I am not that good with an edger. I seem to always leave marks when I am cutting a large area. I was doing a little area today that had to be angle cut (cupped) and it took me an hour to get it right. I was using 100grit since it was Jatoba. That stuff is like sanding glass.

I am thinking of buing the Festool Rotex for cleaning up after the edger.

http://www.festool-usa.com/portando/ima ... tex_gb.swf

Any of you guys use it?

Chuck, why not just let your dad to the job?

That is what I have been doing for the last ten years.

My dad is teaching me how to do it this week. We have not worked together since I was a kid. I was/am too much the butthole. He will be 65 this year. He has been sanding for the last 15 years. I never bothered to learn from or collaborate with him. Too busy.

I aim to make up some time.

Chuck,

Edging is a real learned skill/art. But first you need the right tool and it needs to be set up properly. I'm partial to Clark's Super 7; low center of gravity means better control. The rubber backing pad needs to be dressed by someone who knows how to do that. It is way too complicated to explain; you have to be shown. If you live near a facility that services sanders, call them and ask if they will dress and adjust your edger. If not, you'll have to send it away or take a NWFA class from Wayne Lee at Alto.
A properly dressed and adjusted edger will use about the first 1&1/2" of the paper sanding disc. This allows it to cut quickly and right up to baseboards. However, it also causes the edger to leave more swirl and gouges and uneveness. So, what I do is use a felt backer pad behind the paper disc. This cushions the sanding, leaving less swirl, and changes the pitch of the nose so it is less aggressive and does a better job flattening the floor. To get the sander to cut faster, say when your stripping old stain, don't use the backup pad. Then when sanding with 100 for your final sanding, use the felt pad. A well adjusted edger can be operated with one hand; if it can't, it's out of adjustment. I never scrape or hand sand my floor edges; too much work and I don't have to because my swirl doesn't show. I've learned to be effecient and not waste time and effort on things that don't matter. When edging large areas, keep in mind you will be hardplating and screening; or at least screening which will remove most swirl. Bottom line, once ya get it, ya get it. But it takes practice. If your muscling that edger around, ya haven't got it yet and the edger's out of whack.

Thanks Gary.

Are you a bagger or do you hook to a collector?

By the way,what do you think of the clarke square buffer? Will it remove material like my hardplate? I have never used one. I like the concept and the price.

Thanks again,
CHU

I used one a couple of times. I think they are great in high visability areas, like kitchens with lots of can lights. They can produce a swirl free finish; especially good for between coats buffing. But they are slower than a circular buffer. As for stock(wood) removal, that all depends on what abrasive you use. I think their forte' is is buffing between coats. They could substitute for hardplate with the right paper. BTW, I use bags on my edgers sometimes and other times, I hook up to a shop vac; pretty low tech. I'm currently researching a viable, low cost, easy to move DCS. I hope to use my new backpack vac as I really don't like dragging hoses around; cords get in my way enough!

Your method mirrors my dad's. He uses a bag on the big machine and the edger unless he is selling dust containment. Then he hooks his edger to a shopvac and wears the back vac with the buffer. Every time you hit the switch on the big machine you can see a little dust cloud.

I have a plan. I want to buy a big, badass collector that I can set outside with all of my tools running to it. I will have to spend some dough on hoses,but after that,I can just wire tie my cords to my hoses and have one set for each piece of equipment. That way it will be just like one big cord to deal with. Just throw it over your shoulder and let it run back to your booster/collector location. KnowhutImean?

I really appreciate all of the free advice you are giving me,Gary.

I am in your debt.

Yours in gratitude,
CHU

I read about a floorman who uses a Grizzly dust collector. He says it beats all other similar types. And for under a grand for everything. Said he could run a big machine (drum sander), buffer, and edger all at the same time and the collector handled it all prefectly with zero dust. He did say the motor was LOUD and needed to be outside. Here it is:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cf ... mber=G1030

This one is called mobile. Do you think it would have enough suction for you? And would it qualify for a big, badass vacuum?

http://www.vector-vacuums.com/2_Sales_D ... ctors.html

I have looked at the grizzlies. Jet makes some bigguns too. I like the one that UsSander sells,but the thing is 3500 dollars. Seems ridiculous to me. It is only 5 horsepower. The 5 hp grizzly is about a grand.

Apparently,cfm is a direct function of hp. I think the 5hp grizzly is rated at over 2000 cfm. A shop vac is around 150.

I have wondered if you could improve pickup by using a machine bag instead of the standard vacuum bag. If the thing is outside,who cares if it is getting 1 micron particles?

This unit has 1600 CFM, it sells for $160









This one is $1000, and has 2200 CFM








Here are the hose kits for $40

The Grizzly unit I mentioned has 2300 CFM, is 3 hp, 220 volt, and sells for $499.00.

Do you know how much cfm a big machine requires? I know the requirements for a buffer and edger are pretty meager. If I knew the cfm requirement I could do the math to figure the static presssure drop and decide how big a machine I needed.

The only justification for the Bona Atomic 's motor size,I suppose, is the static pressure drop you must get through 300 feet of flex hose.


Thanks,
CHU

Chuck, There are so many variables, it would be impossible to calculate the perfect setup. Different sanders have different designs and requirements. Keep in mind that they already have a dust extraction system built in. And in some brands, it works quite well. So with the big machine, if you're using an external DCS, you're pushing the dust on one end and pulling on the other. And the longer the hose, the more power (CFM) you'll need. Most systems try to keep the hose length to 50 ft. I think one would need double that if you're placing the extractor outside. I've heard great things about the Oneida system. And BTW, didn't you like the trailered dust collectors from Vector Vacuums? At 10,000 CFM, I think they qualify as BIG BAD ASS.

Wrongo, brother. It is a simple matter of finding values to punch into an equation. Static pressure is inversely proportional to hose length. Flex hose is the most restrictive type of hose. That restriction can be offset by increasing hose diameter,but the bigger the hose the more cfm lost. This can be figured out when given the numbers.

The trick, as I see it, is in having enough cfm(intake) at the machine to outpace what the impeller is pushing(exhaust). Without that, back pressure will cause the tool to expel dust at any path offering the least resistance.

I was looking at the Oneida deal a while ago and they had a little caveat about how a super 7 will expel dust at the breather slot even though their big filter is stuck on the back. That is because their collector is only 2 hp.

.......and miles to read before I sleep.