, and work up through the grits (P40 - P60 - P80 - P120) to P120 or even P180. Belt life can be extended by using a crepe sanding belt cleaner to remove contamination from partly clogged belts, and can help you get 2 to 3 times the life out of them. Run the belt in the direction of the grainwirh a gentle side to side motion as you advance across the floor

Forget about using angle grinders with pads on - they will mark the floor badly (because most run at far too high a speed) and the dust off them is horrendous. Forget about using Mickey Mouse orbital sanders for large areas, too - they are simply not up to the task although they can help with the last 10mm or so at the edges where the belt sander can't easily go.

Either way, this is hard work and especially hard on your knees, so use a kneeling pad (for gardening) or strap on knee pads - which helps avoid bursitis

Just to make it crystal clear, below is a picture which what 4 x 24in (100 x 600mm) sanding belts look like. This is the size used on the Maktec/Makita belt sanders recommended above. 4in/100mm is the smallest belt sander you want to be using. The 12 volt cordless drill is included for scale

 

[AstonHill]

) with a solution of lye or sugar soap, leaving to dry, then if needs be hand scraping it with carbide floor scrape

So is Lye and sugar soap the best way to abstract hear?

BTW
The floor is very vert bad, flooring of a crappy old 45 foot trailer, oil, dust of 20 plus years and you name it. So it really is nothing to loose hear!

 

[lostinthelight]

I have an Mk9400 and works well apart from a few niggles.
The power cord is woefully short, its quite a meaty one so probably a cost cutting measure.
The dust collector leaks where it connects and is poorly positioned so the on/off switch is not easily accessible but not so much of an issue if locking it on for prolonged use.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

So is Lye and sugar soap the best way to abstract hear?

Not "and", but OR! Both are effective degreasers

The floor is obviously very dirty and potentially very greasy. Before you sand it you need to get rid of any contaminants as they just end up clogging your belts. Eother of the the two compounds I recommended will degrease thoroughly (BTW, read the instructions and use PPE - goggles and rubber gloves).

Alternatively use a pressure washer or (commercial) steam cleaner to get the same sort of results.

BTW a 45 x 8ft space (360 square feet) really is about the limit for a 4 x 24in belt sander (or rather, your knees and back). Above that and I'd be hiring in a floor sander

On a paid job I simply wouldn't do this, though - I'd side step the issue by sweeping out the floor, rolling out a layer of Visqueen and then nailing or screwing a layer of 12mm hardwood ply over the top. Nice clean, unconraminated floor to work off with good fix capabilities for your walls. And NO need for sanding! Simple

 

[opps]

Is this a parody post?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Is this a parody post?

Yes?

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Is this a parody post?

The OP might be nuts but the replies are interesting and useful.