Diamabrush and Shop Vac question

[black roadster]

I was hoping to avoid having the sand my concrete but it has a sealant.

I understand the diamabrush creates a lot of fine concrete dust. Will my Rigid shop vac be able to handle this?

 

[mopar440_6]

I just ground a 3,000 sq. ft. floor last weekend with a 100 grit Diamabrush on a buffer with a makeshift storage tote dust shroud using my Shop Vac. Before we started I put on a new cartridge filter and installed one of the high efficiency "fine dust and drywall" collection bags. We had no issues keeping the dust down or the Shop Vac blowing it back out.

I think you would be fine as long as you can get some kind of high efficiency collection bag to use in addition to the standard filter. I'm not sure what Rigid offers as far as replacement filters so good luck...

 

[Shea]

Just check the bag once in a while as the dust can get heavy and rip the bag.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

10-4 these posts, use a fines bag.

 

[thedoc46]

You could buy a Oneida cyclone... and put it as an inbetween..

Personally, i just removed everything out the garage, kept the garage doors open, and rented a vac from Home Depot for $19 Ended up giving up on sucking up the dust 3rd way thru as it was slowing me down too much having to blow out the filter, and just opted for a good ol fashion brush and pan. Then vac'd at the end, along with compressed air. LOTS OF !!!!

 

[tncatadjuster]

Change bags BEFORE they fill completely and they are much easier and don't rip.

 

[black roadster]

I went to my local Home Depot and rented a floor polisher and concrete prep tool. My friend and I were not able to control the machine. Upon turning the machine on, it pulled hard left. We tried the suggested rocking back and forth motion from the employee at Home Depot but it was such an uncontrollable thing that we just returned the tools and decided to try again after doing more research.

I’ve read this thread on Garage Journal and one guy seemed successful with the same floor polisher and the concrete removal disk. Home Depot thinks we need to use their Floor Maintainer as it runs slower along with the aforementioned concrete removal disk.

Any assistance or direction would be appreciated.

 

[tncatadjuster]

The way floor machines work is pull up and go one direction push down go other direction. Your putting pressure on on the spinning wheel leading edge propels one direction, rock it back and it goes the other direction. Once you get the hang of it all is good.

Try again, or call a fried that has experience, I have trained 20 guys how to run one with only a 5 min lesson.

On this machine (in the video below) up goes right down left. We are talking about 1/2" difference in direction change.

.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Also...
Before you turn it on, adjust the handle so it is about at your belt line.
Turn it on and be prepared to let go if you get into trouble. Keep a loose grip.

As my friend in TN noted, once you get the hang of it's like riding a bike.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Agree with above. Use of a floor machine requires a bit of 'feel' to get used to it so it doesn't pull. A bit of practice and rocking it will help get it to float nicely on the Diamabrush blades. Fine filter for the vac should work if available. A standard pleated filter alone may not work well and lose suction very quickly.

 

[black roadster]

I hadn’t heard back from Diamabrush so I finally decided to call. According to the rep at Diamabrush, since my concrete has a sealant on it, the proper tool is the concrete removal tool which has fewer brushes on it. The concrete prep tool is only for bare concrete. The sealant was causing the concrete prep tool to grip too much and kick.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

I don't want to cross Diamabrush but we use this product on a regular basis.
A thin sealer should not be making the machine kick.

The mastic removal tool offers the most vibration from my experience. As you mentioned it has fewer blades and digs in deeper.

It sounds like you might want to lower the handle and loosen your grip. I am willing to bet you are fighting the machine. Keep at it , you will master it faster than you think.

 

[black roadster]

Well the job is about done but I think Home Depot screwed up somehow. It took me 12 hours to grind my 500 sq/ft garage and I finally gave up. The Diamabrush on the angle grinder worked fantastic. The brush Home Depot gave me looked new and when I returned it, the employee said it hardly looked like I used it.