Floored Part II

Last week in our exciting episode of "Let's Renovate an Old Church in Our Spare Time" we left halfway done with the floors. So what was it like to go back at it the following weekend?

It was awesome. It was like getting back on the horse, after you had fallen and broken all the tender bits on your body!

The Stage is set for more work...

And work it was.

Plug and play!

When we finished last weekend, it felt like we might be halfway done. Or even more!

Nope.

Lots more to love.

But it won't get done by wishing, so let's get started!

First we used the large sander. Last week we had the drum sander, but we wanted to try the circular one. It had about the same effect. It took off the top layers a little quicker than the drum sander, but it was a lot trickier to handle. If you tried to steer it,  it had a tendency to spin off into its own circular spasm of cyclonic motion, taking the handler with it. But if you got all zen with it and let it do its thing, it would drift along in a cloud of dust and swirl its way down the planks.

Swirly

Gettin Zen widdit.

But to really finish the job, the Bronco had to be engaged.

Engaging the Bronco

You can see the difference.

Bronco Mike and his Bulging Biceps!

Viva La Difference!

And so it went. Circular swirls and Bronco bucking.

Next thing you know,

Are we done yet? 

Yeah, we got done. But did I get a shot of it?

Not really, so this will have to do.

Dunzo.

Sand-tastic

The time has come to address the floor. It really contains the last of the remaining nastiness and crud from the past. Wanna help, boys?

"Pass!"    "What he said!"

That's OK. I wouldn't want a cat tail to get caught in the machinery. 

So we drove into Bad Axe to rent a couple of sanders: one big drum sander and the smaller edging sander. Neither of us had sanded a big floor before, so it was going to be an adventure. As usual!

Here it is after the first few swipes. This machine was pretty tame and easy to use. 

That's the good point.

 But it also left a lot of paint still on the wood.

That's the bad point.

So we used it in conjunction with the edger. The difference in the ease of use was like the difference between holding on to a vacuum cleaner and holding on to the Tazmanian Devil!

Hey, it's like vacuuming! Over and over...

Hey, it's like holding on to a bronco's head! A mad bronco.

Well, it was a long and arduous task, but we made progress.

It's like mowing the lawn!

Except the lawn is making an awful dust!

It's like holding a tornado!

But it turned out to be the only thing that would dig in and get the last of the ancient paint/stain out.

 hours later...

Wheels of grit

We went through some paper. We pay by the sheet, which messed with my thrifty mind. Changing the paper often makes the job much easier, but at $10 a sheet for the large sander and $4 for the small, it makes you think twice. I couldn't help imagining strapping a ten dollar bill under the sander every time we changed the paper. But then after a few shifts on the bronco head, I would have paid more just to make it easier.

Sheets o' used paper

Also, it took us awhile to remember that dust is an irritant.

That's why we bought masks!

So back and forth we went, up and down the boards. And we progressed.

Ride 'im, Cowboy Mike!

I did take turns, but Cowboy Mike forgot to record it! We both were pooped at day's end. But what a change! It was an exhausted but happy glow we had later that evening!

Ahh! Hard work pays off!

Yeah- and nothing good comes easy. And idle hands are the Devil's workshop.

But it's true...

Totally Worth It!

Worth numb hands and sore shoulders?

uh,

YEAH!

Ignore the other-worldly looks, we'll wear masks next time, promise!