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Floor Orbital Sanding Machines

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    How Machine Works

    • A floor orbital sander works by vibrating at a high speed while the sanding head moves rapidly in an orbiting motion. The combination of these two motions reduces the risk of cross-sanding marks on the wood floor. The sander has an attached dust collection bag, which reduces the amount of wood dust in the air, but it doesn’t collect all the dust, so wear a respirator mask and protective eyewear when operating the machine.

    Refinishing

    • Orbital sanders work well on level wood floors for removing old finish before adding new stain and varnish. You might need more than one pass over the floor with the sander. For tough finishes, start with a medium, 80- to 100-grit sanding disk and switch to a fine, 120- to 160-grit disk to smooth the grain after you remove the old finish. The trick is to let the machine do all the work, don’t press downward or you could create a gouge, or indentation, in the wood. Keep the machine moving across the floor at all times when it's powered on.

    New Hardwood Floors

    • New hardwood floors require sanding, even if they come pre-sanded prior to applying stain and a finish coat. This sanding not only smooths down any raised grain, it also ensures that all the wood planks are level across the floor. If the new hardwood is rough, start with a medium 100-grit sanding disk. If the wood is already relatively smooth, use a fine, 180-grit, sanding disk, just to fine-tune the surface. Use a light touch when operating the orbital sander.

    Cupped or Crowned Planks

    • If you’re refinishing an uneven hardwood floor and the planks are cupped or crowned, meaning either the sides or the centers of the planks respectively are raised, you can’t use an orbital sander. When the planks are buckled, an orbital sander tends to skip and hop over the surface. In this case, use a drum sander to grind down the bumps, after which you can use an orbital sander for the final sanding.

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