I’m attempting to remove shellac from old oak floors in a 1020’s Chicago bungalo. The usual sanding doesn’t work. No matter how coarse the grit, the sanding drum gums up immediately. The floor is left with patches of gummed shellac. How do I remove it?
David
Add a strap for easy carrying and pouring when working with 5-gal. buckets.
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Replies
Denatured alcohol and a scraper. Also you could use chemical strippers, but this is the least toxic method.
what he said. maybe try a heat gun too..it'll get real sticky, then brittle and dusty..find the right amount of heat and yer in business..then alcohol, for you and the floor
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Lye works. Ammonia, the non-sudsy type, also works. Less expensive than alcohol. Alcohol is highly flammable used on a floor. Ammonia requires a full-face respirator. Lye does not, just gloves. Lye needs to be rinsed several times with clean water and neutralized with baking soda. Ammonia just needs a rinse. I have not tried citrus strippers, but they may be reasonably safe. You still need to sand afterwards. Any alkaline chemical will darken oak.
go to a ballistic grit.... 16 or even down to 12 pebbles on paper, but if you have a lot of square footage the chemical strip and scrape will take a lotta time
and you are crazy for recommending THAT..ever try it? If not you are in for a suprise Gomer. The poor guy will run outta thickness tryin to sand out the GOUGES..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
What do you really think of 12 grit paper?
'bout the same as what I call zero grit..take rock and rub vigorously..it's about the same. Make sure it's a hunk of quartz with a lot of crystals stickin out, like a mid-evil mace.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
yeah gomer, sand w it all the time... do a lot of old multi families w ancient shellacs and varnishes, come out nice and that's the application they make it for the heavy paper loads up w old finish but doesn't completely fill up like a 24 or 36 so it maintains some cutting ability keep the machine MOVING which a REFINISHER already knows, in the end you're cutting w a 36 the finish is removed but the surface depth of cut is limited i end w the shellac taken up, relatively light scratching and my surface cut, that's how bad the shellac picks up on the belt
now switch to a 36 to surface out and so on floor is resurfaced without excess cutting sanding is not for inexperienced machine operators, especially problem floors a ho can install a nice floor if a decent carpenter/mechanic, but refinish work requires learned skill w the machine being operated if any amount of square footage is being done, and the multi families i do can run up to 7k sq ft, you're gonna retire doing that one w denatured alcohol, etc.... but that's the difference knowing what you're doing, sport
agreed , but this is a HO...not you, and not me. Granted I may have refinished a total of 7 or eight jobs..none at 7000 SQ.ft , I still know what a HO could wind up with, even with 36 grt. it could be a catastrophy..
what happens when the newly installed belt accidently overlaps his already sanded area too much? Please, ya can't expect a guy to learn all the tricks the first time out...you know where I'm coming from.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Thanks for your advise, as well as everyone else's advise. No need to worry about my lack of experience. I've built two entire homes, one duplex, and remodelled several multiple dwellings in my spare time over the years. I've resanded many floors in the past, just never ran across shellac before.
David
The machine makes a difference. Shellac melts very easy. That's why it clogs the paper so fast. A belt sander has more surface area on the belt than a drum sander. Stays a little cooler and is a little better at not picking up crud. There is also supposed to be some sort of anti-stick spray for belts, but I've never managed to find any to try.
yup, that's why rental sanding equipment should go for a minimum of $10K a day by law can't tell you the number of times i've had guys tell me "i sanded it myself" and there's 1/4" deep gouges across the floor any deeper and someone would've handed him up some chinese food, the real stuff, from the hole in the floor the best part is the wives... while these guys are showing off their landscaping jobs the old lady is usually talking to herself or pulling a cork out of a bottle of jack daniels
speaking of which, my girlfriend wants to know what we're both doing on the tube at 0800hrs don't you have a job to go to? never liked her much
A job?..to go to? sure, I gots a bunch..today was my crib, next is the roof.., after that..more stones..(my house) I do not "go to a day job"...I am self unemployed..would not have it any otherway.
BTW..no offense at the Gomer part...it just naturally followed SUPRISE..he said he had PATCHES of shellac, not a total redo after failing at 36..so MY thinning babalouie was 12 grt would be a disaster..wrong?
be cool I'll be a fool..
edit: my wife is a model for VS..Victoria's Secret
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Edited 5/26/2004 7:28 pm ET by SPHERE
edit: my wife is a model for VS..Victoria's Secret
Got any pictures!
lookin yer bathroom..you'll see her.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
it was the way she said it like we were both welfare rats just hangin around it made me feel bad it made me feel dirty later i went out and got a bottle of Night Train Express, about 180 proof fine wine they filter it through shopping carts then i went to my jobs............. really a model for vs?
why do ya think I hang around, ? For the COOKIN? Hell man, I do the cookin here..an husband duties..actually today is our 2nd wedding anniversary..gotta go, bye
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
i do the cookin too that's because she beats me if you see a lot of eyes looking in the windows, don't worry it's not wild animals it's us we'll be on ladders like belushi in animal house why didn't you tell us sooner???
When hand sanding polyurethane I tried the anti-gum paper and it worked much better than regular garnet paper. I don't know if it will work as well on shellac, nor whether it's available in belt form.
Steel wool and alcohol. I did my parents entire house that way and the floors came out great.
>> I'm attempting to remove shellac from old oak floors in a 1020's Chicago bungalo.
Why? Is this a flip or income property?
Or are you going the "preservation" route?
Consider:
http://www.franmar.com
Open all the windows, shut off all the pilot lights and use alcohol..
Quick and dirty method is to get a string mop (foam won't work, it melts) dump a gallon in a bucket and swab the deck like a sailor.. get everything damp and keep it damp for a couple of hours.. then take a scraper and scoop up the residue. give the floor another mopping and scoop up the rest of the residue.. now rent a floor sander and you won't need those 24 grit or 36 grit paper. Light buzz and it'll be ready for your refinishing.. (wish I had an easy way to do that!)