I need to finish about 3000 square feet of red oak floors. I also have
about 400 square feet of southern yellow pine for a shop floor. I am a
wood worker, but floor finishing is new to me.

Thus far, I have read that, for the red oak, I should:
sand with 36 and 60 grit, followed by filling with Woodwise full
trowel filler,
sand to 100 grit and then screen to 120 grit,
apply 3 or 4 coats of waterbased poly - screening between coats.

For the SYP shop floor, I follow the above, but start with Woodwise
brown knot patch quick filler to fill any holes in the knots.

Seems like a lot of work but, after laying this stuff down, I don't
want to screw it up now. Am I on the right track?

For finishes, I though I would use BonaKemi Traffic or EON70. Their
representative discouraged me, saying it was for professionals only?
After searching this group, the next choice seems to be Fabulon Pro or
Street Shoe.

Does anybody have advice on which is better and/or easier for an
amateur?

I have looked for a source of floor finishing products and am getting
nowhere. Nothing local,(midstate Illinois) and lots of useless pages
on the web. I figure my best bet is a good web site, or a place in
Indianapolis or Chicago. Anybody got a favorite place that has
reasonable price and service.

Thanks,
Len

I used Boni Traffic for 4000 sq. feet of white oak. I had zero experience
and it turned out great. Check out http://www.floormasters.com/community/
for questions about floor installations and finishes.

wrote in message
ps.com...
I need to finish about 3000 square feet of red oak floors. I also have
about 400 square feet of southern yellow pine for a shop floor. I am a
wood worker, but floor finishing is new to me.

Thus far, I have read that, for the red oak, I should:
sand with 36 and 60 grit, followed by filling with Woodwise full
trowel filler,
sand to 100 grit and then screen to 120 grit,
apply 3 or 4 coats of waterbased poly - screening between coats.

For the SYP shop floor, I follow the above, but start with Woodwise
brown knot patch quick filler to fill any holes in the knots.

Seems like a lot of work but, after laying this stuff down, I don't
want to screw it up now. Am I on the right track?

For finishes, I though I would use BonaKemi Traffic or EON70. Their
representative discouraged me, saying it was for professionals only?
After searching this group, the next choice seems to be Fabulon Pro or
Street Shoe.

Does anybody have advice on which is better and/or easier for an
amateur?

I have looked for a source of floor finishing products and am getting
nowhere. Nothing local,(midstate Illinois) and lots of useless pages
on the web. I figure my best bet is a good web site, or a place in
Indianapolis or Chicago. Anybody got a favorite place that has
reasonable price and service.

Thanks,
Len

Do your homework on types of sanding equipment. Don't just go to the rental
pkace and say floor sander. I do not know what level of results you are
looking for. I did a basement floor, using god-awful grit on a drum sander;
it left scoops. It was real dirty wood. It would go through to the other
side in under a minute I think. If not careful, you'll take a lot of the
thickness away. Start/stop/holdups can be dissasterous. Its ok for basement
rec room. Try a finer grit first to be safe. If you make a mistake, you'll
be paying for it. Do a test somewhere, maybe under a rug area, say w/ the
edge sander too. Polied up fine. Don't know nothing about sealer, and
such. Spar/martine poly allows movement for outdoor usage. Do not use
this. You want HARD on floors. This is inverse to "Spar" poly. I think
there are different types of sanders now, in the way they operate.



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I used something like this:

http://www.parish-supply.com/lambswool_applicator.htm



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wrote:
I need to finish about 3000 square feet of red oak floors. I also have
about 400 square feet of southern yellow pine for a shop floor. I am a
wood worker, but floor finishing is new to me.

Thus far, I have read that, for the red oak, I should:
sand with 36 and 60 grit, followed by filling with Woodwise full
trowel filler,
sand to 100 grit and then screen to 120 grit,
apply 3 or 4 coats of waterbased poly - screening between coats.

For the SYP shop floor, I follow the above, but start with Woodwise
brown knot patch quick filler to fill any holes in the knots.

Seems like a lot of work but, after laying this stuff down, I don't
want to screw it up now. Am I on the right track?

For finishes, I though I would use BonaKemi Traffic or EON70. Their
representative discouraged me, saying it was for professionals only?
After searching this group, the next choice seems to be Fabulon Pro or
Street Shoe.

Does anybody have advice on which is better and/or easier for an
amateur?

I have looked for a source of floor finishing products and am getting
nowhere. Nothing local,(midstate Illinois) and lots of useless pages
on the web. I figure my best bet is a good web site, or a place in
Indianapolis or Chicago. Anybody got a favorite place that has
reasonable price and service.

Thanks,
Len




Sanding using that big machine is a real treat. you have to be smooth
and steady. If your not riping off existing finish then it shoudl be
easier as the finer paper wont gouge so quickly. But you can easily put
a dip in your floor if your not careful.

I have some pictures of me doing a floor several years ago, but I can't
recall my website address...

--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16