Sanding prefinished hardwood flooring

[TheTrooper]

I'm sanding a prefinished hardwood floor with and Aluminum Oxide Finish. I hit it with a 40 grit Granat paper on my RO150 and it pretty much laughed at it. What line of paper do I need. The 40 didn't even put scuff marks on it.

 

[avrs22]

Yeh that aluminum oxide pre finish is a biatch to remove.
You will need something like 16 grit to get the finish off.
Once you have it scratched up real good it gets easier.
I only do stair landings that has aluminum oxide pre finish once in a blue moon thank god. I wouldn't want to do anything bigger with my ro125.

 

[peter halle]

Ironic that this topic popped up.  I just had a water leak and the insurance company is paying to have the floor replaced in numerous rooms.  My floor is Tigerwood and I wanted to see how the RO-150 worked on the finish.  I am thinking about reclaiming some of the engineered floor.  I tried 40 grit with the RO-150 i the Rotex mode.  Then I switched to 24 grit Rubin and had much better results.  I will probably can the whole idea because I have a lot I want to do in the midst of this home dishevel and the floor isn't worth that much to me.

Peter

 

[avrs22]

Ironic that this topic popped up.  I just had a water leak and the insurance company is paying to have the floor replaced in numerous rooms.  My floor is Tigerwood and I wanted to see how the RO-150 worked on the finish.  I am thinking about reclaiming some of the engineered floor.  I tried 40 grit with the RO-150 i the Rotex mode.  Then I switched to 24 grit Rubin and had much better results.  I will probably can the whole idea because I have a lot I want to do in the midst of this home dishevel and the floor isn't worth that much to me.

Peter

If its aluminum oxide pre finish.....I think you should can it Peter.
The stuff is a real pain to remove.

 

[TheTrooper]

I talked to a Bona rep and they have a platinum series paper made for aluminum Oxide finishes but none of them fit my sanders.
On the Tiger Wood I'd just pass it through a plainer and knock 1/32 off.

 

[avrs22]

I wonder if passing the boards trough a planner would dull the planner knives being that the finish has aluminum oxide?

It reminds me of 2 staircases I stained and put 3 coats of last n last 1500 on them at the shop.
The guy building them on site called me all upset asking what kind of finish I used saying it had dulled his saw blade.
last n last 1500 has aluminum oxide in the finish.
It kind of made me scratch my head because the flooring guys cut the stuff everyday.

 

[TheTrooper]

We cut it all the time and never noticed a difference.

 

[avrs22]

We cut it all the time and never noticed a difference.

That's what I though.

 

[TheTrooper]

Does festool read this.  Do you have anything to remove an aluminum oxide finish

 

[AlexThePalex]

Festool RAS 180 with 24 grit Saphire? Should make a dent. USA has to be content with the 115 though.

Or use the HL850 planer on a minimal depth setting.

 

[nickao]

Gosh I want that RAS 180 so bad. You guys are so lucky, makes an RO 150 look like a toy. OR better yet give us an RO 180  Anything to compete with the larger Fein sanders in the US would be good. It appears Fein stopped making the *" MOL so there aren't many places to get  larger sander. Festool could scoop up the boat builders in the US with a larger 7 or 8" RO or RAS..

 

[PA floor guy]

Actually, your far better off hitting the AO finish with 80 grit first, with a floor sander.  The bona platinum paper works well for it.  AO finish is very tricky to conquer.

 

[mcyorks]

I'm having the exact same problem with my Rotex 125.  I can't say for sure what our floor is finished with, but its engineered flooring with an oak top layer.  The finish is hard as nails.

Tried p60 brilliant and saphir, it barely touches it.  If I use an abrasive by hand, I get better results...

Is it really worth trying some 24 grit?  The 60 grit, left on maximum speed and RO mode for 1 minute on the same spot, does absolutely zip.  Finding it hard to imagine 24 would be any different?