Well, here we are several hours later. I had hoped to sand 14 boards in the guest bedroom, (I'm very goal oriented like that!), but in the end, my arms gave up so I only managed to finish about half of that. Basically I've proven yet again the golden rule of home renovation time estimation: Estimate X hours = 2*X. Or something like that.
That little bit of algebra aside, sanding the part of the floor that had absolutely no finish on whatsoever went great. I actually ended up using 40-grit sandpaper, and my fave Porter and Cable 1/2 sheet orbital finishing sander. The box says, "vibration free", which I am here to tell you, unless you're made of rubber, is an utter misnomer. Also, the paper clogged frequently, even using 40-grit, and this had me cursing. Changing the paper in the P and C sander is a real pain in the butt, unless you've got 3 hands.
I had the window open a crack, and had the shop vac going nearly the entire time, so the dust was not that prohibitive. I always wear hearing protection and a high-quality carbon filter mask, but even with a well-adjusted mask, there was still a lot of dust in the inside the mask at the end of the day.
The little milking stool comes in very handy when doing jobs like this. Some days, I'd like to have it permanently attached to my posterior. Sitting on this bench makes any task not-quite-ergonomic, but infinitely superior to kneeling.
On that note, I leave you with today's sunset:
Enjoy!
4 comments:
Gorgeous sunset. It had that same streak above it when it came up here this morning.
Happy Reno to you. You're moving along nicely.
Hi Linda, things are coming along. We went out yesterday and bought the paint. I still have the holes to fill, so I'll only get the chance to start painting on the weekend. A few hours after the sun set, it started to snow HARD. So much for the popular saying, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight"!
Getting your hands dirty is a fantastic experience when doing some DIY work done at your home. In my opinion, your pine floor even with scratches looks really good, since it gives off an antique and rugged appeal.
Hi Steven, thanks for your input. I can hardly believe that nearly 5 (ahem!) months have passed and I'm still not finished with that infernal project! I agree that a few dents, pings and scratches add character, but the whole ensemble looks a bit grungy. I'm still going to paint everything white and make a final judgment call when it's complete. Hope you stop by again!
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