First, let me start by saying thanks.

A few years back, I came to this forum with questions on finishing a white oak floor for my sister's new home. Armed with advice garnered from some of the valued contributors here, I went on to actually do a fairly nice job. I still get a lot of compliments on how it turned out. Now, I'm alittle older (not much wiser), and looking to attempt another hardwood flooring job.

I know I should spend the money and hire a reputable sub, but I just can't...I enjoy the challenge too much. Besides, I don't know one.

The Job-
This time the client is my wife (and me), in a home we bought back last April, still haven't moved in it...I decided to take it all the way down to the studs and replace everything except the 600 or so square feet oak rift sawn flooring. The house (and the flooring) are 45 years old, and by the looks of it, have never been refinished.

I did end up moving some of the walls and am currently in the process of lacing in a section of floor about nine foot long by five foot wide. I have a few closests that need relaid, and a piece of stair nosing left to install. All things considered though, I think its shaping up quite nice. I'm not sure I'd even attempt some thing like this if it where not for the information one can find on the internet, partically this site.

So, anyways, the reason for the post...I was hoping that I could go over the some of the concerns I have with sanding and finishing.

The Plan-
The plan is to finish up laying the remaining floor (all flooring being installed is original, salvaged from cutting out a new set of basement steps). Then rent a drum sander from a local hardware store, sand with 40 grit to remove old finish and stain. I also need to smooth out some overwood, side and end. Edge with 60 grit. Return the drum sander and switch to a 12x18 square buffer, sand at 80 grit, then trowel fill the entire floor (woodwise full trowel filler, white-oak). Sand with 12x18 at 100 grit. Cleaning in between each sanding and then an extreme cleaning after the final sand.
Stain, Something lighter than cherry...3 coats Polo Plaz supreme Hi Gloss (omu), Buffing with a maroon pad between coats. I'm leaning against water popping, I want to see some variation from board to board.

The Big Concern-
Using a Drum Sander for the first time. The Square buffer, and a circular buffer I both have some experience with, a drum sander I do not.

Any tips on technique or advice on flaws in my plan would be great!

Thanks Again.

If you rent a sander, rent the Clarke EZ Sand. It has the lever to raise and lower the drum. That is a major feature of pro equipment. Do not rent anything else as it's crap. Here's the sanding schedule:

1) Clean the floor well. I prefer vacuuming. Make sure ALL nails are recessed.
2) Cut the floor with 40 grit on a 20 to 30 degree angle to the direction of the floor. Empty bag frequently. Set drum pressure on light to medium. Sand until floor is FLAT.
2) Edge with 60 grit QUICKLY. Most screw this up and gouge the floor. It's easy to do with an edger, especially an out of adjustment rental.
3) Quickly drum sand the floor with the grain with 60 grit.
4) Trowel or spot fill with filler of your choice. Some will not stay in. Just a reality in finishing.
5) After filler is dry, edge again with 100. Remove ALL filler and 60 grit scratch.
6) Final sand with drum sander and 100 grit, going with the grain. All the filler and angle scratch pattern should be gone. Examine the floor carefully with a spotlight. Any flawed sanding must be corrected now.
7) Hand scrape and sand all places inaccessible by the machines. Includes corners and such.
8/ Vacuum floor well.
9) Now is the time to screen. Use either square buff or circular. Circular cuts harder and is faster but can leave circular scratch. I'd suggest a square buff and 80 grit screen IF you're staining. If no stain, you can go up to 100-120.
10) Vacuum again then stain. I HATE Minwax. This is not a professional product. People buy this crap because it's cheap and available. Avoid this. Order and buy BONA Dri-Fast stains. Expensive but very worth it. The easiest and most reliable floor stain on the market. Expect 500-600 ft per gallon or so.
11) Finish with the system of your choice. Poloplaz is pretty good. It has many pro fans.

Tips: Learn to use the drum sander in a small bedroom or other inconspicuous area. Keep floor clean at every step. Empty dust bags often. Use good quality,fresh sandpaper. I like 3M or Norton. Put fans in windows in an exhaust mode. Just like location, location, location is the realtor's mantra, clean, clean and clean is the finisher's motto.

everyone has a different technique, but I would 40 drum/edge to get the old off then 80 drum/edge, 120 on a round buffer and polyshade (mix stain and sealer). I do this always and never have problems. personally, a OBS sander (square) just isn't aggressive enough and can leave little pig tail marks.

Your original plan to start the sand with a drum and 40 grit, then switch to square buff at 80 grit wont work. As Gary said, on item #3, a second pass with 60 is absolutely a must. All else you have in mind should be fine.

I see I missed a sequence in grit, thanks for pointing that out Dennis.

I have a couple of other questions...

One, what is the purpose of 'screening'? I'm by no means a floor finisher and just don't quite get this one.

Two, at what grit do you like to hardplate? I plan to try and hardplate with the square buff. I expect to have some learning curve with the drum sander, and while i will be starting in a small 2nd bedroom, I would like to correct any minor sanding blemishs before moving on to the finish. I am aware of the pig tailing a square buff can cause.

Three, that amazing junk (46 years of dirt and grime) in between the boards. What happens to that as I sand, will it be an issue? I've had to remove some from the boards I salvaged for the lace, cleaning the boards has taken me more time than installing them.

Lastly, and a little off topic, hows this last year or two treating some of you. I know as a carpenter I've had to go back into remodel work for a bit after the collapse of the McMansion industry here.

Anyways, I do really appreaciate all the advice. Thanks again!

oh.. and one more thing (just a quick rant).

Cleaning. Why is it that hacks always skip simple prep like this? Sooo important, yet so often overlooked. Quite a few of the contractors I've worked for loved to skip proper prep work. Setting nails properly, subfloor prep, cleaning, so on and so on... Drives me buggy.

Nothing bothers me quite like hearing those old mantra's, 'looks good from my house' or 'it don't have to be perfect, we have caulking.'

1) Screening came about in the late 70's as a way to sand the entire floor the same. Before, one had to use sandpaper ( which could load easily and scratch too much ) or not do this. The basic idea is to blend the edges with the field better. With waterbased finishes and sealers, one needs to sand the floor finer than with solvent based, due to waterbased raising the grain much more. Screens were the answer. Less aggressive than sandpaper and no loading. This can be skipped if going natural ( no stain ) and using ALL solvent finishes.

2) I hardplate with 100 grit on a circular buffer. The difference between hardplate and regular buffing is the driver pad, or lack of it. In buffing, we use various driver pads to drive the abrasive. Some are softer and less aggressive while others are thin and allow more bite from the abrasive. With hardplate, one doesn't use a pad at all but bolts the abrasive to a hard rubber drive plate. This will result in a much more aggressive sanding and because the plate is ridgid and not flexible, it's mainly used for patterned floors to even the final sanding out. It's not required on plank or strip unless there's some "dish out" from open spring grain.

3) Some may sand out and some may come loose and just pop out. If you want, get down there and dig it out with a fine tipped tool. It's not customary in my area to concern ourselves over crud between square edge strip and plank flooring on refinishes. If bad, I usually suggest a darker stain color to hide dark dirt embedded between the boards. But if you must go natural and you have dark dirt between the boards, your choice is either live with it or dig it out and refill the gaps.

Things have slowed down. Personally, that's ok by me because I do other things and at 59, the work is getting to be too much. Last year, 2009, was decent but down from years earlier.