Sanding floor for Wolverine prep

[dankeenan]

I was talking to a friend of mine about how I am getting a grinder (thanks motodave) and will prep the new concrete floor with a dimond wheel for use with the Wolverine 100% soild epoxy. He asked why not use a floor buffer/sander with a rough disk (like 20 grit). I have read the best way is shot blasting followed by grinding, then acid etch to prep the floor. Has anyone tried the buffer / floor sander with a aggresive paper? He wants to do his floor, but thinks a buffer/sander will work fine, any thoughts?????

 

[AlphaGarage]

I don't think that a buffer with screen would be aggressive enough to do the job, they operate at only about 175 rpm and aren't that heavy.

An installer I know does use a floor buffer, but he's had a custom plate built which holds 6 4" diamond cups, and I think that it's used for lighter jobs only.

Grinding or shot blasting followed by acid etch? No harm, but kind of like wearing a belt and suspenders.

Most pros will usually grind or blast, not both, and seldom follow either with an etch.