WTF Moments in Sanding: Dealing with Aluminum Oxide

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For this aluminum oxide floor, Joshua Feck of Traverse Woodworks in Traverse City, Mich., started with diamond plates on his Bona Power Drive “to scratch up the surface. I’d let the plates cool while removing what’s left of the finish with 36-grit with the big machine.”
For this aluminum oxide floor, Joshua Feck of Traverse Woodworks in Traverse City, Mich., started with diamond plates on his Bona Power Drive “to scratch up the surface. I’d let the plates cool while removing what’s left of the finish with 36-grit with the big machine.”

Some of us remember the first time we had to “try” sanding off a finish with aluminum oxide (AO) or ceramic finish. You put a new belt on your big machine, most likely a black one, and started your first pass. The sander seemed to float over the surface, leaving topical scratches and not removing anything. This was a WTF moment (What’s This Finish?)! That’s when it hit you: You were trying to remove AO with a belt made of AO. It became a short day, leaving time to ponder what to do over a beer.

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