Belt Sander

[JHZR2]

Hi,

I'm looking for a decent belt sandre to re-do some floorsinmy house. Ive heard that a drum anderis the real way to go... but I want to be able to do the job slow, on my pace, and take it easy as I go, so as to not mess anything up and get the job done right.

Can anyone reccomend a good belt sander, likely a 4" wide one? It seems like even a lot of the milwaukee branded ones are made in Mexico anymore - not the USA. I make every effort to only by made in the USA stuff whenever possible, and tools were one area that it was easy to do, but not so much anymore!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

JMH

 

[Pablo]

I have a Porter Cable and it works fine....never attacked a floor with it, though!

 

[JavaMan]

It's a back breaking job. My brother refinished his floors and it became one of the most dreaded jobs he's ever done, and , he's no stranger to hard work. I'm not saying your are either, but, it was quite an undertaking. I have a Makita which works great. I'm sure there are several popular brands out there that will serve you just fine.

 

[1sttruck]

Try to practice on something besides your floor, even if it means buying a sheet or two of plywood. See if you can produce a level surface, one that measures and looks level after being finished. I can't with a 4in belt sander, but I'm not a 'finisher'.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

That has GOT to be the worst possible way to sand a floor. You will literally go through hundreds of belts. I would rent a pad floor sander. Home Depot and most tool rental places will have them. Depending on room size, you should be able to do it in one day.

 

[Pablo]

I gotta think it would be a LOT of extra work for a sub-par result.

Rent the pad sander as OMPG1 says - if you want to say you killed your body doing it, just use the belt sander for the very last fine grit in the direct of the grain.

 

[JHZR2]

Got it... thanks!

The guy at the local sew and vac told me that he re-did a room in his house with a belt sander after paying a company to do the rest of the house previously (the room had carpet, which he kept fr a while). He told me that he was suprised how easy it was to do, and wished he had done all of them himself to save $$$.

I figured maybe it was worth it... my biggest thing is to be able to close off a room and do the work on my schedule, which is one of the issues with renting equipment or paying a company to do the work.

I guess the savings and result don't justify the effort.

Thanks,

JMH

 

[Sumerduckman]

If you are dead set on doing it with a belt sander, go for the 4x24 Porter Cable or Makita. Another option to consider would be a pro type 6 inch random orbit sander or one of the pro type half sheet sanders. Some of those can be very aggressive loaded with a 60-80 grit pad or paper, and will cut just as, or almost as fast as a belt sander but easier to hang on to and easier on the back.

 

[JavaMan]

I was refinishing some cabinet doors with my Makita. It's unbeliveable how quickly they can take off a whole lot of material. I finally went down and bough something a little less agressive to finish the job. I'm sure the problem was I didn't know how to properly use this very powerful sander, and probably used the wrong grit paper. I think somone mentioned earlier to get some practice material, maybe someone else mentioned rent one from Home Depot and see how you like it.

 

[Spitty]

I have refinished quit a few floors and would only use a proper, Drum type floor sander plus an edger. it should only take about 1 1/2 hours to sand the average size room. you might want to follow up with an orbital pad sander for a fine Finnish. The cost of the rental should be less than 1/2 the cost of a decent belt sander, you will do a much better job, and if your time is worth anything, you will be many $ better off.
I think Craftsman still have their sanders made in the States, but I would spend my money on a Makita.

 

[CivicFan]

I would advise against using a belt sander on floors. It may leave grooves. I strongly recommend renting a large random orbit sander - things will go much faster that way, and no grooves.