Sanding floorboards - Drum Sander and or Edge Sander

[John]

I am after a bit of advice. I have the floorboards in one room to sand down before varnishing. The room is about 4m square. I was going to hire a Drum Sander but I have heard some bad stories aboout using one. I was going to use it with an Edge Sander but it has been suggested that I only use the Edge Sander.

Is this a reasonable idea

How much easier is it to use the Edge Sander

What would the difference be in finish between the two sanders

How much longer would it take just using the Edge Sander

Any other comments (apart from the differnece in cost)

[John]

I am after a bit of advice. I have the floorboards in one room to sand down before varnishing. The room is about 4m square. I was going to hire a Drum Sander but I have heard some bad stories aboout using one. I was going to use it with an Edge Sander but it has been suggested that I only use the Edge Sander.

Is this a reasonable idea

How much easier is it to use the Edge Sander

What would the difference be in finish between the two sanders

How much longer would it take just using the Edge Sander

Any other comments (apart from the differnece in cost)

[Henry]

If the room is only 2M x 2M then you won't have much room to use an upright drum sander, the handles stick out a fair way. If it's that small then an edging sander may do it easily enough.

I did a few floors with a drum sander and scrimped on the hire for an edge sander using my own belt sander instead, then a hire company would only hire me the two together and I found the edger quite a powerful little beasty saving a huge amount of time. Being rotary though the finish is not as good as the drum sander.

Henry

[Michael Mcneil]

That is a small room and a floor sander will be difficult to control. If it is 4 x 4 metres then a drum sander will be a time saver; if expensive. You might buy a belt sander for that cost of hiring a drum sander though.

Before doing either, get some Nitromorse and test the floor with it. After scrubbing it up with Nitromorse and wire-wool -if it brings it up anything like I imagine it will, it will be a lot less work.

But then you have the problem of clearing up the chemicals afterwards.

[Andy]

to be careful about was to tilt the handle down as you came to the end of a sweep, so lifting the drum away from the floor, otherwise you get a scoop taken out of the floorboards. I didn't find that it was a difficult action to coordinate. The edge sander was the one to look out for, any indecision with it left a scoop out of your boards in an arc shape. You have to keep these things moving at a constant speed so long as they are touching the floor.

Andy.

[david lang]

Hi John

If it's that small maybe a proper floor sander will be too big. You could buy a cheapo belt sander to do the job. If you buy from one of the sheds, even if it broke down during the jon it wouldn't matter, just take it back & get a new one.

A cheapo random orbit sander might be the ideal tool fitted with the right grit paper - easier to control.

You can pick either up for less than a days hire on a big floor sander.

Dave

[John]

Sorry The room is 4m x 4m

[Rembrandt Kuipers]

Do you mean the that room is 4m x 4m (IOW 16 sq m), or that the floor area is 4 square metres (for example a 2m x 2m room)?

I am interested in the answer too this too, but I want to make sure the answers are answering the right question. :)

I have a 3x3 room, that has a large opening to a 3x4 room, that also joins onto a corridor of about 3x1. (All dimensions in meters.) Essentially the floor to be sanded is approximately 6x4, but has some walls in the way. There are a few other bits too. I have been presuming that I should hire both a drum and edge sander for a weekend, Jewson's does a reduced rate for both. (Is there a better place to hire from?)

Rem

[david lang]

Forget what I said, go hire a proper floor sander & edger.

Dave

[Henry]

Yeah me too don't piss about :-)

Henry

[Rob Morley]

Why does there seem to be so much confusion about the difference between "metres square" and "square metres"? On the planet that I inhabit "4m square" is a square 4m on each side, and "4 square metres" is the same area as a square 2m on each side.

[Henry]

You're pissed Nicky!, do you have one of these just the same except full?

Henry]

[Weatherlawyer]

Chemically induced mistakes about who to blame for the uncertainty principle of dealing with amateurs?

Tell him to pys off.