Anyone ever rent one of these? My wife wants me to sand the floors, but we are concerned about dust. Is there a way to hook up a shop vac to these to minimize the dust? I see that they come with a dust bag, but if they're like my ROS, they're only marginally effective.
Sanding a hardwood floor (like oak) down to bare wood to stain / refinish is dusty, messy business.
The usual tool is a pretty massive drum sander, you're removing wood ....you need some horsepower.
followed by a ~16" diameter floor sander.for sanding / screening before & between finish.
I suggest masking off the uninvolved areas of the house but be prepared for dust & the need to vacuum walls & baseboards.
cheers Bob
I don't know, but let me know how it turns out - I'm pondering the same task for my totally wiped out hardwood floors.
And find a place to practice that isn't very obvious initially -- running one of these things ain't rocket science, but it does take some getting used to to. You can make a big hole in a hurry w/ one of them w/ 40 or 60 grit paper! :(
It's a doable project if one is relatively comfortable w/ tools, but definitel a few steps above "mere novice"...
If you are thinking of doing a floor using a hand held orbital sander, I suggest you plan or renting it for a year or so. You want a real floor sander. Today they make them that have dust collection and do a good job. They are available for rent and they will give you some tips on using it (the details are different for different models) when you rent it.
No, I was referring to the orbital sanders especially made for floors, that are safer to use than the drum sanders.
My brother has refinished hardwood floors in four rooms in his home. The first two with the drum and the second two with a large orbital. He said the orbital was hands down easier to use and did just as good a job. Might need to change the sheets more often was the only "con".
Big plus was the orbital gets much closer to the perimiter of the room. Way less edge work.
I have seen four different types of floor sanders:
Drum sanders of varying sizes, sanders that are floor buffers that really aren't for removing a finish but for sanding between coats, a sander that Hechinger's used to rent that used one large sheet of paper and a sander that I've used from Home Depot that has four 8" or so random orbit heads arranged in a rectangle.
The last is what I think you are looking for and it does have a dust bag. I think you could use it to remove an old finish, but it may take awhile.
I think HD has a smaller drum sander also that is designed for the home owner. My Sister and In-laws both had their floors refinished professionally. The drum sander was definitely not for the amateur, It ran off of 220 and was attached directly to the fuse box.
Yes ______________
I had no problem with dust. Yes, it made dust but most was captured - the air wasn't filled with it - and a simple brushing of the room's walls afterward was all that was needed. If you work one room at a time and simply hang plastic at the doorway you should have no problem.
PS - Don't let anybody talk you into renting a drum sander instead of the orbital. The drum is faster but takes experience to use; without that experience you can ruin the floor in a heartbeat.
"Cliff Hartle" wrote
We once rented one of those drum sanders after my sister-in-law told us You'd be surprised what a great job you can do on your own. Well. Despite following directions, it didn't really work out that well and we did some (not too much) damage to the floor.
I know this is the wrong newsgroup to say We called a professional, they came in and did this whole room (maybe 20 by 12) for $180, finished and sealed, and they even made an oak sill for the transition to the new kitchen floor. And cleaned up. I don't remember what renting the machine cost, but it was worth whatever extra just to have the pros come in.
Obviously I can't speak for this Orbital sander. If that's much easier, great, still, I learned that dealing with those chemicals to finish the floor isn't something I want to do, either. Just being in the house was bad enough. I actually know someone who dropped the floor refinishing side of his business so he wouldn't have to deal with the chemicals any more.
Just my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth.
nancy
That makes me feel better. :-)
I believe some if not all have dust abatement.
Coincidentally I just finished my sanding the other day. It was my first time doing it, and speaking with friends who had, I went with an orbital sander. I did about 1000 sq feet of oak in one weekend. It was tough, but worth it. Regarding the dust, it all really stayed down on the floor. I had to stop the sander and vacuum periodically, but it wasn't too hard.
I'd recommend (with my limited experience) going with an orbital sander, using 40 grit paper ( I think I had 36 grit). Make sure you get some lighter stuff too, 80 / 120 to finish it off nicely. Mind you, the stain directions say use 220, but I just used 120 I think.
Good luck in your sanding!
Mark
We used one several years ago to do our floors. It is a little messy but works well. Particularly if you're uncertain about using a drum sander. Check with the rental company about the unit and it's compatibility with a dust removal system. Otherwise you can just have wifey tag along behind with the shop vac and keep it swept up.
If you tape sheets over doorways and the like you can help minimize the amount of dust that travels through your home but I think it unlikely that you will manage it "Dust Free"
Kate O|||||||O
That was an excellent price. Most won't do so well.
Bob
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