Considering prepping for epoxy with a hand grinder.....anyone else do it?

[tlmartin84]

I have firsthand experience with EDCO machines and hand grinders. We require our abutment seats to be COMPLETELY flat and dead on in elevation. This often requires several hours of grinding with a wonder wheel and 7" grinder by a mason. Our tolerance is a business card thickness. This is typically an area of 2' x 2' or so and takes several hours to accomplish because of the thickness removed.

I noticed when cleaning up my own pad with my 4" grinder and wonder wheel that a few passes is really all it took to remove the latenance from the concrete. I did around my drains as far as could reach in literally a matter of minutes exposing the aggregate below.

I am really debating on just a 7" wonder wheel on my large grinder and having at it........

Anyone else done it this way?

 

[Garage Flooring]

I have firsthand experience with EDCO machines and hand grinders. We require our abutment seats to be COMPLETELY flat and dead on in elevation. This often requires several hours of grinding with a wonder wheel and 7" grinder by a mason. Our tolerance is a business card thickness. This is typically an area of 2' x 2' or so and takes several hours to accomplish because of the thickness removed.

I noticed when cleaning up my own pad with my 4" grinder and wonder wheel that a few passes is really all it took to remove the latenance from the concrete. I did around my drains as far as could reach in literally a matter of minutes exposing the aggregate below.

I am really debating on just a 7" wonder wheel on my large grinder and having at it........

Anyone else done it this way?

Lots of people prep with an angle grinder. I like the Diamabrush hand tools

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

TL:
This is ok, a little hard on the knees and you have to be steady not to eat into the floor. We have a client that does cruise ship work and he attacks 2000 sq ft with 5 men toting hand grinders all the time. He motors through mastic and coatings quickly.

The one thing he does different than you is using the diamabrush hand tool. It will help keep the head from "eating" into the floor or creating "kiss" marks.

Good luck with the project and please post some pics!

 

[tlmartin84]

I've been able to observe several good masons the last few years and one thing that I picked up on is that the good ones let the grinder work for them.

Those guys use a large horsepower 7" grinder that is heavy. They literally kick back and just hold onto it with one hand. It looks like it is just floating as it works its way around.



While I have both of you guys in here, I have an outdoor exposed aggregate slab that I am trying to decide what to do with. I am wanting to stain it with something to give it a darker appearance and then seal it with glossy finish, or just a one step gloss with stain built in.

My concern is that since it is exterior it will lift do to moisture. And by it being exposed aggregate and extremely rough, it is not like you can grind the finish off and start again.

What do you recommend?

 

[NitroShark]

I am really debating on just a 7" wonder wheel on my large grinder and having at it........

Anyone else done it this way?

Yes, I used a 7" grinder on 1650 sqft. worked out great. Thread below.


http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263058

Shawn

 

[JamesTreeby]

I've been able to observe several good masons the last few years and one thing that I picked up on is that the good ones let the grinder work for them.

Those guys use a large horsepower 7" grinder that is heavy. They literally kick back and just hold onto it with one hand. It looks like it is just floating as it works its way around.



While I have both of you guys in here, I have an outdoor exposed aggregate slab that I am trying to decide what to do with. I am wanting to stain it with something to give it a darker appearance and then seal it with glossy finish, or just a one step gloss with stain built in.

My concern is that since it is exterior it will lift do to moisture. And by it being exposed aggregate and extremely rough, it is not like you can grind the finish off and start again.

What do you recommend?

Pressure clean and seal with 2 coats of wet-look clear acrylic sealer. *Make sure substrate is completely dry before application* you shouldn't have a problem with it lifting.

Or. You could grind the exposed aggregate off and create a 'honed concrete' finish, and then apply a penetrating or acrylic sealer. Depends on what finish you want, but grinding exposed aggregate is defiantly doable.

 

[benwah]

While I have both of you guys in here, I have an outdoor exposed aggregate slab that I am trying to decide what to do with. I am wanting to stain it with something to give it a darker appearance and then seal it with glossy finish, or just a one step gloss with stain built in.

My concern is that since it is exterior it will lift do to moisture. And by it being exposed aggregate and extremely rough, it is not like you can grind the finish off and start again.

What do you recommend?

Use a "Methyl Methacrylate Acrylic" clear sealer and apply 2-3 flood coats depending on porosity of aggregate. That should darken the concrete a bit and leave a semi-gloss to gloss finish depending on amount of coats applied.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Yes sir. Benwah nailed it.


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