Oak Stair Refinishing Job

Teetorbilt

Marco may have gone a little over the top but he knows of what he speaks. I can put my hand on one of those scrapers just about anywhere, sharpening and burnishing them is truly an art. I'll put one up against sandpaper anyday and you'll eat my 'no dust'.
They also cut the surface of the wood, not scratch it like sandpaper. Ask any fine woodworker.

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Humble Abode

I wish I knew a fine woodworker who could teach me how to use one. I would hate to practice on a customers stairs. I think I might go get a chair at a rummage sale or a peice of pine and try one out.

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Donedat

Yep, if you've ever seen a floorman's bicepts and forarms, you now know where he gets them from. You may think it is from swinging the 4 pounder all day long. That's only part of it. Scraping and hand sanding are also part of the trio. :Thumbs:

adams,b

Edger and scraper is your quickest way to refinish old steps. I would like to see someone sand an old stair case down with a mouse, especially if it has wax. Anyway make sure you have a new file on hand, and talk the customer into painting the risers if possible....Actually I always go over the step with a palm sander and hand sand the steps for my last step. If there are spindles of some sort and it is getting stain I use the mouse to make everything finished with the same grit.

Donedat

If the treads are thick with gooey wax or old paint or even both, you can use a heat gun along with a sharp puddy knife to get the slop off. Then proceed to sanding with the edger, scraping the corners with the razor sharp paint scraper and then hand sand everything to a uniform sheen. Usually, you need only to handsand up to 100 or 120. That is sufficient cause you want the color to match the floor. If you sand too fine or too course it will effect the color in contrast to the floor...sometimes drastic contrast.

Grainywood

Ditto. I refinished stained stairs a few months ago. You can use an edger to do the main area of the tread. Then a scraper to get at the corners and edges. I also use the Bosch Detail/Corner Sander which is nice for getting the areas sanded smooth after the scraper. Fein makes a nice random orbital sander. I got the six inch but I think a smaller sander would be better so you can use it to get at the risers as well. But the Fein is really great for getting edger marks out before staining a floor.

adams,b

Right On. Sometimes with a dark stain the little orbital sanders leave "fish eyes", so I like to hand sand them to finish them up.

Donedat

Good eyes :Thumbs: Lot of guys can't see the difference. I got called in to resand a job some other guy did. He used an orbital palm sander. It's not a big deal if you use an orbital over the entire floor...but in just one spot?...it will stick out like a sore thumb.

adams,b

I have two stair cases going right now and they are both getting dark stain. Sound like fun, huh?

Donedat

Sorry, I'm late to post. How'd they turn out?

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Humble Abode

We didn't get the job. Not that we got out bid or under bid, the customer wasn't expecting stairs to be so expensive to refinish. I think they put it off for a year or so. We may get it yet, as they are one of our more loyal customers.

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Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. Kurt Vonnegut, (1922 - 2007) from the Novel 'Hocus Pocus'
The NAPP
Milwaukee Painting Contractor

parquetselvon

Here in Belgium,
There ia a Flooring company who scrap oak timber flooring without sanding. Well it's 400 to 500 euros m² ( 10 sq. ft). A guy overthere tought me how to sharpened the scraper. I made one with a pièce band saw (blue iron), it works well. I am new in this forum. I am reading old threads and I do not know if I can still respond concerning 2005 threads.

parquetselvon

Best way to renovate stair case. Steps and counter steps.

Elan edge sander Laegler ( + - 10kg) 22 pounds.

Metabo grinder with a speed variator

Support for scratch sand paper 125mm diametre

Paper grit for the Elan machine for steps only; grit 36 / 50 / 80 /

Orbital sander metabo or Festool kapex / grit 80 / 100

Countersteps must be realized with the grinder ( adjusting the speed)
Face mask (3M)
grit / 36 / 50 / 80 / 100

small orbital sander Festool 80 / 100

For corner, use a support for scratch paper diametre 50mm with a 60 /80 grits.

As I hate sharpening scrapers, I prefer using the 50mm diameter scratch support, there is only about a + - 25mm triangle left in corners, just use a chisel 30mm width, weel sharpened and just cut the corners. The chisel is easier to sharpened than the scrapers.
For each stairs / 120cm width for my quotes I will forecast a quantity
3 grit 16 sometimes / 3 x36grits / 3 x 50 grits / 3 x 80 / 3x 100 and the same for the counterstep in 125mm diametre.
I use 4 grinder (metabo) after one counterstep, I will use a second one an so on. I hate doing stair case before. Since I put this technics, even my guys tell me that ti's awesome. When I will be used on this forum, I will put some photographs. You can see a staircase by typing parquetselvon in google search. Regards.

parquetselvon

Since I hate renovating staircases. I give prices in a way not to have the job. I got a job for April 2011. I quoted 100 euros per steps + 150 euros per countersteps. quantity 32 steps 31 countersteps. Total job 7850 euros.
I will be doing this job myself. Charging these prices I cannot do the job in 5 days. I will do it at my ease.

PrecisionFloors

Where the hell were you 6 years ago Pretty sure this one is done....might be ready to do again

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nymasterfloors

If you really want to do it yourself use an edger and A hand scraper. Scrapers are sold @ wood flooring stores that usually sell poly and what not.I do not recommend if you do not have any experience with doing treads to do it yourself. Sub it out usual cost is $25 per step.

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jamestrd

7850 euros?...wow..thats big money and you got it?

if you dont want the job, why show up for the estimate?

alot of work to go there to NOT get the job...

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parquetselvon

I do hate doing it, but if the money is there, Whom am I to spit on it !

jamestrd

at that rate, i would do this all week..be done in 2-3 days..make myself 16,000 a week..

would be real nice..

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the rock

This scraper youguys are talking about........... are they all cordless ? or do some plug in ? lol