Hello – I’m in the process of refinishing my kitchen’s white oak floor. So far I’ve gone through carpeting glued to linoleum which was glued to the wood with this brown, felt-like stuff that stinks when you get it wet. I’ve finally reached bare wood.
Anyway, I’m using 16″ silicon carbide 36grit discs from McMaster Carr. They work great! …for the first 10-15min. After that, they just seem to stop cutting. The discs look fine and grit still covers the entire face (no wear spots or tears). They aren’t gummed up and I clean them with a rubber block. This is going to be very expensive if I continue at this rate. Is this normal or is there something I can do to get more life out of each disc?
Thanks,
Brad
Replies
The 36 grit goes the fastest probably because there's less grit on them...bigger grit but less of them. Just a guess. In my experiance the higher numbered paper in succession lasts a little longer. You just have to figure it in to the job.
On some floors that I've done such as painted ones I had to use liquid stripper first because it gummed the sandpaper up almost instantly.
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Sounds like they're getting plugged.
(My parents bought a farmhouse where there were something like nine layers of linoleum in the kitchen. The previous occupants had layed a new layer whenever the cat poo got too thick.)
When I sand floors I always have gone through the 36 grit quite fast. It amazes me because it still looks good and feels good! But I suspect what is happening is that the rough stuff is getting polished, hence it is still there, but rounded by the time you are done sanding. So it looses its effectiveness. Kind of like bald tires. The rubber is still there, but the 'tread' is gone so it slips really easily in the rain.
Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
Pebble - I suspected this is what's going on, but its good to hear it from a professional. The surface IS still very rough after 15min use, but I guess its NOT sharp, and that seems to make all the difference.
Nine layers of linoleum alternating with cat poop! I think I'd use a bulldozer or a match for that job. I guess the ceilings would be easier to paint, though. Did the bottom layer turn to coal?
Thanks all.
Brad