can anyone recommend an electric sander

S

Sammie

Registered User
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230
Hi,
we've just finished sanding two bedroom floors with a hired industial electrical sander. The area under the skirting and around the edges still have to be done as we didn't want to ruin the skirti ng boards.
I have been sanding it myself manually but it's taking me ages, so i'm thinking of buying a small electrical sander.
Can anyone recommend one, something not too expensive.

thanks
 
I bought a cheap orbital sander (Challenge I think) from Argos for such a job years ago. It uses 1/3 sheets and cost about €20 at the time. More than adequate for the job, no way I'd even attempt to sand by hand!
 
I have a Black and Decker Mouse which I have used for sanding doors. It is very easy to use and comes with a number of attachments for tricky bits like right up against the skirting. It was only about €40 in B&Q.
 
Hi, thanks for the replies. Yeah I saw the mouse but I think it was more than €40. but I'm sure it'll come in handy again. Is it a good little sander? I'm kind of afraid that they'll take lumps out of the floor boards or something.
I've just moved into a newly build house and upstairs there is wooden floors. We have sanded them down and they look really good. Do you think it's fine using these floorboards or should we put down another floor on top of it? my byfriend will kill me for saying that after all his sanding efforts!
 
Yup, is fine to use these floors, why not. But stain them if you want and put a decent varnish on top. I used this 2-part epoxy resin (horrible to work with) stuff on to seal and protect the wood.
 
I did the same thing with a new build upstairs - sanded them with an industrial sander and an orbital for around the edges, and then used Ronseal Diamond Coat for the finish. I used the Medium Oak stain, which I found good because it gives a deep brown stain (slightly red in hue) but is also a varnish so offers a good protective coat too. The wood is very soft so it is going to mark no matter what you use, but you can always re-sand in a few years :D
 
Personal choice I think! Personally, I felt the Ronseal Diamond Coat was good enough - it comes in a range of shades, including clear. Some think you should use a more hard wearing type of varnish, which is usually clear, hence putting the stain on it first if you want it to be a different colour.
 
that's great thanks for your reply. is clear varnish enough to protect the wood or does it need a layer of oil or anything before hand?

what are the steps....eg
1. sanding.
2. clean off dust
3. wipe with wet cloth....(not sure about this)
4. ???
5. ??
 
If it were me:

Sand thoroughly, moving progressively through the grades and vacuuming between them. For a very good finish wipe down with a damp towel to raise the grain and lift any stray fibres. Give one final, fine sand. Vacuum and use a tack cloth (or very very lightly damp J cloth) to remove any fine dust. Stain if required. Apply your chosen finish, working on 3-4 boards at a time. At this stage you should be in stockinged feet or have some of those elasticated things over your shoes (like shower caps?). De-nib between coats using wet and dry or fine steel wool. Allow to go off for a couple of days and don't allow heavy traffic for a week or more to give the finish a chance to harden. Use a good quality, long bristled brush (Signature Pro do a nice brush) and thin the first coat to help application. Take time with the sanding and vacuum cleaner- it'll pay off in a good finish.
 
First coat on bare wood should be thinned with appropriate thinners (refer to manufacturer's instructions), this aids application (goes on more easily and it's easier to maintain a "wet edge") and helps to seal the grain. Subsequent coats can be applied straight from the tin. "De-nibbing" is the process of removing brush marks, dirt, drips, runs and other surface imperfections from a painted/ sprayed finish by gently sanding or abrading. It's the professional's best kept secret to achieving good results with paints and finishes.
 
thanks for letting me in on that secret.....i was going to say it's safe with me but not sure about the other AAM readers!

thanks a lot for your help!
 
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