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can i use an orbital sander to polish concrete

by Mathias Kulas II Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Polishing Concrete with an orbital sander is not ideal, and there are more effective options available to choose from. It is far from impossible, however, and with some effort and using the correct tools, you can achieve a smooth polished concrete surface.Aug 28, 2022

Full Answer

How do you polish concrete with orbital sander?

The simple and fast way to do this is to use a wet diamond polishing disc (100 grit or 200 grit) attached to a regular random orbit sander. Simply spray some water on the concrete to get it wet, and “sand” the surface using the diamond disc to abrade away the burnished surface.

Can I use a sander to smooth concrete?

Sanding concrete is a professional work, and it's better to get it done at the hands of experts. It's tempting to take it as a DIY project, but you may leave behind several irregularities that'll look bad. To ensure that your floor is perfectly smooth, hire a professional sander.

Can I use orbital sander for polishing?

Whether you are a hobbyist, woodworker, or automotive detailer, an orbital sander is a great tool to have. It is commonly found in garages, woodshops, and auto body shops and can be used for buffing and sanding different materials such as wood and metal. You can use a random orbital sander for car polishing.

What is the best tool for sanding concrete?

If you are sanding an entire concrete floor, look for something larger. For wide floor spaces, use a floor sander - also known as a drum sander or a concrete grinder. These can be operated standing up. These typically can attach to a vacuum for mid-project cleaning.

Is there a concrete sander?

If you need to work with concrete – either as a professional or as a DIYer – you will inevitably stumble over the question of how to get concrete polished or sanded. The obvious answer is: Using a concrete sander, grinder or polisher, diamond pads or sandpaper, water and a vacuum.

What kind of sander do I need for concrete floor?

But despite these characteristics, concrete isn't as hard to sand as you might think. You can use a disc or belt sander or concrete grinder combined with standard sandpaper discs or diamond encrusted pads to sand concrete to a shiny finish. There are plenty of good reasons to undertake such an arduous project.

Can you use a rotary sander as a polisher?

The Bottom Line You can use an orbital sander to polish your vehicle. You need to make sure that it is a random orbital sander, and that it has variable speed settings. The power type of the random orbital sander comes down to your preference and the budget that you're working with.

What's the difference between polishing and buffing?

Polishing generates a brushed or lined finish, where buffing removes the lines and creates a bright luster finish. The process of buffing generally requires surface refinement polishing prior to buffing.

What is the difference between a orbital sander and a random orbital sander?

What is the difference between an orbital sander and a random orbital sander? An orbital sander moves only in a circular motion while the random orbital sander also moves back and forth. As a result of the two separate motions, it leaves less of a swirl pattern on the wood.

How do you polish concrete?

Grind with a 150-grit metal-bonded diamond (or finer, if desired). Apply a chemical hardener to densify the concrete. Polish with a 100- or 200-grit resin-bond diamond, or a combination of the two. Polish with a 400-grit resin-bond diamond.

How do you hand polish concrete?

Begin grinding the concrete, starting with 40 or 80-grit, then gradually working up to 400-grit. Vacuum and mop the floor to remove concrete dust. Use a roller to paint the floor with 1 coat of concrete densifier, then allow it to dry. Polish the floor with 3000 grit sandpaper or a buffing pad.

Can you use a grinder to polish concrete?

An angle grinder can be used to level, smooth and polish concrete by grinding it down. They can also be used to remove paint and floor adhesives. To grind concrete with a angle grinder you need a diamond cup wheel, a dust shroud attachment, and a vacuum cleaner.

How do you smooth out concrete?

Sand the Surface and Wash the Concrete Finish by fine-tuning with light sandpaper, until the surface is perfectly smooth. We recommend using a hand planer to smooth and compact the surface. If the concrete dries a lot then we recommend that you add water to the surface, this will help you give it a good finish.

Can I sand concrete with sandpaper?

Considering the nature of concrete and how hard it is, you may be asking the question, can you sand concrete with regular sandpaper? While it is possible to sand concrete, both ceramic and aluminum oxide sandpaper are less than ideal for concrete sanding. Ideally, you want to use diamond sanding or polishing pads.

How do you smooth rough concrete?

Typically, you can sand them smooth enough using an orbital sander, but the grit that you use will help you achieve the desired results. If the edges are uneven, that may require a concrete grinder. For smoothing out mildly rough concrete with little to no noticeable imperfections, 40 to 60 grit may be sufficient.

How do you make concrete smooth?

3:4211:30Learn How To Finish Concrete Smooth | Steel Trowel ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou always want to float the concrete. First this will help level it a little better help smooth itMoreYou always want to float the concrete. First this will help level it a little better help smooth it a little better. And it just makes the whole process go a little easier.

What is the best tool to sand concrete?

To sand concrete, a tool that has a simple rotating motion is advisable. A rotary grinder, rotary sander, or even a rotary polisher could do the trick.

How much does a diamond polishing pad cost?

If you are looking for a nice smooth polished look, consider purchasing a set of diamond polishing pads. You can get a nice set for as cheap as $40.

How to make paint less absorbent?

Treat the overall surface filling/ levelling with sufficient sanding followed by proper priming to make it the least absorbent and ready to accept the paint coating for better adhesion.

Can you polish with oil?

Yes, you can polish with oil (what oil are we exactly looking at?). More importantly, what is the point?

Can you dry a sandpaper?

And this is done with water. It's messy. You can't do this dry.

Is orbital sander aggressive?

Orbital sanders are considered finishing sanders in the realm of woodworking. They are not very aggressive.

What grit do you use to polish concrete?

This depends on the level of shine you would like to achieve. For lower levels of shine, you can use a 36-grit pad. For a high-gloss look, you will need to use a 100-grit pad.

How do you make concrete smooth and shiny?

There is a special type of paint that can be used to make concrete smooth and shiny.

How do you sand a concrete slab?

Wet the concrete slab with a hose. Put on eye protection and gloves. Begin to sand the concrete with a 20-grit sandpaper. Apply pressure to the sandpaper as you move it in circular motions over the surface of the concrete. Continue to sand until you have reached the desired level of smoothness.

Can you smooth out concrete after it dries?

Yes, you can smooth out concrete after it dries with a concrete grinder.

Which sand is for slab?

The type of sand that is best for creating a firm foundation for a poured concrete slab is coarse sand. This type of sand is also known as pit sand or concreting sand. It is characterized by its large grain size and is rough to the touch.

How do I sand concrete?

The best and easiest way to sand concrete would be with a random orbital sander. This is because you can easily control the motion left to right or back and forth, whereas using a traditional palm sander, you'll have to use different strokes for this motion. If you do want to use a palm-sanded approach, then I recommend that you first smooth out your concrete lightly with power tools such as an angle grinder. For those of us who don't have access to power tools, then old fashioned hand sanders work too but it will take much longer.

How to Smooth Concrete after It Dries?

The two other more popular options are either sand and start over or wire brushes off the top coat.

How to smooth out a corner of a floor?

Use a 30 to 60 grit sandpaper to remove imperfections and smooth out the surface. Start working from the corner side and move up. If you start from the corner you will be able to maintain an order of sanding different sections of floor.

What is concrete used for?

July 15, 2021 by Marshall Pascal. Concrete is basically a flooring material that is used to build the foundation of a building. Having a history of its own (it was used in the arena of Rome) concrete is best known for its durability. Today many homeowners’ must-have material is concrete when it comes to flooring.

How to protect walls from dust?

Use plastic sheets on your walls, doorways, vents, and other surfaces to cover. This will help you to protect your walls from derbies and dust.

Can you sand concrete floors at home?

Even though sanding concrete at your home sidewalk might seem like too much effort to put for a trivial task, you can still sand the concrete floors at home for polished as well as grandeur appearance. Also, sanding is essential when it comes to resurfacing a treated concrete floor.

Should you wet sandpaper before you start?

Again if you consider using dry-wet sandpaper then you should wet the area before starting to work. It simply keeps the dust away.

Should you wet concrete before sanding?

Saturate the entire concrete floor with water before sanding. The key is to get the concrete as wet as possible before starting the sander.

How do you make concrete smooth and shiny?

To make concrete smooth and shiny, you can use a trowel to level and smooth the surface, or you can use a power washer to remove any roughness.

How do you sand and polish concrete?

Sand and polish concrete by starting with a course grit sandpaper and working your way up to a finer grit. Polish the concrete with a polishing pad and polishing compound.

Can I sand concrete with sandpaper?

You can sand concrete with sandpaper but it’ll take quite a bit of time and effort. If you’re patient enough, you can eventually get a smooth finish.

Do they make a concrete sander?

Many people use sanding discs or belts fitted to a hand-held drill or sander to smooth concrete surfaces.

Can you smooth out concrete after it dries?

Yes, you can smooth out concrete after it dries, using a variety of tools.

Which sand is for slab?

Some are better suited for slab construction than others. Coarse sand, also known as pit sand, is a good choice for slabs because it packs well and doesn’t contain any large pieces of rock or other debris.

Can you use an orbital sander for polish?

Absolutely! Orbital sanders can still be used for polishing as long as you have the appropriate attachments and features. For example, variable speed settings and attentiveness to causing any notable swirl marks on the paint surface. Using an orbital sander for polish will be vital in getting your car to look its best.

What grit should I choose for polishing?

The grit of your sandpaper is directly related to how smooth your finish will be. Coarser, lower-grit papers remove material quickly but leave rough, raised edges. Higher-grit papers are usually smoother and make it easier to achieve a fine finish.

Pads we can use for polishing

There are several polishing pads, and each is designed for a different purpose.

Polish your car with an orbital sander guide

Get the answers to all the questions that may come to your mind. How to sand a car with an orbital sander? Can you use a random orbital sander for car polishing?

Wet or Dry Polishing?

Deciding which kind of polishing you’ll use depends on what type of job you’re doing. There are two types of polishing when it comes to cars: wet and dry. We recommend using both methods; they each have their benefits and drawbacks, but both can be useful in different circumstances.

Can you use an orbital sander as a buffer?

The buffer attachment is perfect for car polishing. An orbital sander uses fast-moving sanding discs attached to a machine that keeps them spinning at high speeds. It’s excellent for removing paint and smoothing out surfaces, so you’ll need different grades of sandpaper, depending on what kind of surface you’re working with.

Conclusion

If you have a car that needs to be polished, you will likely have an orbital sander at home that is perfect for the job. This must be a random orbital sander and come with variable speed settings. Depending on what kind of power you would like to have, the power type of the random orbital sander changes.

How to polish concrete with sandpaper?

Polish the surface in long strokes by applying uniform pressure throughout the stroke. As you remove the high points, the surface area of polishing will increase. Keep polishing until you are touching the entire surface equally.

What is the best way to sand concrete?

Using a hand grinder or orbital sander is a great option for sanding a concrete countertop or small surface. The small sander surface will allow you to have more control over tighter angles or corners of the concrete.

How to Sand Concrete to a Smooth Finish?

The process you use to sand your concrete to a smooth finish will depend on the type of project you are taking on. The size of the project and the location will alter the tools and methods that you use to polish. In any case, however, you will want to make sure you properly prep the concrete surface before you start polishing.

What to use for tight spots on concrete?

For tight spots where the concrete sander cannot reach, use a sanding pad and keep the finish similar to what you have already completed.

What is the best tool to sand down a sanded area?

For very specific areas that need to be sanded down, an angle grinder can be a good option.

What is a walk behind concrete sander?

A walk-behind concrete sander is your best option for a larger surface like a floor or outdoor patio. When polishing a larger surface with a walk-behind sander, it is important to be consistent with how much you sand in each spot.

How long does it take for concrete to dry?

Once finished, allow the surface to completely dry. After a couple of days, apply a concrete sealer to protect the surface.

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1.Can You Polish Concrete With an Orbital Sander? (Guide)

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